Caan briefly lived at the Playboy Mansion and, in 2010, People reported that his son, Scott, spent much of his unconventional childhood inside the walls of the Playboy Mansion. James Caan told People, Id have Scott bring me girls. His mother's name was Sophie and his father was Arthur. However, his rough language betrayed violent thoughts. During his fallow period between 1982 and 1987, he spent his days coaching his son Scotts soccer and basketball teams, and his nights at the Playboy Mansion (There were tons of girls over there and, call me sick, call me crazy, but I liked em!) and taking cocaine. James Caan, the curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone of "The Godfather" and to television . This is getting too aesthetic, but the Minuet, I learned in school, has an A-B-A form, it repeats the same eight bars at the end after the 16-bar break, and this script had that A-B-A thing , At first, his guy knows nobody is going to f---- with him, he dont give a s--- about himself, he dont care about anybody. Caan was four times divorced, had a cocaine addiction, used prostituted women, was accused of beating his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend and of involvement in multiple violent assaults on other men, he had mobster friends whom he defended, and once lived at the Playboy Mansion, and apparently terrified his co-stars on multiple sets. The spotlight on Caans minor brushes with the law (the Associated Press) has been dim. Based on the supposed true account of a former safecracker, Caan plays Frank, a stoic, principled thief (cash and diamonds only) who dreams of a straight life and a family with his girlfriend (Tuesday Weld). James was a core cast member on the show since the very beginning. Playing Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather" earned James Caan a Golden Globe nomination and his sole Academy Award nod; he might have won if the Academy had not pitted him against co-stars Robert Duvall and Al Pacino in the Best Supporting Actor category. (Getty Images), Caan's early work included "Red Line 7000," "El Dorado" and "The Rain People. Caan's behavior was erratic he was. 1 enforcer and eldest son of Mafia boss Vito Corleone. I mean, I couldn't stand it. During Jame's lengthy life, he walked down the aisle four different times. Like our work? Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Although James approached the task at hand with a critical mentality, Las Vegas had a seismic impact on his career. The film, which points to the links between the mafia and American capitalism, portrays men such as Don Corleone (Marlon Brando), the godfather of the title, as businessmen. Although he received professional help and was cured of the addiction, he was unemployable in Hollywood. Caan went along with it, checked out with Mann wrote, and recognized something good was brewing. Following the film's release, Caan placed his acting career at the front-and-center of his professional pursuits. (Michael Kovac), The tweet was completed withCaan's famous Twitter phrase, "End of tweet.". How rare. It was not a box office smash, grossing $31 million in todays dollars, but has become revered as a classic of the genre and a major influence on films from Manns own Heat (1995) to Nicolas Winding Refns 2011 classic Drive., Click here for behind-the-scene gems from the making of Thief and Caans great story about the aftermath of Brians Song.. In March 1994, Caan was visiting his brother in Los Angeles when he got into a heated argument with another man, reportedly over an act of vandalism. The film had a respectable cast, including Ving Rhames, Mark Hamill, Talia Shire, and Caan as the FBI agent who brings young Minkow's house of cards tumbling down. A July 7 obituary in The New York Times of Caan frames the actors violent tendencies as part of his bad boy reputation. Most of his behavior is blamed on his cocaine addiction, which began after the premature death of his sister. Racing to find his sisters husband, Corleone stops at a toll booth that he discovers is unnervingly empty of customers. The full statement reads, "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6. Born March 26, 1939, in New York City, Caan was the son of a kosher meat wholesaler. When the series debuted, he was a casino surveillance chief dealing with cheaters and competitors of the fictional Montecito Resort and Casino. One member of that new generation was a young, unknown Texas filmmaker named Wes Anderson who, along with brothers Luke and Owen Wilson, was preparing his first feature, a low-budget crime comedy called "Bottle Rocket." ", allegedly pulled a gun on a man during an argument. An acquaintance of Caan, Schwartz fell while attempting to reach the unit. He was born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Queens, where his father was a kosher butcher. But Sonny, a remorselessly violent hoodlum driven by family loyalty, represented the true nature of the Corleone family. 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. Sister of actor James Caan dies Desert Sun 24 November 1981 James Caan appears at a Miami red-carpet event in 2015. