Another star has passed away. James Caan, a great actor of both the big and small screens, has died.
James Caan, whose Oscar-nominated performance as Sonny Corleone, the wildly hotheaded son of Marlon Brando’s Mafia don in “The Godfather,” would be remembered for as long as there are gangster movies, died on Wednesday, according to his family. James Caan, the legendary actor, has died. A statement from Caan’s family was placed on the Misery and The Godfather star’s official Twitter account to inform his death. The cause of death was not disclosed, although Caan died on Wednesday. He was 82 years old at the time.
James Edmund Caan was an athletic Bronx youngster, the son of German-Jewish immigrants, who grew up to play tough movie characters like sailors, football players, and gangsters, and he was one of the most famous screen performers of his day.
“It is with tremendous regret that we notify you of Jimmy’s demise on the evening of July 6,” reads the tweet. “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and genuine sympathies and begs that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.”
Caan also appeared in movies such as “Misery,” “Thief,” “Godfather Part II,” “Brian’s Song,” and “The Gambler.” Sonny’s brutal death in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” peppered with hundreds of bullets, is one of the film’s most iconic sequences.
Caan auditioned for the role of Michael, the college-educated war hero son who would eventually become Don. The studio, Paramount, initially backed this casting; Al Pacino was cast as Michael and Caan as Sonny as part of a convoluted compromise between Paramount and Coppola.
James Caan is a Hollywood Legend
James Caan’s co-starring performance in Misery, a Stephen King adaption released in 1990, was another career-defining role for him. Brian’s Song, Cinderella Liberty, The Gambler, Rollerball, A Bridge Too Far, Comes a Horseman, Thief, Gardens of Stone, Dick Tracy, Bottle Rocket, The Yards, Dogville, and Elf are among his other famous roles. His small-screen credits include a starring part in Las Vegas and cameos on NewsRadio, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Magic City, Hawaii Five-0, and Back in the Game.
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The talented performer had kept himself working right up until the end. Last year, he made his final film appearance in Michael Lembeck’s romcom Queen Bees, which was released during his lifetime. Ellen Burstyn, Ann-Margret, Christopher Lloyd, and Jane Curtin appear in the picture. He has also lately secured another film part. Caan was seen with Morena Baccarin and Pierce Brosnan in Phillip Noyce’s action movie Fast Charlie in March; it’s unclear if he shot any footage before his demise. He was also cast in a significant part in Francis Ford Coppola’s next film Megalopolis, which would have reunited him with his Godfather director. Still, production is planned to begin this autumn, so the actor will not be engaged.
Caan had four marriages, the most recent being to Linda Stokes from 1995 until 2017. James has been married four times, the most recent being to Linda Stokes from 1995 to 2017. His first wife was Dee Jay Mathis, with whom he had Tara, 57. His second marriage was to Sheila Marie Ryan, with whom Caan had Scott, 45. He married Ingrid Hajek in 1990, and the couple had one son, Alexander, who is now 31. Linda was accompanied by James’ two youngest boys, James Arthur, 26, and Jacob Nicolas, 23. Our hearts go out to Caan’s family during this terrible time. May he rest in peace, knowing that his memories will live on.
When Caan was cast in “The Godfather,” he was riding high on the popularity of TV weepie “Brian’s Song,” in which he played dying football player Brian Piccolo with Billy Dee Williams as Piccolo’s best buddy, Gale Sayers. “Brian’s Song” won several Emmys, including best drama or comedy single program, and Caan was nominated for his performance.
Caan had previously appeared in Coppola’s weird little road movie “The Rain People” (1969), in which he portrayed a brain-damaged hitchhiker. However, as his career grew throughout the years, Caan would frequently play violent roles. In addition to “The Godfather,” Caan’s signature films from the 1970s included Mark Rydell’s “Cinderella Liberty” (1973), in which he played a sailor in love with a hooker; Karel Reisz’s 1974. “The Gambler,” in which he played a man with a severe gambling addiction; Sam Peckinpah’s actioner “The Killer Elite” (1975), a story about CIA assassins that reunited him with Duvall; the romantic musical comedy “Funny Lady” (also 1975), with Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif; Norman Jewison’s satirical, dystopian sci-fi drama “Rollerball,” in which he played a famous athlete in a violent sport based on roller derby but often ending in death; Alan J. Pakula’s Western romance “Comes to a Horseman,” in which Caan co-starred alongside Jane Fonda and Jason Robards; and “Chapter Two,” in which a somewhat awkward Caan served as a stand-in for Simon in the narrative of how he met second wife Marsha Mason — portrayed in the film by Marsha Mason.
Interesting Facts about James Caan
- He refused to work in the family meat business to pursue an education and, eventually, acting
- He was a professional rodeo rider who began his career with an unpredicted role in Billy Wilder’s Irma la Douce (1963)
- He holds a black belt in karate.
- He sang alongside Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady and Bette Midler in For the Boys.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kramer vs. Kramer, and Apocalypse Now was among the films he turned down.