John Cusack’s noticeably taut appearance sparked online speculation about possible cosmetic work during a podcast appearance this week.
The 60-year-old actor, celebrated for films such as Serendipity, Sixteen Candles and Con Air, unveiled a different look while reflecting on his career on the latest episode of the Happy Sad Confused with Josh Horowitz podcast.
While Cusack spoke warmly about the 1989 romantic comedy Say Anything, viewers focused on his face. One fan joked that he was “turning into Barry Manilow,” referring to the veteran singer’s widely discussed facelift.
Other commenters speculated, without offering evidence, that the actor may have had cosmetic procedures and shared their reactions online.
One person wrote, “I’ll take super-obvious face lifts for a thousand, Alex,” while another commented, “Oy vey, the facial fillers must stop…”
Additional reactions included, “Oh honey, his face,” “These guys and their facelifts!”, “What has he done, looks like Liza Minnelli,” and “Ohhhh no, they got John.”
John Cusack’s taut appearance prompted social media users to speculate about possible plastic surgery during his podcast appearance this week.
Cusack is pictured attending the Berlinale International Film Festival in 2016.
The actor appears alongside Anthony Michael Hall and Darren Harris in 1984’s Sixteen Candles.
Some fans pushed back against the criticism, reminding fellow commenters that Cusack is now 60. “People in these comments: John is 60 years old! People still think he is in his 20s?” one wrote.
Others offered more supportive messages, describing him as “always so calm, polite and grounded,” adding, “Love every one of his movies” and “so handsome.”
Representatives for Cusack have been contacted for comment, but no response has been received.
During the candid conversation, Cusack also addressed a long-running claim that he turned down the lead role of Walter White in the hit series Breaking Bad, which ultimately starred Bryan Cranston.
“Some of those things are so weird, because there was this whole riff that I had turned down Walter White,” he said. “And I never ever remembered that. I was like, did that happen and I blacked it out? Did I lose time?”
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Cusack said he later asked Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan about the story during a meeting in New York. “Hey, man, I love your show, it’s awesome. I gotta know, everyone is saying you offered me that — did you offer me that?” Cusack recalled asking. Gilligan replied, “No,” prompting the actor to respond, “Thank you, Vince!”
After becoming a familiar face in 1980s coming-of-age movies including Sixteen Candles and Stand by Me, Cusack has taken on fewer mainstream projects in recent years.
In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, he said his reduced presence on screen was not because he had lost interest in filmmaking. Instead, he suggested Hollywood had become less willing to back his projects.
“In the last few years, I haven’t been able to get projects financed,” he reflected. “That could be a function of getting older. Or it could be a function of being cold…”
As Cusack discussed the 1989 romantic comedy Say Anything, viewers concentrated on his appearance, with one fan joking that he was “turning into Barry Manilow” in a reference to the singer’s facelift.
Several commenters made unverified claims that the actor had undergone cosmetic work; he is pictured on the right in 2019.
Others defended the star and branded him ‘so handsome’
Cusack is pictured with Ione Skye in 1989 film, Say Anything
Cusack starred with Kate Beckinsale in 2001 film, Serendipity
‘I haven’t really been hot for a long time.’
Cusack is known more for his outspoken political views, notably rallying against President Trump and defending Palestine.
His last American film role came in 2025 in Fog of War and he has starred in two Chinese films, Dragon Blade with Jackie Chan in 2010, and spy-thriller Decoded in 2024, which was a box office hit in China.
John is also on online marketplace Cameo, where fans pay celebrities, athletes and influencers to record short, personalised video messages – he charges $199+ per recording.
