"The fun of it was taken away," he told an interviewer in 1981. All Rights Reserved. Despite Coppolas fears he had made a flop, the 1972 release was an enormous critical and commercial success and brought supporting actor Oscar nominations for Caan, as well as Robert Duvall and Al Pacino. 1 enforcer and eldest son of Mafia boss Vito Corleone. of roles has arguably derailed him from achieving true superstar Sending my love to his family., Coppola shared a statement with Deadline that read: Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure Ive ever known. And it produced many outrageous and hilarious anecdotes., Mann continued, I loved him and I loved working with him. James was a core cast member on the show since the very beginning. James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. His output slowed in the Eighties as the actor dealt with personal problems, addiction and burnout. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Entertainment, Caan said that he lived with cocaine addiction after turning to the drug when his sister died from leukemia. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. The award-winning star has been married four times, the first to Dee Jay Mathis with whom he shares a daughter named Tara. In 2003, Caan would endear himself to a younger generation and get to showcase his comedic chops by playing the biological father of Will Ferrells character in the now-Christmas classic Elf. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Loved him very much, Adam Sandler, who co-starred with Caan in the 1996 action film Bulletproof and the 2012 comedy Thats My Boy, tweeted; Sandlers character in Uncut Gems was likely informed by Caans turn in The Gambler decades earlier. Godfather veteran James Caan, 79, is pushed in a wheelchair by son Jacob, 21 | Daily Mail Online The frail star was pushed in wheelchair by his son Jacob on Tuesday following a recent back. It was among the most popular and wrenching TV movies in history. So happy I got to know him. Caan did not take a starring role in a TV series until 2003, but his first effort, "Las Vegas," was an immediate hit. Mann said Jimmy was not just a great actor with total commitment and a venturesome spirit, but he had a vitality in the core of his being that drove everything from his art and friendship to athletics and very good times.. Market data provided by Factset. Its hard to believe that he wont be in the world any more because he was so alive and daring. James Caan, the Hollywood icon who portrayed Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and starred in films like Brian's Song, Thief, and Misery, has died at the age of 82. RELATED GALLERY: Celebrities Who've Died in 2022. James Caan has died. Caan spent the remainder of the Seventies as a leading man, headlining films like Sam Peckinpahs The Killer Elite, Richard Attenboroughs war epic A Bridge Too Far and the adaptation of Neil Simons Chapter Two. He followed this with a supernatural romantic comedy titled Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) and then, due to personal conflicts, dropped out of the spotlight for several years before returning with a stellar performance under old friend Francis Ford Coppola in the moving Gardens of Stone (1987).Caan appeared back in favor with fans and critics alike and raised his visibility with the sci-fi hit Alien Nation (1988) and Dick Tracy (1990), then surprised everyone by playing a meek romance novelist held captive after a car accident by a deranged fan in the dynamic Misery (1990). James Caan's portrayal of Ed Deline, the head of security at the Montecito Resort and Casino, was the main reason many viewers switched on their TV every Monday to catch a new episode of Las Vegas. Our relationship was always friendship before business. After leaving Las Vegas, James went on to feature in hit movies like New York, I Love You, Blood Ties, and The Good Neighbor. James Caan's former costar Sylvester Stallone honored his friend by sharing a series of photos. The news was released by his Twitter account on Thursday. But Im thinking he was in character cause hes a thespian. Once again in demand, Caan starred in For the Boys with Bette Midler in 1991 as part of a song-and-dance team entertaining U.S. soldiers during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. James career began when he played Brian Piccolo in Brians Song. He was born in the Bronx, to Sophie (Falkenstein) and Arthur Caan, Jewish immigrants from Germany. He portrayed real-life New York mobster and crime figure,Henry Hill. ", Once he said a line in his low gravelly voice & we said try one with a little more projection, you and Flint will be outside on opposite ends of the backyardSo he said Flint cmere I dont wanna yell and then the rest of the line at the same volume. 