Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. ", "I will miss him dearly and am proud to have worked with him all these years. It might be variable, the corners could be rounded with urban irony, but there was a line and it was non-fungible. Thief, released in 1981 and directed by Michael Mann, in which Caan played a safecracker who takes on the mob, boded well for his ability to reinvent himself for the new decade, but Caans career would swiftly derail. The Best Picture Race Got a Lot More Confusing This Week, Tom Cruise Made the Rounds This Week, but Other Oscar Nominees Got More Applause Than Top Gun: Maverick, These Oscar Categories Are the Hardest to Predict, Translating the Unconscious Into Images: The Cinematography of Bardo, Poker Face Takes Viewers on a Cross-Country Road Trip Without Leaving New York, Why TR Looks Different from Every Other Movie of 2022, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. 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. However, it was after "The Godfather" that Caan became one of Hollywood's busiest actors. Initial theatrical release was on March 15, 1972, by Paramount Pictures. At the time, the actor was struggling financially due tohis drug addiction battle. Before he can escape he is cut down by a seemingly endless fusillade of machine-gun fire. Born on December 18, 1954, most ofRay Liotta'searly life was centered in Newark,New Jersey. We all will miss him terribly. It renewed Caan's career, and he became busy as ever. HEARTFELT tributes to James Caan are pouring out from fans and old friends alike following his death at the age of 82. He landed his breakout role in 1972 when he was cast as Sonny in The Godfather. status, James Caan is New York-born and bred. One of a kind! Just last year,Jamesdid an interview withCBSwhere he shared that he was still looking forward to working in his old age. Rest In Peace. Loved him very much. He also made a brief appearance in a flashback sequence in The Godfather, Part II.. So if you could make him laugh, all the tension disappears. When the series debuted, he was a casino surveillance chief dealing with cheaters and competitors of the fictional Montecito Resort and Casino. So happy I got to know him. 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. The action-crime-thriller is listed as in post-production, and costars Morena Baccarin and Pierce Brosnan. So happy I got to know him. End of tweet. (Caan, a habitual Twitter user, would often write End of tweet on his own messages.) 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). James Caan and Barbra Streisand starred in Funny Lady circa 1975. We all will miss him terribly. Our relationship was always friendship before business. He didn't feature in any movies in 1994, and he went on another break between 1996 and 1998. The tumultuous making of the blockbuster movie is at the center of the Paramount+ limited series The Offer, charting the behind-the-scenes drama that plagued the big-screen adaptation of Mario Puzos novel. Caan received his only Oscar nomination, for best supporting actor, for the film, and his work remains notable for Sonnys gruesome death scene, for which Caan said he was fitted with over 140 squibs, or explosive blood pellets, to simulate gunshot wounds. 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. 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). ", He added: "We're really best buddies. Further work followed in Journey to Shiloh (1968) and in the sensitive The Rain People (1969). Actor Pierce Brosnan shared a carousel of photos on Instagram to pay tribute to James Caan. ", "But now I get what he meant," Caan continued. Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure Ive ever known, the director toldDeadline. The 45-year-old told the news outlet: "To say our relationship wasn't dysfunctional would be a lie. James disappeared from Hollywood on several occasions, intermittently working as a children's sports coach. The actor's family announced . Now, Caan cleared up the altercation, telling THR that Russo was mistaken. I wouldnt give Jimmy Caan a part in anything. He was so rude to me.". Hollywood great James Caan, who had recently undergone back surgery, appeared frail as his son Jacob pushed him around in a wheelchair back in 2020. Sonny Corleone, a violent and reckless man who conducted many killings, met his own end in one of the most jarring movie scenes in history. James Caan has died. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6, the family tweeted. 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. I'm proud that he's grown up so well.". His manager Matt DelPiano said he died Wednesday. 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. "The fun of it was taken away," he told an interviewer in 1981. