Actor Ben Gazzara, veteran of stage and screen, died of cancer in New York yesterday. He was 81.

Gazzara started out on Broadway, starring in the original Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and later moved on to films and television, where his good looks, intensity and powerful performances made him a popular character actor.

Gazzara, an alum of the legendary Actors Studio, often played dark, brooding characters and tough guy roles, where he could silence an opponent with a cold stare. He was known for his collaborations with director John Cassavetes, appearing in Husbands, Opening Night and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.

Among his earlier performances, he is perhaps best known for his role in the 1959 movie Anatomy of a Murder. His later films included The Big Lebowski, Summer of Sam and The Spanish Prisoner.

Gazzara, a native New Yorker, also owned a villa in Italy and starred in many Italian films.

He is survived by his third wife, Elke, and daughter Elizabeth.