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. James Caan turned 81 last Friday. In keeping with the tone of the picture, I thought the ending was kind of cool., By subscribing, you agree with Revues Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Less cut and dried, however, was an altercation just a few months later when Caan allegedly pulled a gun on a man during an argument. In 1996 the Tampa Bay Times called him a legendary carouser who rose to fame in the '70s as a macho leading man. On July 7 actor Martin Kove, known for his role as the villain in The Karate Kid, admiringly called Caan an original bad ass. His second wife, Sheila Marie Ryanwho dated Elvis and appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1973 was 12 years his junior and died in 2012 (m. 1976-1977). The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time. Please check your inbox (or spam folder) for a log in link. James Edmund Caan, actor, born 26 March 1940; died 6 July 2022, Superb actor whose defining role of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather found echoes in his colourful personal life, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, James Caan in bath smoking as Karel Reiszs The Gambler (1974). In addition to famous lines like "Leave the gun, take the cannoli," the film (and book) gave new meaning to the word"godfather," a title that did not have sinister connotations before the novel. Even when playing a bedridden romance novelist in "Misery," Rob Reiner's 1990 Stephen King adaptation, Caan's physicality plays an important part. "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on . breaking through in the 1971 TV movie "Brian's Song," an emotional drama about Chicago Bears running back Brian . The Associated Press wrote: an acquaintance [of Caans] fell eight stories to his death [from a fire escape] while trying to reach an apartment where Caan was staying. The New York Times reported that at the time, [t]he police questioned him at length. Caan told the police he was asleep when it happened, and the death was deemed accidental. At the time of his death, James Caan was attached to a handful of films. His first and last directorial effort, Hide in Plain Sight (1980), in which he starred as a man in search of his ex-wife and children, was generally given a chilly critical reception. Caan was not afraid to study or to work hard, but it was clear early on that neither the life of an academic or a meatpacker was for him. I just walked out of a picture at Paramount. The "Godfather" star continued to act in recent years, with IMDb listing an upcoming project of his, titled "Fast Charlie," as being in post-production ahead of a 2023 release. The then-81-year-old said, "I want to do a good piece of work. James Caan has died at age 82 | CTV News "The thing I most cherish, as far as my whole career was the respect I felt from these young kids, really good actors," he said. Caan was best known for his role as Sonny Corleone in " The Godfather " and "The Godfather II," but before the iconic film series . "I had these little skinny legs[with] this big square top," Caan told Cigar Aficionado in a 2006 interview. Born on March 26, 1940, in The Bronx, New York, Caan's path to acting began while attending college, according to Britannica. . It remains to be seen if this film role will prove to be as iconic as his previous memorable roles, but if it is, it will fulfill a wish Caan made in 2021. The legendary actor, who passed away on Wednesday, needed the help of a walker in some of his final photos. Veteran Hollywood actor James Caan, who had memorable roles in The Godfather and Misery, has passed away at the age of 82. The top entertainment stories, features and must-read reviews sent to you weekly. James Caan, who has died aged 82, sought satisfaction in extreme sports, drugs and a colourful personal life. James disappeared from Hollywood on several occasions, intermittently working as a children's sports coach. Caan was married to actress Dee Jay Mattis for five years, to Sheila Ryan for one year, and Ingrid Hajek for five years before marrying his fourth wife, Linda Stokes. He has the pedigree, too: his grandfather Bob was a left tackle and offensive captain on Packers teams that won five NFL championships from 1961-67. One such project included the 2018 biopic/federal crime "Con Man.". I would kill. On being perceived as a macho he said, If macho means I wear the pants, then Im macho. That should have been the final straw, but it is only just the beginning of trans activism. Market data provided by Factset. Las Vegas provided him with an exceptional opportunity to experience an aspect of film production he was more or less unacquainted with before. Those ones I would watch more than once. He hadnt done any motion pictures but hed done a TV movie, The Jericho Mile, and that was pretty good, so I read the script for Thief and it was fantastic. In 2017, Godfather co-star Gianni Russo told EW that during the shooting of a fight scene between Caans character, Sonny, and Russos Carlo, Caan became aggressive and improvised actions that left Russo injured. Caan may have been a great actor and his roles may be long-remembered. 'Godfather' Actor James Cann Dies at 82 - NBC New York James Caan: Legendary Actor Leaves Behind Legacy of Abuse According to Yahoo! In March 1994, Caan was arrested in North Hollywood for brandishing a weapon (a gun) at rap artist Derek Lee (aka Doc Rapper) during an argument, but the charges were dropped the following August. Would you go down there and do two, three days for me?'". But 12 years later, when oldest sister Jessica sees a woman in a raunchy reality show she thinks might be Ruthy, the Ramirez women go on a road trip to investigate. He was 82. James Caan counted a lot of Hollywood celebrities as close friends, including Don Rickles and Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. 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 . A car accident in 1985 sidelined him further, and soon it had been a full five years since he'd appeared in a movie. Caan explained that some jerk at MGM altered the movie. LOS ANGELES -. The actor's official Twitter account announced the news on Thursday:. James Caan had an acting career that spanned over 60 years in which he played various roles. Caan said, "They don't want to watch it if it's bad. 