James Caan, the renowned Godfather actor, passed away on Thursday at the age of 82, according to his family. According to their announcement, the renowned actor who portrayed Sonny Corleone in the mafia classic passed away yesterday.
They asked for privacy while they grieved and stated they “appreciate the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences” from his millions of admirers.
His manager, however, added that their relationship “was always friendship before business” and referred to him as “one of the greatest and best actors our business has ever seen.”
Many people posted quotations from his part as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and debated his best performances. The actor appeared in Misery, Elf, Mickey Blue Eyes, and nearly 100 more films.
They were led by the director of Misery, Rob Reiner, who said he “loved working with him,” and Adam Sandler, who said he “always wanted to be like him.”
Caan, whose estimated net worth was $20 million, was seen dining out with friends in California last year while using a walker. Prior to that, he had spent some time in a wheelchair recovering from back surgery in 2020.
He was upright and appeared healthier in photos from his attendance at The Godfather’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in Los Angeles on February 22.
The cause of death is yet unknown.
The actor leaves behind his five children, four ex-wives, including Sheila Ryan, who dated Elvis, and son Scott, who is pursuing acting and appears in Entourage.
He died barely over a month after fellow gangster movie star Ray Liotta, who was 67, passed away in his sleep while filming a new TV show in the Dominican Republic.
‘It is with tremendous regret that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,’ Caan’s family wrote in a tweet on Thursday.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and sincere sorrow and requests that you continue to respect their privacy during this trying time,” the statement reads. Tweet concluded.
DelPiano, his manager, continued, “Jimmy was one of the greatest. He was not just one of the greatest actors our industry has ever produced, but he was also witty, dependable, loving, and well-liked.
“Our connection was always first and foremost a friendship. I’m honored to have worked with him for all these years and will miss him sincerely.
The Bronx native is most known for playing Santino “Sonny” Corleone in The Godfather. He is also a well-known actor who has been in the hit movies Mickey Blue Eyes, Elf, and Misery.
He continued working in recent years without slowing down as he aged, with his most recent project being the 2019 crime drama Out of Blue.
Since being rushed to the hospital in 2015 due to chest problems, he has started to move more slowly.
The Hollywood veteran, however, only had a chest infection and was not experiencing a heart attack.
Many people paid their respects to the venerable actor, including Rob Reiner, who directed Caan in the film Misery. I cherished our collaboration.
And the only Jew I knew who could calf rope competitively. Family-friendly greetings. I’m so sorry about Jimmy Caan, Maria Shriver penned. A legend, he was. I always felt respected by him. My love is being sent to his family.
R.I.P. James Caan, as James Gunn put it. There are so many of his films that I adore, The Godfather movies naturally being at the very top, but here are a few more that I adore (Thief in particular was a Gunn family classic; I had the poster on my wall in high school).
James Caan,” Adam Sandler remarked. was very fond of him. Aspired to be like him my entire life. I am so grateful I met him. When I was in his presence, I never once stopped laughing.
He added, “His movies were the best of the best.” He is someone we all sincerely miss. My thoughts are with his family, and I send my love.
James Caan, 82, RIP, wrote Piers Morgan. Brilliant actor; I adored him as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. He gave a fierce, menacing performance that was nothing short of amazing.
He was a very entertaining and funny man who I once met at a party in Los Angeles. ‘Sad news. Historically underrated James Caan is currently sleeping with the fishes, according to Jim Cramer. That guy was amazing, man.
The news of James Caan’s passing was described by Gary Sinise as “very sad.” His family and friends are in deep sorrow. Great to call him a friend and to know him.
“Jimmy was very encouraging of the Gary Sinise Foundation and my work with our veterans,” I said. The world will miss him. You’re welcome, my friend. Peace Be With You. Good luck from God.
Caan was a smiling, good-looking actor with an athletic demeanor and muscular build who played football for Michigan State University and enjoyed playing practical jokes on set.
Though he struggled with drugs, had temper tantrums, and had minor run-ins with the law, he still managed to have a remarkable six-decade career.