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. Not me, Caan said. Despite being confirmed, a cause of death was not released. "Ive done pictures where Id rather do time. Both James Caan and Tony Sirico died this week, only two days apart from each other. Robert Duvall, James Caan, The Godfather. Caan bonded with Brando, Robert Duvall and other cast members and made it a point to get everyone laughing during an otherwise tense production, sometimes dropping his pants and mooning a fellow actor or crew member. Alec also said that Jimmy taught him how to swear. However, while studying at Hofstra University, he became intrigued by acting and was interviewed and accepted at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. friend . However, audiences were moved to tears as he put in a heart-rending performance as cancer-stricken Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo in the highly rated made-for-TV film Brian's Song (1971).With these strong performances under his belt, Francis Ford Coppola then cast him as hot-tempered gangster Santino "Sonny" Corleone in the Mafia epic The Godfather (1972). As the actor described in a previous interview with Today, the creators were very open to his suggestions granting him plenty of opportunities to get involved in the creative process. Short on cash, Caan was hired by Coppola for the leading role in the 1987 film "Gardens of Stone." He told theNew York Timesin 1991 that after his sisters death: I realized passion is such an important thing to have in life because it ends so soon, and my passion was to grow up with my son.. pic.twitter.com/jHynv2BcR9. All rights reserved. Bates won an Oscar for the role. The film star received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor as well as a Golden Globe for his performance. According to the death certificate obtained by TMZ, Caan died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease. Notorious for a hell-raising party lifestyle, Caan cut a swathe through Hollywood in the 1970s and early 80s, before abruptly quitting acting and for what the actor described a pretty scary period disappearing from public view, before engineering a comeback in the late 1980s, winning acclaim for films such as Misery, The Yards and Elf. His films and the many great roles he played will never be forgotten. "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6," the family wrote in a tweet. He was 82. Caan played Sonny Corleone, the eldest son of mafia don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). RIP to a legend", We were lucky enough to work with James Caan on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. "The Godfather" star James Caan, who died this week, was infamous for his antics and "excess" namely, cocaine benders and feuds with John Wayne that were much-discussed in the media. So happy I got to know him. (Chris Polk), "When I lost her, I couldnt handle it," Caan admitted. Married and divorced four times, Caan had a daughter, Tara, and sons Scott, Alexander, James and Jacob. The actor's family announced . He managed a long career despite drug problems, outbursts of temper and minor brushes with the law. Wonderful to know him & call him a pal.. Pierce Brosnanis a film producer and actor from Ireland. In 1990, he starred in both "Dick Tracy" and "Misery." 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. Given that James fell for so many women, some fans may wonder how many kids the actor fathered. Married and divorced four times, Caan had a daughter, Tara, and sons Scott, Alexander, James and Jacob. Free shipping for many products! Further work followed in Journey to Shiloh (1968) and in the sensitive The Rain People (1969). While his Sixties films werent box office successes, Caans return to television he guest-often starred on TV shows before making it on the big screen in 1971s Brians Song catapulted Caan to stardom: In that Movie of the Week, Caan portrayed terminally ill Chicago Bears football player Brian Piccolo. ", Caan also told The Independent that Barbara "was like my best friend. They want me to play Sonny for the rest of my life, Caan said, and after briefly returning to the character in a one-scene cameo flashback in The Godfather Part II, he took on roles that avoided the stereotype. 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. Why 'The Godfather' Is Unthinkable Without James Caan, Rob Reiner, who directed Caan in Misery, said in a statement to Deadline Thursday, I was so saddened to hear about Jimmy leaving us. ", He added: "We're really best buddies. Scoot Caan, also an actor like his dad, opened up to PEOPLE back in 2010 about their relationship. His anger at Coppola, 83, aside, "Otherwise, he gave me a great honor," Caan said with a laugh of the film's director and co-writer. ", "I will miss him dearly and am proud to have worked with him all these years. Caan is survived by sons Scott, James, Jacob and Alexander, as well as daughter Tara. A year after his Firehouse 51 job ended, Hodge actually worked opposite James Caan in the indie thriller "The Waiting." The same year he made his third, and sadly final appearance in "The Purge . Fox News' Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report. He was 82 years old. James Caan says that he walked out of an initial " The Godfather " screening after realizing director Francis Ford Coppola cut a key scene involving Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen. When Michael [Al Pacino] tells me he is going to take care of the cop and Sollozzo [Al Lettieri], I say, Youll get brains all over your nice Ivy League suit. There was a scene before in the same room that I had with Bobby [Duvall] that was like 10 pages long and Francis cut all of it out! Caan told The Hollywood Reporter in honor of The Godfathers 50th anniversary. