Legendary actor James Caan has died at the age of 82. Through his career that started back in the early 60s, he had made a stamp across various genres; he had over 100 credited roles in TV and film. He was best known for his Oscar-nominated role in The Godfather as Sonny.
The official Twitter account for the star announced his death. It was said that James Caan died last evening (July 6th). You can see the entire message below:
“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.
The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
End of tweet
— James Caan (@James_Caan) July 7, 2022
Legendary actor James Caan has died at 82
Born in The Bronx in New York on March 26th, 1940, he had gone through many different paths before coming to Hollywood. With a father as a kosher butcher, he wanted to do something different from his father. At first, a football player was his idea. Acting came up later in his education when he attended Hofstra University in New York state, where he met Francis Ford Coppola. He came on board for the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, where he starred in a play called Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole. From there, he made his slow climb into film and TV with his first credited role in 1961 in the series Naked City for a single episode.
Although James Caan died, he will be remembered for his iconic roles. In 1966, he starred in El Dorado in a major supporting role as Mississippi. By 1972, he starred as Sonny in The Godfather, which would get him his only Oscar nomination in his career. For horror fans, he was in the Stephen King adaption of Misery with Kathy Bates’ iconic villain Annie Wilkes. By the 2000s, he was in Jon Favreau’s Christmas classic Elf with Will Ferrell.
Looking back, the actor could have had more iconic credits. Since James Caan died, he became known for turning down some significant opportunities, not that it hindered him from coming out with hits. He notoriously turned down One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Apocalypse Now, and Kramer Vs. Kramer.
The actor is survived by his five children: Scott, James Arthur, Tara A., Jacob Nicholas, and Alexander James Caan.