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 news was released by his Twitter account on Thursday. ", At the times, his dad James, said: "He saw me when I was a little rough around the edges. Last modified on Wed 10 Aug 2022 07.41 EDT. ", JAMES CAAN, 'GODFATHER' STAR, DEAD AT 82, FAMILY SAYS, James Caan and Barbra Streisand starred in Funny Lady circa 1975. For decades after, he once said, strangers would approach him on the street and jokingly warn him to stay clear of toll roads. Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure Ive ever known, the director toldDeadline. Caan originally auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone that eventually went to Al Pacino, and was favoured by the studio executives, but after Coppola insisted on Pacino, Caan was given another plum role, Corleones older brother Sonny. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, James Caan, pictured in 2000, has died aged 82. James Caan's son Scott went on to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. He had a fight with someone else. However, it was after "The Godfather" that Caan became one of Hollywood's busiest actors. ", He added: "We're really best buddies. Damien Chazelle Compared Diego Calva to Al Pacino During 'Babylon' Casting Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. An actor of undeniably manly appeal, James Caan continued to surprise and delight audiences with his invigorating performances up until his death in July 2022 at the age of 82. He brought a pathos and authenticity to the role of Tim Lockwood that held the film together. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! I just walked out of a picture at Paramount. James Caan has died. Russo claimed in 2017 that a physical altercation between their characters became elevated after Caan allegedly took out real-life frustrations. ", "I will miss him dearly and am proud to have worked with him all these years. In 2018 he appeared in Carol Morleys Martin Amis adaptation Out of Blue, as the father of murder victim Jennifer Rockwell. pic.twitter.com/jHynv2BcR9. While on sabbatical from acting he coached a Little League baseball team. as Sonny Corleone in, October 7, 1995 - 2016 (divorced, 2 children). "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!" He was born in the Bronx, to Sophie (Falkenstein) and Arthur Caan, Jewish . Tony, who played the iconic Paulie Walnuts on The Sopranos, died at the age of 79 on Friday, just one day after James' family announced his passing in a tweet on Thursday afternoon. James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. Jimmy got a little aggressive, Russo said back in 2017. The Oscar-nominated icon of Seventies cinema first appeared on the big screen in the mid-Sixties with roles in Howard Hawks-directed films like the auto-racing drama Red Line 7000 and the hit 1966 western El Dorado, where he starred alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. Caan died Wednesday night in Los Angeles, his rep Arnold Robinson told The Hollywood Reporter, confirming a post on the actor's Twitter account. 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. No cause was given and Caans family, who requests privacy, said that no further details would be released at this time. 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We all will miss him terribly. What a loss.. ", Godfather co-star Gianni Russo calls James Caan rude. Fox News' Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report. Caan did not take a starring role in a TV series until 2003, but his first effort, "Las Vegas," was an immediate hit. Hes a great sports buff. James career began when he played Brian Piccolo in Brians Song. I had some wonderful people, like Rob Reiner and those guys, God bless them. Trump Melts Down Over Murdoch Admitting Fox Lied About Election Fraud 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. 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 crime film paid tribute to James Caan in a tweet, which features a photo of the late actor. 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. Following a brief stage career, he moved to Hollywood. As buzzed about a month ago, NBC has signed Emmy winner Tom Selleck ( Magnum, P.I.) My heart felt condolences to your family. James acted for decades in numerous blockbuster movies, including Misery, Dick Tracy and most endearingly, Elf.. Published on July 7, 2022 01:27 PM. "The point is, I'll make less mistakes than my dad, my sons hopefully will make less mistakes than me, and their sons will make less mistakes than their dads. He was so talented., In a statement, Pacino shared: Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. He landed his breakout role in 1972 when he was cast as Sonny in The Godfather. or redistributed. Everywhere he goes,The Godfathertheme., James Caan. One of his most noteworthy big-screen gigs was in Martin Scorsese's crime movie Goodfellas. The Idol: How HBOs Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn He was 82. He was primed for a featured role in "The Godfather" as Sonny, the No. In 2003, Caan reflected on his years coaching baseball and how it had a profound impact on him. Loved him very much. 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. Snubbing the King: Why Don't Big Stars Want to Perform at Charles' Coronation? Caan went on to pursue acting again after his recovery. ', "I said, Do you think I would hireJames Caan? After the death of his sister, Barbara in 1981 fromleukemia,Caanfell into a deep depression thatplagued himfor most of his life. Market data provided by Factset. The instance was one of dozens of roles that Caan reportedly turned down as he eschewed blockbusters for more challenging work. Despite being confirmed, a cause of death was not released. The actor's family announced . 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. Always wanted to be like him. His character rose to become boss of the Montecito but remained the tough guy who had learned judo in an undercover division of the U.S. government. James Caan: the hard-working star who mixed the rough with the smooth, James Caan: some of The Godfather star's most memorable scenes video, Caan said he was fitted with over 140 squibs. The first episode of the crime drama aired on Sept. 22, 2003 and it was an immediate hit. ", A post shared by Pierce Brosnan (@piercebrosnanofficial), 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, James Caan death updates Fans also mourn mobster movie stars Ray Liotta and Tony Sirico as all three pass away in 2022, James Caan dead at 82: The Godfather & Elf actor passes away as family thanks fans for heartfelt condolences, GMA meteorologist Rob Marcianos wife Eryn secretly files for DIVORCE after 11 years of marriage and 2 children, Kourtney Kardashian gives FIRST look into season 2 of Hulu show after fans called for boring series to be canceled, Teen Mom Kailyn Lowry admits she still LOVES her ex despite new boyfriend Elijah Scott, 24, moving into her mansion, Kim Kardashian admits to getting new cosmetic procedure after once declaring she would NEVER do it again, Kanye West's furious ex lashes out at Kim Kardashian in Instagram rant. He returned to full-fledged stardom opposite Kathy Bates in Misery in 1990. Market data provided by Factset. He toldThe Post: "The biggest thorn in his side was, 'Whos Gianni Russo? This guy, he studied with Stella Adler, you name it. Caan then went on to star in string of high-profile films in the 1970s that bracketed him firmly in the new generation of American acting talent, including The Gambler (directed by Karel Reisz), buddy cop comedy Freebie and the Bean alongside Alan Arkin, and dystopian sci-fi parable Rollerball. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "I had my first puff on a joint when I was 24-and-a-half, and I was petrified," he said. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Las Vegas had practically reignited the actor's career, and through it, James garnered an armada of new fans. 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