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. As the actor said in an interview with Bright Lights Film, he did have a good few reservations about accepting a role on a TV show at first. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The instance was one of dozens of roles that Caan reportedly turned down as he eschewed blockbusters for more challenging work. For decades after, he once said, strangers would approach him on the street and jokingly warn him to stay clear of toll roads. He toldThe Post: "The biggest thorn in his side was, 'Whos Gianni Russo? This guy, he studied with Stella Adler, you name it. Las Vegas had practically reignited the actor's career, and through it, James garnered an armada of new fans. He also appeared in more traditional vehicles, such as the Barbra Streisand musical Funny Lady and the second world war epic A Bridge Too Far. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! A great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend. Originally intended to be the head of surveillance, Ed was supposed to be the kind of man who spends most of his time staring at the neon glow of television screens, carefully studying CCTV footage to prevent criminal activities. does james caan wear a back brace does james caan wear a back brace (No Ratings Yet) . JAMES CAAN REMEMBERED BY HOLLYWOOD: 'GODFATHER' STAR HONORED WITH TRIBUTES FOLLOWING HIS DEATH AT 82, James Caan as Santino 'Sonny' Corleone in 'The Godfather, ' the movie based on the novel by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA THOUGHT GODFATHER WAS GOING TO BE A SPECIAL FAILURE, RECEIVES WALK OF FAME STAR, Kathy Bates And James Caan paired up for the chilling Misery flick in 1990 (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, James Caan has died. My thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time. A cause of death was not made immediately available. He appeared in comedies, such as Honeymoon in Vegas, Bulletproof and Mickey Blue Eyes, Hollywood thrillers, including Flesh and Bone and Eraser, and occasional prestige dramas, including The Yards, a sprawling crime epic directed by James Gray, and Lars von Triers Brechtian parable Dogville. The 45-year-old told the news outlet: "To say our relationship wasn't dysfunctional would be a lie. We kept him laughing, and he kept us laughing.. "I really want to work. Gianni Russo, the 78-year-old actor who played Carlo Rizzu in The Godfather, recounted a time when James Caan's agent called him as "Any Given Sunday was being produced. Tributes have started to arrive from Hollywood, including Rob Reiner, who directed Caan in Misery. "My beautiful Smile is pain-free, living in her . "Not only was he one of the best actors our business has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and beloved. Im gonna miss him., Robert De Niro said: Im very very sad to hear about Jimmys passing., Adam Sandler, who starred with Caan in both Bulletproof and Thats My Boy, wrote: Loved him very much. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Why did he leave the show? Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. FILE - James Caan attends the 2016 Summer TCA "Hallmark Event" on July 27, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Caan, whose roles included "The Godfather," "Brians Song" and "Misery," died Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at age 82. James Caan: The studio thought The Godfather was a piece of garbage, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Racing to find his sisters husband, Corleone stops at a toll booth that he discovers is unnervingly empty of customers. In 2018 he appeared in Carol Morleys Martin Amis adaptation Out of Blue, as the father of murder victim Jennifer Rockwell. Caan also had a role in the successful animation Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and in the fondly-remembered Christmas comedy Elf, as Will Ferrells businessman father. The athletically gifted Caan played football at Michigan State University while studying economics, holds a black belt in karate and for several years was even a regular on the rodeo circuit, where he was nicknamed "The Jewish Cowboy". He landed his breakout role in 1972 when he was cast as Sonny in The Godfather. We had many laughs together over those five days in New Orleans. I was like a maniac. "Godfather" star James Caan's cause of death has been revealed. Caan was married four times: between 1961 and 1966 to Dee Jay Mathis, to Sheila Marie Ryan from 1975-76, to Ingrid Hajek from 1990-94, and to Linda Stokes from 1995 to 2017. However, Caan's previous health . As they traveled to the Vibrato Grill Jazz in Los Angeles for supper, the 79-year-old Godfather actor was spotted enjoying time with his youngest child, who is 21. I'm proud that he's grown up so well.". He came in, and we made up the whole fight. He appeared in off-beat fare like 1973s Slither and Cinderella Liberty. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Legal Statement. Jimmy made it so funny, Duvall told THR about filming the scene where his character Vito examines Sonnys corpse. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Thinking of his family and sending my love., James Caan. The Saved By the Bell star announced thathis son, Santino Rafael, is named after Caans character in The Godfather in an Instagram post on Thursday. Despite Coppolas fears he had made a flop, the 1972 release was an enormous critical and commercial success and brought supporting actor Oscar nominations for Caan, Duvall and Pacino. