The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time RIP to a legend", We were lucky enough to work with James Caan on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. He later reprised the role when he returned for Godfather II. For decades after, he once said, strangers would approach him on the street and jokingly warn him to stay clear of toll roads. He followed it up with the popular Alien Nation but fully re-established himself with the Stephen King adaptation Misery, directed by Rob Reiner, in which Caan played the bedbound author subject to the attentions of obsessive nurse/fan Kathy Bates. Caan had begun to struggle with drug use and was devastated by the 1981 leukemia death of his sister, Barbara, who until then had been a guiding force in his career. James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. For more on James Caan, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. Kathy Bates And James Caan paired up for the chilling Misery flick in 1990, Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines 7/6, death of his younger sister Barbara from leukemia, for a featured role in "The Godfather" as Sonny, Michael B. Jordan apologized to his mom before steamy Calvin Klein underwear ad was released, Kristin Cavallari jokes shes 'heartless' for breaking up with guys over text: 'I know thats horrible', Gisele Bndchen shares tips for when 'life gets challenging': 'Remember that the sun rises everyday', Amy Grant says she leaned on her faith after horrific bike accident: Its helped me not be afraid, Bette Midler confesses to plastic surgery: Time smooths 'everything out', Meghan Markle, Prince Harry 'stunned' by King Charles' 'cruel' Frogmore Cottage eviction, report says. Matt Mitovich May 9, 2007, 3:47 p.m. PT. The Mandalorian Season Three Gets Off to a Disappointing Start In 1978, he graduated with a degree in acting from the University ofMiamiand moved toNew York Cityafterward. If you need support, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit RAINN.org to chat online one-on-one with a support . James Caan has died. A great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend. Born March 26, 1939, in New York City, Caan was the son of a kosher meat wholesaler. Sly captioned the tribute: "I will miss my good friend and great actor, James Caan! He was 82. James Caan, the Hollywood icon who portrayed Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and starred in films like Brians Song, Thief, and Misery, has died at the age of 82. When the series debuted, he was a casino surveillance chief dealing with cheaters and competitors of the fictional Montecito Resort and Casino. Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure Ive ever known, the director toldDeadline. Keen not to follow his father into the meat trade, Caan initially aimed for a career as a football player, but got interested in acting after studying at Hofstra University in New York state where he met future collaborator Francis Ford Coppola. I mean, I thought he did a couple of great pictures, you know? We had many laughs together over those five days in New Orleans. He made his movie debut in a brief uncredited role in 1963 in Billy Wilders Irma La Douce, then landed a role as young thug who terrorizes Olivia de Havilland in Lady in a Cage. He also appeared opposite John Wayne and Robert Mitchum in the 1966 Western El Dorado and Harrison Ford in the 1968 Western Journey to Shiloh.. "People were talking about me quitting acting, and they would say, What about your creative juices? Coaching is creative because you could take a kid who thought he wasnt any good and, within four minutes, change his mind. Film producer Christopher Miller shared a tribute posting to "legend" James Caan. Affected by the death of his sister as well as his copious drug use, Caans career imploded after he walked out of the Robert Ludlum thriller The Holcroft Covenant (he was replaced by Michael Caine). That was a big-time winner for me, Caan said. Caan played . James Caan, the curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone of The Godfather and to television audiences as both the dying football player in the classic weeper Brians Song and the casino boss in Las Vegas, has died. 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He portrayed real-life New York mobster and crime figure,Henry Hill. Caan was originally cast in Al Pacinos role in the mob classic, but he soon took over as Santino Sonny Corleone, the hair-trigged eldest son of a mob family. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. My thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time. Caan was again candid about his past drug use in Hollywood. But by the early 1980s he began to sour on films, though Michael Manns 1981 neo-noir heist film Thief, in which he played a professional safecracker looking for a way out, is among his most admired films. Godfather co-star calls James Caan rude, continued. He reprised the role for several flashback scenes in the sequel The Godfather Part II (1974) and then moved on to several very diverse projects. Caan and co-star Billy Dee Williams, who played Piccolos teammate and best friend Gale Sayers, were nominated for best actor Emmys. 'All Good Here!' 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. I was so saddened to hear about Jimmy leaving us, he wrote in a statement. James Caan, the curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone of "The Godfather" and to television audiences as both the dying football player in the classic weeper . He hit me right in the head with that, and then he throws me over the railing and hes biting my hands when I crawl out, he literally lifted me up with his kick none of that was supposed to happen., Related Thinking of his family and sending my love., Actor and long-time friend Gary Sinise has shared his condolences. