Midnight Cowboy Cast: Know About The Movie And The Cast

Midnight Cowboy Cast: Midnight Cowboy, released in 1969 and directed by John Schlesinger and Waldo Salt respectively from James Leo Herlihy’s 1965 novel of the same name, won three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay; it remains as one of only X-rated movies to win Best Picture award; additionally it has since been selected to be preserved in National Film Registry by Library of Congress.

The Plot

This film follows an unlikely partnership between two New York hustlers – Joe Buck, an inexperienced Texas-born sex worker dressed like a cowboy; and Rico “Ratso” Rizzo, a sickly con artist with a limp. Joe arrives in New York with the hopes of becoming an accomplished gigolo, only to quickly discover its difficulties are greater than he imagined. After encountering Ratso who scams him out of $20 but later invites him into sharing an apartment located in a condemned building, his experience becomes far from ideal. Joe and Ratso form an unlikely bond as they struggle to survive in an urban environment filled with poverty, hunger, violence and illness. Joe attempts to find clients for his cleaning business; Ratso hopes to move to Florida, believing his health will improve there. This film chronicles their hardships, hopes and dreams as well as their encounters with various characters such as rich women, religious fanatics, young students and party girls.

Midnight Cowboy: The Cast

The film stars Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight as Ratso and Joe, respectively. Both actors gave outstanding performances that earned critical acclaim and Oscar nominations. Hoffman was already well known from his breakout role in The Graduate, yet transformed himself into the eccentric yet sympathetic Ratso; Voight, then relatively unknown actor at the time, created one of cinema history’s most unforgettable screen duos with Joe as their innocent protagonist. Their dynamic created one of cinema history’s most unforgettable screen duos ever!

Sylvia Miles, John McGiver, Brenda Vaccaro, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Salt and Barnard Hughes made up an acclaimed supporting cast. Miles played Cass, a middle-aged woman who takes offense when Joe asks her for money after sleeping with her. She earned an Oscar nomination for her memorable brief but memorable role, while McGiver played religious fanatic Mr. O’Daniel while Vaccaro played Shirley who paid Joe money in exchange for sex and drugs. Balaban played the young student who received oral sex from Joe in a movie theater but could not pay him back; Salt played Annie, his former flame in Texas who appears as flashbacks; Hughes represented Towny who helps Joe and Ratso out when they get into difficulty.