Both Fredo and Cazale were tragic figures--who met sad, untimely ends. Actors who worked with Cazale have said he had a great sense of sadness and vulnerability to him which emotionally charged the roles he played--Even before he had cancer.

The man just seemed to be an incredibly emotive actor with an astonishing presence--and he might've gone on to have become a star in his own right had he lived. I think his acting talent was just as strong as those of his contemporaries--Just as talented as Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro.

Al Pacino loved Cazale like a brother, they were friends long before they were famous, and he considered Cazale his partner in "crime" so to speak; He's said he would've done every movie with Cazale had he lived.