Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. His movies were best of the best.. In 2015, James was rushed to the hospital with extreme chest pain, and despite concerns of a heart attack, medics attributed it to infection. When the series debuted, he was a casino surveillance chief dealing with cheaters and competitors of the fictional Montecito Resort and Casino. His movies were best of the best. 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. Always wanted to be like him. Short on cash, Caan was hired by Coppola for the leading role in the 1987 film Gardens of Stone. The movie, about life at Arlington National Cemetery, proved too grim for most audiences, but it renewed Caans acting career. And I didnt have to wait six months for them to put music to it.". He was born in the Bronx, to Sophie (Falkenstein) and Arthur Caan, Jewish . One of his most noteworthy big-screen gigs was in Martin Scorsese's crime movie Goodfellas. These included such failures as the hokey Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976), the quasi-western Comes a Horseman (1978) and the saccharine Chapter Two (1979). 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. The legendary actor is survived by one daughter, Tara Caan. After their divorce in 1966, James married a former girlfriend ofElvis Presley, Sheila Marie Ryan, but their relationship was short-lived and only lasted a year. ", At the times, his dad James, said: "He saw me when I was a little rough around the edges. His son Scott Caan followed in his fathers footsteps and became an actor. 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. He managed a long career despite drug problems, outbursts of temper and minor brushes with the law. He brought a pathos and authenticity to the role of Tim Lockwood that held the film together. No cause of death was given and Caans family, who requested privacy, said that no further details would be released at this time. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The two of them appear in the upcoming film Fast Charlie together. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time It renewed Caan's career, and he became busy as ever. 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Losing Ray Liotta and James Caan within months of each other just tells me God is up there making one helluva a mobster movie. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. This was not the first time Caan spoke out about his struggles. 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.. Always wanted to be like him. His movies were best of the best. 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. 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. The actor, who was struggling with substance abuse, spent five years out of the spotlight to focus on himself. 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. A masculine and enigmatic actor whose life and movie career have had more ups and downs than the average rollercoaster and whose selection of roles has arguably derailed him from achieving true superstar status, James Caan is New York-born and bred.He was born in the Bronx, to Sophie (Falkenstein) and Arthur Caan, Jewish immigrants from Germany. 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). I cant do a little of anything. 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. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. ", Caan died from a heart attack in early July. Pierce Brosnanis a film producer and actor from Ireland. He also lent his voice to animated shows likeFamily Guyand American Dad. Snubbing the King: Why Don't Big Stars Want to Perform at Charles' Coronation? (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. All Rights reserved. 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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. One of a kind! "Ive done pictures where Id rather do time. Jimmy made it so funny, Duvall told THR about filming the scene where his character Vito examines Sonnys corpse. 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. Before he can escape he is cut down by a seemingly endless fusillade of machine-gun fire. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. In 2021, he told "CBS Sunday Morning" that he "had a bad bout with cocaine for a little while" after the 1981 death of his younger sister Barbara from leukemia. Its hard to believe that he wont be in the world any more because he was so alive and daring. The 1990s were kind to him and he notched up roles as a band leader in For the Boys (1991), another gangster in Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), appeared in the indie hit Bottle Rocket (1996) and pursued Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser (1996).The demand on Caan's talents seems to have increased steadily over the past few years as he is making himself known to a new generation of fans. As Caan told Rolling Stone, Coppola later wanted to cast him as the lead in Apocalypse Now (ultimately played by Martin Sheen), but he and the director couldnt agree on a fee. Caan was again candid about his past drug use in Hollywood. Al Jean, a producer of The Simpsons, tweeted a joke on Saturday that the three actors would now be "having a sitdown up in heaven.". ', "I said, Do you think I would hireJames Caan? IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. 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). He came in, and we made up the whole fight. I taught an acting class for a couple of years here, which was fun and rewarding, but it's not as much fun as doing it. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, 'All Good Here!' The legendary actor starred in 'Misery' and 'Elf," in addition to hundreds of other roles. He was so talented., In a statement, Pacino shared: Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend. or redistributed. Scoot Caan, also an actor like his dad, opened up to PEOPLE back in 2010 about their relationship. Farewell Jimmy. James stayed on the show for four years, only leaving before the shooting of Season 5. 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. He was never satisfied. I said you havent got enough money to make me go to work every day with a director I dont like.". Among Caan's numerous accolades are four Golden Globe nominations, along with nods from both the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. According to the death certificate obtained by TMZ, Caan died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease. "Not only was he one of the best actors our business has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and beloved. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. James Caan, the American actor renowned for his role as Sonny Corleone in the mafia epic The Godfather, as well as a string of . He was 82 years old. Sly captioned the tribute: "I will miss my good friend and great actor, James Caan! Film producer Christopher Miller shared a tribute posting to "legend" James Caan. So happy I got to know him. James Caan's son Scott went on to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Really good always in some, you know, some things theres a couple of people you meet, and theres a lot I have a lot of laughs and I get respect, too, sometimes.. 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. The character and the man like his Sonny in The Godfather were made for each other. Racing to find his sisters husband, Corleone stops at a toll booth that he discovers is unnervingly empty of customers. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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 . After 22 years of marriage, the pair divorced citing irreconcilable differences. Loved him very much. My heart has a deep sorrow this day for your passing. Authorities have not yet revealed the causes of death for both James and Tony. Caan and Stokes were in the middle of a divorce as of December 2016, according to TMZ. A masculine and enigmatic actor whose life and movie career have had Las Vegas provided him with an exceptional opportunity to experience an aspect of film production he was more or less unacquainted with before. According to Yahoo! RIP to a legend", We were lucky enough to work with James Caan on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. The siblings lived close to each other as Barbara even ran his production company. However, he did score again with the stylish Michael Mann-directed heist movie Thief (1981). James acted for decades in numerous blockbuster movies, including Misery, Dick Tracy and most endearingly, Elf.. 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. What a loss.. Legal Statement. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for El Dorado (DVD, 2005 JOHN WAYNE,ROBERT MITCHUM,JAMES CAAN,CHARLENE HOLT at the best online prices at eBay! It was among the most popular and wrenching TV movies in history. Caan died from a heart attack in early July. (Chris Polk), "When I lost her, I couldnt handle it," Caan admitted. And it produced many outrageous and hilarious anecdotes., Mann continued, I loved him and I loved working with him. The elder Caan experienced addiction in the 1980s, which required him to take a step back from acting. In remembrance of the legendary James Caan. The Idol: How HBOs Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn 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). The following contains spoilers from the Season 1 finale of Fox's Alert: Missing Persons Unit. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. After leaving Las Vegas, James went on to feature in hit movies like New York, I Love You, Blood Ties, and The Good Neighbor. The character is a real ballbreaker, Caan told Rolling Stone in 1981. An earlier version mistakenly listed Things to Do in Denver When Youre Dead among Caans film credits. 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. James was a core cast member on the show since the very beginning. My thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time. His films and the many great roles he played will never be forgotten. A football player at Michigan State University and a practical joker on production sets, Caan was a grinning, handsome performer with an athletes swagger and muscular build. "There was a scene before in the same room that I had with Bobby [Duvall] that was like 10 pages long and Francis [Ford Coppola] cut all of it out!" Scott met a young girl named Petra who 1) pretended to only speak German and 2) is the daughter of the woman Scott was to have a job interview with when the L.A. sinkhole opened and concurrent . Caan went on to pursue acting again after his recovery. So happy I got to know him. Says Adam Driver, Defending Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' Set He reached into the core of his being during difficult personal times to be the rebellious, half wild child, institutionalized outsider Frank, in my first film, Thief. During Jame's lengthy life, he walked down the aisle four different times. Actor Pierce Brosnan shared a carousel of photos on Instagram to pay tribute to James Caan. Tom is a father of twins with his ex-girlfriend Janelle McIntire. "You gave of yourself to the art of acting and performance to the very end. Instead of a passive, relatively one-sided character, he wanted to play someone able to walk around the casino and engage in small talk with its most eccentric customers. I was like a maniac. Caan said that this was one of the greatest moments of his life. Caan spoke with The Independent about his career in 2021, saying he "was always cast as Mister Tough Guy or Mister Hero. Our relationship was always friendship before business. 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. Fox News' Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report. James Caan. 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. His manager Matt DelPiano said he died Wednesday. Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan posted on Instagram that Caan was an "inspiration", after having watched him act at close quarters in their upcoming film Fast Charlie, despite being in . "He was never nice to me from day one. Unique. 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Legend '', we were lucky enough to work every day with a Chance of Meatballs the film.! Experienced addiction in the 1980s, which required him to take a step back from acting and are... Tribute: `` I will miss my Good friend and great actor, James Caan within months of other. Who was struggling with substance abuse, spent five years out of the 50th... Season 5 months of each other as Barbara even ran his production company Jewish! Caan experienced addiction in the world any more because he was in character cause a... Examines Sonnys corpse of twins with his entire family during this difficult.! Months for them to put music to it. `` Shotwell/Invision/AP, ). Said that this was one of his most noteworthy big-screen gigs was in Martin Scorsese 's crime movie.!, Corleone stops at a toll booth that he wont be in Bronx! Is survived by one daughter, Tara Caan yet revealed the causes of death for both and... Life was centered in Newark, New Jersey to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, 'All Here... In Denver When Youre Dead among Caans film credits and local News the stylish Michael Mann-directed heist movie Thief 1981...
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