James Caan, a renowned actor who starred as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and many other well-known motion pictures, passed yesterday at 82. The Hollywood star was born on March 26, 1940, in the Bronx. When he was younger, he developed a passion for acting and left Hofstra University to enroll in the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, where he studied under Stanford Meisner and other notable teachers. After taking on parts in television series and off-Broadway plays, he got his big break in 1964’s Lady in a Cage, starring alongside Olivia de Havilland. Following that breakthrough, he kept acting in mostly unsuccessful movies during the end of the 1960s, including Red Line 7000 and Countdown, a first feature from renowned filmmaker Robert Wise.
Caan is most recognized for his performance as Don Corleone’s first son Sonny in the classic movie The Godfather from 1972, which would continue to become his real breakthrough. Caan received his first and only nomination for Best Supporting Actor, beside 10 other Oscar nominations of the movie. In addition, he received an Emmy nomination for his TV movie Brian’s Song and 4 Golden Globe nominations during his career for later films including The Godfather, The Glory Guys, The Gambler, and Funny Lady. He would continue to achieve enormous success, making appearances in such different movies as 2003’s Elf, where he portrayed the reluctant dad of Will Ferrell‘s Buddy the Elf, and other names like Honeymoon in Vegas, Rollerball, Silent Movie, and Misery.
James Caan‘s estate today shared the news of his death on the actor’s official Twitter account. Caan passed away last night, July 6, although the causes were not disclosed. His family “appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time,” the statement reads. View the official announcement down 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.
End of tweet
— James Caan (@James_Caan) July 7, 2022
Both Redemption and Acre Beyond the Rye, in which the Caan was already confirmed to star, and how they will proceed in the wake of this awful development are now unknown. According to latest indications, the iconic actor’s final role will be in the ongoing post-production 2023 movie Fast Charlie. Caan co-stars with Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin in the movie, which was directed by Dead Calm filmmaker Philip Noyce and is based on the 2001 Victor Gischler novel Gun Monkeys.
Social media has already been flooded with tributes, including one from James Gunn, the director of Guardians of the Galaxy, who praised his acting in Michael Mann’s Thief in particular. The director of Misery, Rob Reiner, gave one of the most heartfelt eulogies to date, saying, “I enjoyed working with him,” and sending his regards to his family. Since James Caan will be deeply mourned by his friends, family, and admirers, there will undoubtedly be hundreds more tributes from others who had known him before.