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Pierce Brosnanis a film producer and actor from Ireland. Caan worked steadily thereafter, often trading on his abrasive manner and hard-living reputation. For much of the 1980s he made no films, telling people he preferred to coach his sons Little League games. I love to work with good people. James Caan has died. Initial theatrical release was on March 15, 1972, by Paramount Pictures. However, while studying at Hofstra University, he became intrigued by acting and was interviewed and accepted at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. Entertainment, Caan said that he lived with cocaine addiction after turning to the drug when his sister died from leukemia. However, the ambitious TV series didn't appeal to him enormously. "Not only was he one of the best actors our business has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and beloved. The Natural Born Killers star welcomed twin boys Jagger and Jayden with his ex Janelle in 2005. Las Vegas Has Basically Shut Down Thanks to the Coronavirus, FaZe Banks and His Crew Caused $30,000 in Damages to a Las Vegas Hotel Room, Man's Text Messages With Friend Who Was In Las Vegas Massacre Emerge Online. Not me, Caan said. I loved him, gonna miss him. Robert De Niro also wrote that he was, very very sad to hear about Jimmys passing.. Article continues below advertisement Source: Getty I just walked out of a picture at Paramount. His manager Matt DelPiano said he died Wednesday. However, the decade produced one of Caans most enduring and acclaimed roles as safecracker Frank in director Michael Manns cult favorite Thief, with Caan like Sonny a decade earlier turning an otherwise despicable person into an audience-beloved antihero. Brosnan stars in the upcoming film Fast Charlie with Caan. "He brought a pathos and authenticity to the role of Tim Lockwood that held the film together. His father was a meat dealer and butcher. Neither he nor the family would reveal a cause. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. The actor has been seen in a wheelchair in more recent years as his health has declined since the incident. I was like a maniac. (FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives). "I thought I was gonna see elephants. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Sending my love to his family.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The late actor's passing comes as two other legends from gangster genre movies have died this year: Ray Liotta and Tony Sirico. ", He's most known for his work in "The Godfather," "Thief," "Misery" and "Rollerball.". Married and divorced four times, Caan had a daughter, Tara, and sons Scott, Alexander, James and Jacob. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. They wouldn't let me do much else. "I really want to work. I was so pissed off, I couldnt watch the rest of the film., Caan added, But otherwise, [Coppola] gave me a great honor., Caan also dismissed the rumor that he butted heads with co-star Gianni Russo on set. However, Caan's previous health . Caan was nominated for an Emmy for his role, which led to his reuniting with Coppola for The Godfather. "Tough, Smart, a mans man. My son saw me cry. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. Between 1982 and 1987, he went on what he would later call the Hollywood burnout. And I didnt have to wait six months for them to put music to it.". He starred in four films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day from 1995 to 2002, as well as several video games. These included a cop-buddy crime partnership with Alan Arkin in the uneven Freebie and the Bean (1974), a superb performance as a man playing for his life in The Gambler (1974) alongside Lauren Hutton, and pairing with Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady (1975). or redistributed. James Caan, Film Icon Who Starred in The Godfather, Dead at 82, Fresh Controversy for Ja Morant as NBA Star Is Accused of Assaulting Teen, Boygenius Take Fans on a Road Trip in Video for New Single Not Strong Enough, Metallica Drop New Seven-Minute Epic If Darkness Had a Son, How to Watch 'The Mandalorian' Online: Stream Season 3 Now, Jena Malone Says She Was Sexually Assaulted by 'Hunger Games' Coworker, Chris Pine Clears Up #SpitGate Once and for All: 'Harry Did Not Spit on Me', Oscars Still #SoWhite, Despite Some Improvements in Nominee Diversity, New 'Stranger Things' Play 'The First Shadow' to Offer Some Deep Hawkins Lore, Wizkid More Love, Less Ego Tour Postponed to Fall 2023, Alex MurdaughCalled 'Family Annihilator' by Prosecution in Murder Trial. Tony Sirico was an American actor born in New York City on July 29, 1942. Very sad to hear the news that James Caan has died, he tweeted. RIP to a legend pic.twitter.com/tmk3JdOgE3, Scott Caan has 'no resentment' towards his father, Back in 2010, Scott told PEOPLE he had "no resentment towards his father. According to Yahoo! Following his celebrated turn as a bedridden author tormented by a psychotic Kathy Bates in Misery, Caan returned to Hollywood in the Nineties as a prolific character actor, often playing roles that tapped into the macho bravado he utilized as Sonny decades earlier: He starred as a win-at-all-costs college football coach in The Program, a duplicitous federal agent in the Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick The Eraser, a low-level crime boss in Wes Andersons directorial debut Bottle Rocket and, in a nod to The Godfather, the patriarch of a crime family in the mob comedy Mickey Blue Eyes. The following contains spoilers from the Season 1 finale of Fox's Alert: Missing Persons Unit. ", JAMES CAAN: 'THE GODFATHER' STAR CREATES HOLLYWOOD LEGACY WITH SIGNATURE MOVIE ROLES ACROSS THE DECADES, Actors James Caan and Scott Caan attend the Los Angeles premiere HBO's "His Way" at Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios lot on March 22, 2011, in Hollywood, California. Thinking of his family and sending my love., James Caan. ", "I will miss him dearly and am proud to have worked with him all these years. Always wanted to be like him. Other later films included Flesh and Bone, Bottle Rocket and Mickey Blue Eyes. He introduced himself to a new generation playing Walter, the workaholic, stone-faced father of Buddys Will Ferrell in Elf., Adam Sandler, who acted with him in Bulletproof and Thats My Boy tweeted that he, Loved him very much. Caan said that this was one of the greatest moments of his life. Caan is survived by sons Scott, James, Jacob and Alexander, as well as daughter Tara. After 22 years of marriage, the pair divorced citing irreconcilable differences. 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