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. "The Godfather" has long been dogged with questions of how much of the story is based on true events, and how much the real-life mafia was involved with the film's production. Caan starred in several television series including "Naked City" and "The Untouchables" before landing a film role in "Funny Lady" opposite Barbra Streisand, giving him the chance to showcase his adaptability (via IMDb). But when we chatted via Zoom on Monday . At times Caan gave the impression he wished to be seen as an artist, not a tough guy. If macho means Im going to drive the car, then Im macho. Even at the end, when father and son have reconciled in time to save Christmas, there's the sense that Walter still isn't a big fan of Buddy's whole thing. The story of how this pulpy, gossipy, and occasionally offensive book was turned into one of the greatest films of all time has been written and told time and again, most recently in the Paramount Plus miniseries "The Offer.". I'm frustrated. As he said toWENN, hedidn't want to be upstaged by a child actor in a sentimental weepie like "Kramer," while the thought of spending months in the jungle was enough to deter him from reuniting with Coppola on "Apocalypse Now.". Finding a new gravitas, Caan was utterly convincing as a stiff-necked but compassionate army sergeant who feels that there is nothing to win, and no way of winning it in Vietnam. Ive done pictures where Id rather do time. One of the film's sharpest moves is to keep Walter constantly frustrated by Buddy's antics, even as everyone else is eventually worn down by the man-elf's manic enthusiasm. She was my best friend, my manager, he said. James Caan and Gianni Russo in the fight scene from The Godfather, in which Russo claims he broke two ribs. 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. Entertainment, Caan said that he lived with cocaine addiction after turning to the drug when his sister died from leukemia. His next move: Manhattan'sthe Neighborhood Playhouse. It was a nightmare, Caan said. There were several flops, undeservedly in the case of Michael Manns Thief (1981), released as Violent Streets in the UK, and deservedly with the whimsical Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) Caans attempts at comedy were slow to be appreciated. The coverage reveals something that most women in the industry already know: the Post-#MeToo era has not prompted a larger examination of Hollywoods beloved cast and their treatment of women. His manager, Matt Del Piano, confirmed Caan's death to Fox News Digital. The legendary actor starred in 'Misery' and 'Elf," in addition to hundreds of other roles. Above all, as seen in the many tributes that have been published since his death, he was a generous artist and professional whose work continues to inspire. So happy I got to know him. "If there's anything I can attribute my success to," Caan told Roger Ebert in 1988, "it's that I said 'no.'" Caan arranged to meet and pay the kidnappers, then arrived with Fiato and his crew with guns and baseball bats. In 1993, a man named Mark Schwartz died when trying to climb up to the balcony of an apartment where the actor was staying. Copyright 2023 Distractify. While his roles in "Redemption" and "Acre Beyond the Rye" had only been announced and could be re-cast, "Fast Charlie" is in post-production and slated for a 2023 release. There were several contributing factors, starting with a bad experience filming the 1982 romantic comedy "Kiss Me Goodbye," co-starring Sally Field and Jeff Bridges. A 1999 article in The Guardian states the LAPD arrested Caan at the time and interrogated him for 10 hours over Schwartz death. The GM and coach seem to be more cohesive than Ryan Pace was with Matt Nagy and John Fox. Following a brief stage career, he moved to Hollywood. His passion for acting never ceased, even at the age of 80. His first role was as a young thug terrorising Olivia de Havilland in Lady in a Cage (1964). 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. I got into the whole lifestyle of girls and drugs and partying you really do get caught up in it, and its very destructive, the Times reports Caan told Entertainment Weekly. His manager Matt DelPiano said he died Wednesday. And the violent, anti-woman propaganda appearing in its place. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. My thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time. Caan, who was nominated for an Oscar, was perfect as the hedonistic and volatile heir apparent to the Corleone family, whose bloody ways end in his own death. FILE - James Caan attends the 2016 Summer TCA "Hallmark Event" on July 27, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Caan, whose roles included "The Godfather," "Brian's Song" and "Misery," died Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at age 82. . 5 James Caan looked weak and needed a walker before his death Credit: BackGrid 5 The Oscar winning actor was 82 Credit: Getty Images - Getty When [Mann] came to me with the script [for Thief], I bought three tomatoes, I didnt know what the hell he was selling, cracked Caan. (Already did this? "A Most Intriguing Lady," bySarah Ferguson (Avon, fiction): The Duchess of York pens a new historical romance about a duke's daughter who's also secretly an amateur sleuth in Victorian London. Russo told EW: With this being my first film, I didnt want to complain he chipped my elbow with the garbage pail cover, and he broke two ribs. It is doubtful a female celebrity with a comparable past would be portrayed as favorably in the media or receive the near universal praise Caan has basked in posthumously this week. In 2013 Caan told the AV Club that he did the film as a favor to its executive producer, James L. Brooks. Even offscreen, his life was the stuff of legend: An athlete turned actor turned Little League coach turned actor again; a fixture at the Playboy mansion; a movie mobster who all too often was mistaken for the real thing; and an unlikely star on Twitter. Best known by the younger generation for his roles as Buddy the Elf's (played by Will Ferrell) cranky father in the movie "Elf" and the temperamental Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather" franchise, the older generation recognizes Caan's versatility in a wide range of roles such asPaul Sheldon(via Screen Rant), an author turned prisoner in the movie "Misery," to Brian Piccolo in ABC's "Brian's Song," per TCM. "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.