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Hes a great sports buff. I loved working with him. (CBS via Getty Images), "I had great, great times as a Little League coach," he told Esquire. All Rights Reserved. James Caan, the American actor renowned for his role as Sonny Corleone in the mafia epic The Godfather, as well as a string of . Short on cash, Caan was hired by Coppola for the leading role in the 1987 film "Gardens of Stone." My thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time. Whenever wed go into an Italian restaurant, theyd put onThe Godfathersoundtrack. ", He's most known for his work in "The Godfather," "Thief," "Misery" and "Rollerball.". Caan went on to pursue acting again after his recovery. James stayed on the show for four years, only leaving before the shooting of Season 5. In 2018 he appeared in Carol Morleys Martin Amis adaptation Out of Blue, as the father of murder victim Jennifer Rockwell. So happy I got to know him. "My beautiful Smile is pain-free, living in her . Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines of the week, 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. Heartbroken for his family & his friends. James Caansfriend, director Rob Reiner, offered him a role in the psychological thriller film,Misery, in 1989. Caan was previously married four times: first to Dee Jay Mattis, from 1961 to 1966, then to Sheila Ryan in 1976. The creators obliged, and Ed Deline's character was born. All rights reserved. Photo: Matt Carr/Getty. James Caan: The studio thought The Godfather was a piece of garbage, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Caan had been a favorite of Francis Ford Coppola since the 1960s when Coppola cast him for the lead in "Rain People." 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. or redistributed. So, what happened? I enjoy working. James Caan, who has died aged 82, sought satisfaction in extreme sports, drugs and a colourful personal life. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. "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. James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. "It. pic.twitter.com/a0q8rCP1Yl, Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) July 7, 2022. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! James was not married at the time of his death. The thing with Caan is, hes got a great sense of humor, director Jon Favreau told Rolling Stone in 2020. He was 82. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The two of them appear in the upcoming film Fast Charlie together. Absolute king, James Caan on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. "I've had a wonderful four years, worked with great people and made friends for life working on Las Vegas, but I'm eager to return to where my heart is, which is film, and due to the show's schedule, I missed some great opportunities to do that," James explained in a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 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. I had some wonderful people, like Rob Reiner and those guys, God bless them. Caan spoke with The Independent about his career in 2021, saying he "was always cast as Mister Tough Guy or Mister Hero. We all will miss him terribly. of roles has arguably derailed him from achieving true superstar 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. James disappeared from Hollywood on several occasions, intermittently working as a children's sports coach. 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 . Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. ", He added, jokingly: And one of these days, maybe we'll raise a perfect Caan.". His Legacy: Get to Know Late Actor James Caan's 5 Children John announced his wife's death on Facebook with a heartfelt post in February 2023. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! "I had my first puff on a joint when I was 24-and-a-half, and I was petrified," he said. Says Adam Driver, Defending Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' Set James Caan's son Scott went on to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. I just want the opportunity, while I'm still walking, to do something that will have you calling me and saying, 'Jimmy, that was really good.' He is also survived by multiple sons: Scott, Ryan, Alexander James, James Arthur, and Jacob Nicholas. His output slowed in the Eighties as the actor dealt with personal problems, addiction and burnout. He didn't feature in any movies in 1994, and he went on another break between 1996 and 1998. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time For much of the 1980s he made no films, telling people he preferred to coach his son Scotts Little League games. Caan did not take a starring role in a TV series until 2003, but his first effort, "Las Vegas," was an immediate hit. The news was released by his Twitter account on Thursday. The actors family announced Caans death Thursday on social media. Thats what I loved about my sister: she was just so passionate about whatever she did.". Always wanted to be like him. 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. Beautiful Smile is pain-free, living in her. `` surveillance chief dealing with cheaters and of! Longer and closer than any motion picture figure Ive ever known, the corners could be with! Shooting of Season 5 and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time on show... Top of the fictional Montecito Resort and casino n't dysfunctional would be a lie # x27 ; t feature any! 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