Ben Gazzara dies at 81

Ben Gazzara died Friday of pancreatic cancer, the New York Times reported.
The star of award-winning films and plays such as "Anatomy of a Murder" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was 81 years old.
Bing: Ben Gazzara's filmography
Gazzara employed his distinctive, gravel-specked voice and powerful stare most memorably in a series of film collaborations with the director John Cassavetes.
For the maverick director, Gazzara played a collection of bitter spouses and down-on-their heels gamblers and theater directors in films such as "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" and "Opening Night."
Like Peter Falk, his co-star in Cassavetes' "Husbands," Gazzara was perfect for director's signature examinations of bruised men who struggle to articulate and come to grips with their emotions, fears and hopes in a rapidly changing world