Francis Ford Coppola had been a fan of Caan ever since he cast him in the lead role of “Rain People” in the 1960s.
As Sonny, the top enforcer and oldest son of Mafia boss Vito Corleone, he was positioned for a prominent role in “The Godfather.”
One of the most shocking movie scenes in history featured the death of Sonny Corleone, a murderous and rash character who committed numerous killings.
He once claimed that for decades following, random individuals would come up to him on the street and lightheartedly advise him to avoid toll roads.
Contrary to Coppola’s fears that the film was a failure, it was a huge critical and commercial success in 1972 and earned Caan, Duvall, and Al Pacino nominations for best supporting actor at the Oscars.
In the 1971 television film “Brian’s Song,” an emotional drama about Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo, who had passed away from cancer the previous year at the age of 26, Caan made his breakthrough as a television star.
After “Brian’s Song” and “The Godfather,” he was among Hollywood’s busiest actors, appearing in such films as “Hide in Plain Sight” (which he also directed), “Funny Lady” (with Barbra Streisand), “The Killer Elite,” and Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two.”
Additionally, in “The Godfather, Part II,” he made a fleeting cameo appearance in a flashback scene.
He started to lose interest in movies, though, in the early 1980s. His sister Barbara, who had up until that point been an inspiration for his career, passed away in 1981 from leukemia, and he had already started to struggle with drug use.
In 1990, with Kathy Bates in “Misery,” he made a triumphant comeback as a major star.
Once again in demand, Caan starred in ‘For the Boys’ with Bette Midler in 1991 as part of a song-and-dance team entertaining U.S. soldiers during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. The following year he played a tongue-in-cheek version of Sonny Corleone in the comedy ‘Honeymoon in Vegas.’
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 Buddy´s Will Ferrell in ‘Elf.’
Caan had a checkered relationship history, and has been married four times. His first marriage to Dee Jay Mathis ended in 1966 after five years, and they share daughter Tara, 55.
Ten years later he tied the knot with Sheila Marie Ryan, but they divorced the following year in 1976, the same year they welcomed son Scott, 43.
In 1990, Caan married Ingrid Hajek, they welcomed son Alexander, 28, the following year and divorced in 1994.
His fourth marriage occurred in 1995, when he tied the knot to Linda Stokes. The couple had sons James, 24, and Jacob, 21, before divorcing in 2009, citing irreconcilable differences.
In 2016 he claimed his estranged wife Stokes was blowing through his savings and is forced to keep working in order to pay the bills according to legal documents found by TMZ.
The gossip site claimed he was currently paying $13,000 a month in child support for their two boys but it appeared she was asking for more money.
Perhaps the most striking claim in the documents was Caan felt the money issues were forcing him to take sub-par roles in order to keep up financially.
The documents read: ‘I am no longer willing to take parts in films and/or television shows which detract from the 50 years I have spent building my reputation.’
He goes on to say he had to do a drama named Sicilian Vampire, released in the summer of 2015, which was ‘humiliating’ as the New York City premiere only had 50 people show up.
In 1961, he married Dee Jay Mathis and had daughter Tara; they divorced in 1966.
Caan’s second marriage to Sheila Marie Ryan – a former girlfriend of Elvis Presley – in 1976 was short-lived as they divorced the following year.
Their son, Scott Caan, who also is an actor, was born in 1976.
Caan was married to Ingrid Hajek from September 1990 to March 1994; they had a son, Alexander, born 1991.
Caan’s passing comes just over a month after fellow gangster actor Ray Liotta passed away in his sleep in the Dominican Republic.
He passed away in bed at Casas del XVI in Zona Colonial in May just weeks after filming started on a new project called Dangerous Waters.
An emergency service team had rushed to the building but he could not be saved, with his body transferred to the forensic institute of Santo Domingo.
Liotta left behind his fiancee Jacy Nittolo, 46, as well as his daughter Karsen, 23, who he had with ex-wife Michelle Grace.