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The fun of it was taken away, he told an interviewer in 1981. A masculine and enigmatic actor whose life and movie career have had ". My son saw me cry. No cause of death was provided. "You were an inspiration to me as young actor starting out and an even greater one as a man watching you work each day against great physical pain and discomfort. Caan was already a star on television, breaking through in the 1971 TV movie "Brians Song," an emotional drama about Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo, who had died of cancer the year before at age 26. "When Michael [Al Pacino] tells me he is going to take care of the cop and Sollozzo [Al Lettieri], I say, 'You'll get brains all over your nice Ivy League suit,' " Caan told The Hollywood Reporter in March. The actor, who was struggling with substance abuse, spent five years out of the spotlight to focus on himself. Sirico's death was first announced by his Sopranos co-star,Michael Imperioli, in a touchingInstagramtribute. In the film, based on Stephen Kings novel, Caan is an author taken captive by an obsessed fan who breaks his ankles to keep him from leaving. This Article is related to: Film and tagged Francis Ford Coppola, James Caan, The Godfather. Over a 60-year career, Caan has definitely earned it, playing one memorable role after another, and managing not to be typecast - Sonny, Don Corleone's hothead son in "The Godfather"; a dying. 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. Last modified on Wed 10 Aug 2022 07.41 EDT. He also lent his voice to animated shows likeFamily Guyand American Dad. I had some wonderful people, like Rob Reiner and those guys, God bless them. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! After 22 years of marriage, the pair divorced citing irreconcilable differences. I cant do a little of anything. So happy I got to know him. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. After Brians Song and The Godfather, he was one of Hollywoods busiest actors, appearing in Hide in Plain Sight (which he also directed), Funny Lady (opposite Barbra Streisand), The Killer Elite and Neil Simons Chapter Two, among others. He starred as a self-destructive gambling addict in the 1974s now-cut classic The Gambler, the foil to Barbra Streisands Fanny Brice in the Funny Girl sequel Funny Lady and as a superstar athlete-turned-revolutionary in the 1974 sci-fi sports film Rollerball. Trending 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. He was in the Dominican Republic shooting for an upcoming film titled Dangerous Waters. Caan was again candid about his past drug use in Hollywood. Caan was cast by a then-little-regarded Robert Altman in the 1967 space film Countdown, but his first significant association with the Hollywood new wave came with the 1969 film The Rain People, directed by Coppola, in which Caan played a hitchhiking former college football star who is picked up by Shirley Knights dissatisfied middle class housewife. The film was an enormous success, Caan scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination and, in the years since, the role has proven to be the one most fondly remembered by his legion of fans. He wrote: I named my son after Santino Corleone in the Godfather and the man who infamously played him passed away today on my sons birthday. We all will miss him terribly. (Michael Kovac), The tweet was completed withCaan's famous Twitter phrase, "End of tweet.". I got so into the character, I could see people backing away from me, Caan told Rolling Stone in 1981 of the arduous Thief shoot. 45 Great Films That Failed at the Box Office, Russo continued, Jimmy and I are not friends at all, believe me. It renewed Caan's career, and he became busy as ever. For much of the 1980s he made no films, telling people he preferred to coach his sons Little League games. Editors picks 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 "Brian's Song" and the casino boss in "Las Vegas," has died. His manager, Matt Del Piano, confirmed Caan's death to Fox News Digital. James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. 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. His movies were best of the best.. Loved him very much. James Caan, the American actor renowned for his role as Sonny Corleone in the mafia epic The Godfather, as well as a string of key films in the 1970s, has died aged 82. He was 82 years old. Caan had begun to struggle with drug abuse and was devastated by the 1981 death of his sister, who until then had been a guiding force in his career. Caan, who was believed to be worth about $20million, was spotted using a walker at a restaurant with friends in California last year after spending some time in a wheelchair as he recovered from. Godfather co-star calls James Caan rude, continued. And I had to work very hard to make Frank human, because the guy is really a prick, a killer., What a terrible and tragic loss, Thief director Michael Mann said in a statement to Rolling Stone Thursday. Over the years, Sirco appeared in several projects, includingThe Sopranos,Goodfellas, Mighty Aphrodite, and Caf Society. 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