Ben Gazzara, an acclaimed actor in stage, film, and television, passed away at the age of 81 on February 3, 2012. A New York native, Gazzara began his acting career in the 1950s and continued to work for decades afterwards, appearing in over 70 films and dozens of television shows. He is remembered for memorable performances in the films Anatomy of a Murder (1959), The Big Lebowski (1998), and Road House (1989). He inherited early recognition for his stage performances and won two Tony Awards in 1959 for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Dramatic Play. He was later nominated for the award several additional times for his work in The Balcony (1962), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1976), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1990). Gazzara wished to be remembered for “all the sweat…all the love, and all the tears that went into my work.” His heroic roles and extensive contributions to film and theater are testament to this motto. He will continue to be revered as an acting icon of generations past.