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. Caan also became famous for the roles he turned down, including One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Apocalypse Now and Kramer Vs Kramer. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Scoot Caan, also an actor like his dad, opened up to PEOPLE back in 2010 about their relationship. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time James Caansfriend, director Rob Reiner, offered him a role in the psychological thriller film,Misery, in 1989. Caan spoke with The Independent about his career in 2021, saying he "was always cast as Mister Tough Guy or Mister Hero. James Caan. Legal Statement. Always wanted to be like him. While on sabbatical from acting he coached a Little League baseball team. Unique. Thinking of his family and sending my love. When the series debuted, he was a casino surveillance chief dealing with cheaters and competitors of the fictional Montecito Resort and Casino. Initial theatrical release was on March 15, 1972, by Paramount Pictures. The actor filed for divorce from Stokes in 2005, but the two later reconciled. For more on James Caan, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. He wrote: "We were lucky enough to work with James Caan on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. 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. For much of the 1980s he made no films, telling people he preferred to coach his son Scotts Little League games. 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. Matt Mitovich May 9, 2007, 3:47 p.m. PT. of roles has arguably derailed him from achieving true superstar He appeared in off-beat fare like 1973s Slither and Cinderella Liberty. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time. 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. James Caan, pictured in 2000, has died aged 82. Authorities have not yet revealed the causes of death for both James and Tony. Sending my love to his family.. (Getty Images), Caan's early work included "Red Line 7000," "El Dorado" and "The Rain People. "My dad never told me he loved me, and consequently I told Scott I loved him every other minute. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage), "That was when I came back!" He will always be my old friend from Sunnyside, my collaborator and one of the funniest people Ive ever known., The late actor's friend Alec Baldwin shared on Instagram that Caan's personal assistantwas "one of a handful of people who kept Jimmy alive the last five years because Jimmy's health was not great.". This was not the first time Caan spoke out about his struggles. ", He added: "We're really best buddies. The elder Caan experienced addiction in the 1980s, which required him to take a step back from acting. From one Sonny to another God bless you James Caan & Happy Birthday Sonny!, A post shared by Mario Lopez (@mariolopez). Editors picks Loved him very much. A cause of death was not made immediately available. "My beautiful Smile is pain-free, living in her . My heart has a deep sorrow this day for your passing. "He brought a pathos and authenticity to the role of Tim Lockwood that held the film together. After 22 years of marriage, the pair divorced citing irreconcilable differences. He later married Ingrid Hajek in 1990. The actor has been seen in a wheelchair in more recent years as his health has declined since the incident. The actor's family announced . "He was never nice to me from day one. the actor explained why he hesitated to join the cast of Las Vegas. Alec also said that Jimmy taught him how to swear. My heart felt condolences to your family. I was so saddened to hear about Jimmy leaving us, he wrote in a statement. Market data provided by Factset. He was in the Dominican Republic shooting for an upcoming film titled Dangerous Waters. This Article is related to: Film and tagged Francis Ford Coppola, James Caan, The Godfather. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Bates won an Oscar for the role. Besides being a talented instinctive actor, he was the only Jew I knew who could rope a calf with the best of them. 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. Sylvester Stallone Pays Tribute to 'Good Friend' James Caan After His Death: 'A Man's Man', James Caan's Cause of Death Revealed as a Combination of Heart Problems, Mario Lopez Reveals Son Named in Honor of James Caan After Actor Died on His Third Birthday, Alec Baldwin Says 'Sweetheart' Friend James Caan's Health Was 'Not Great' Over 'Last Five Years', James Caan Honored by 'Godfather' Costars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and More: 'Gonna Miss Him', Pierce Brosnan Shares Photos of James Caan from Set of Late Actor's Final Film: 'You Were an Inspiration', Donald Soffer Remembers James Caan as a Longtime 'Loyal' Friend: 'Always a Straight-Up Guy', Kathy Bates Says She 'Can't Believe' 'Misery' Costar James Caan Is 'Gone': 'I'm Bereft', James Caan Remembered by Adam Sandler, Rob Reiner and More: 'Best of the Best', James Caan Once Lived at the Playboy Mansion, Joked It Was to 'Get Over My Divorce', James Caan Once Paused His Hollywood Career to Coach Kids' Baseball After a 'Bad Bout with Cocaine', Raquel Welch's Marriages: Everything She Said About Her Past Relationships, Reese Witherspoon, Christopher Meloni, More Stars React to Raquel Welch's Death: 'She Was Elegant', Scott Caan Recalls Final Conversations with Dad James Caan: 'I'm Lucky for That'. 1 enforcer and eldest son of Mafia boss Vito Corleone. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Legal Statement. I was so pissed off, I couldnt watch the rest of the film., Caan added, But otherwise, [Coppola] gave me a great honor., Caan also dismissed the rumor that he butted heads with co-star Gianni Russo on set. 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. Copyright 2023 Distractify. HEARTFELT tributes to James Caan are pouring out from fans and old friends alike following his death at the age of 82. "Then I felt there was this stigma to doing a TV series. 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 . Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. ", Caan on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, continued, The producer's post continued: "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 backyard', "So he said 'Flint cmere I dont wanna yell' and then the rest of the line at the same volume. Sly captioned the tribute: "I will miss my good friend and great actor, James Caan! 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. 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. 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. Always wanted to be like him. or redistributed. Given that James fell for so many women, some fans may wonder how many kids the actor fathered. as Sonny Corleone in, October 7, 1995 - 2016 (divorced, 2 children). Caan worked steadily thereafter, often trading on his abrasive manner and hard-living reputation. James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. 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. Thu 7 Jul 2022 13.12 EDT. Its hard to believe that he wont be in the world anymore because he was so alive and daring. I loved him, gonna miss him. Robert De Niro also wrote that he was, very very sad to hear about Jimmys passing.. 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. 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. 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. A great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend. He was so talented., In a statement, Pacino shared: Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend. Its hard to believe that he wont be in the world any more because he was so alive and daring. "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. Russo claimed Caan wasn't amicable to him since the pair attended the first Godfather rehearsal. James Caan's son Scott went on to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, 'All Good Here!' "Godfather" star James Caan's cause of death has been revealed. 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. He was 82. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.. May 9, 2007, 3:47 p.m. PT 1972, by Paramount Pictures in.. ``, he was so saddened to hear about Jimmy leaving us, he was so,... 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