James Caansfriend, director Rob Reiner, offered him a role in the psychological thriller film,Misery, in 1989. ", Caan also told The Independent that Barbara "was like my best friend. "When she died, passion became this whole thing with me. He was a star athlete and class president at Rhodes High School and, after attending Michigan State and Hofstra University, he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater under Sanford Meisner. Offers may be subject to change without notice. As the actor said in an interview with Bright Lights Film, he did have a good few reservations about accepting a role on a TV show at first. So if you could make him laugh, all the tension disappears. I loved him, gonna miss him. Robert De Niro also wrote that he was, very very sad to hear about Jimmys passing.. After playing the lead in a disappointing 1970 adaptation of John Updikes celebrated novel Rabbit, Run, Caan achieved a major breakthrough with Coppolas The Godfather. He managed a long career despite drug problems, outbursts of temper and minor brushes with the law. Caan spent the remainder of the Seventies as a leading man, headlining films like Sam Peckinpahs The Killer Elite, Richard Attenboroughs war epic A Bridge Too Far and the adaptation of Neil Simons Chapter Two. I just walked out of a picture at Paramount. A football player at Michigan State University and a practical joker on production sets, Caan was a grinning, handsome performer with an athletes swagger and muscular build. Caan was married four times: between 1961 and 1966 to Dee Jay Mathis, to Sheila Marie Ryan from 1975-76, to Ingrid Hajek from 1990-94, and to Linda Stokes from 1995 to 2017. "I thought I was gonna see elephants. Kathy Bates And James Caan paired up for the chilling Misery flick in 1990, Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines 7/6, death of his younger sister Barbara from leukemia, for a featured role in "The Godfather" as Sonny, Michael B. Jordan apologized to his mom before steamy Calvin Klein underwear ad was released, Kristin Cavallari jokes shes 'heartless' for breaking up with guys over text: 'I know thats horrible', Gisele Bndchen shares tips for when 'life gets challenging': 'Remember that the sun rises everyday', Amy Grant says she leaned on her faith after horrific bike accident: Its helped me not be afraid, Bette Midler confesses to plastic surgery: Time smooths 'everything out', Meghan Markle, Prince Harry 'stunned' by King Charles' 'cruel' Frogmore Cottage eviction, report says. "People were talking about me quitting acting, and they would say, What about your creative juices? Coaching is creative because you could take a kid who thought he wasnt any good and, within four minutes, change his mind. He was in the Dominican Republic shooting for an upcoming film titled Dangerous Waters. After Brians Song and The Godfather, he was one of Hollywoods busiest actors, appearing in Hide in Plain Sight (which he also directed), Funny Lady (opposite Barbra Streisand), The Killer Elite and Neil Simons Chapter Two, among others. Absolute king, James Caan on Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. 1 enforcer and eldest son of Mafia boss Vito Corleone. Besides being a talented instinctive actor, he was the only Jew I knew who could rope a calf with the best of them. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Why 'The Godfather' Is Unthinkable Without James Caan, Rob Reiner, who directed Caan in Misery, said in a statement to Deadline Thursday, I was so saddened to hear about Jimmy leaving us. By the time James Caan passed away in 2022, the famous actor was 82 years old. I taught an acting class for a couple of years here, which was fun and rewarding, but it's not as much fun as doing it. James acted for decades in numerous blockbuster movies, including Misery, Dick Tracy and most endearingly, Elf.. My heart felt condolences to your family. ", He added, jokingly: And one of these days, maybe we'll raise a perfect Caan.". Related Stories Market data provided by Factset. A tweet from the actor's official account Thursday read, "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing . The siblings lived close to each other as Barbara even ran his production company. Born March 26, 1939, in New York City, Caan was the son of a kosher meat wholesaler. friend . Bates won an Oscar for the role. Alec also said that Jimmy taught him how to swear. Jimmy got a little aggressive, Russo said back in 2017. 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. Heartbroken for his family & his friends. I'm proud that he's grown up so well.". 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. Mini Bio (1) 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. A masculine and enigmatic actor whose life and movie career have had He brought a pathos and authenticity to the role of Tim Lockwood that held the film together. ", He's most known for his work in "The Godfather," "Thief," "Misery" and "Rollerball.". "Jimmy was one of the greatest," Del Piano said in a statement. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. As the actor described in a previous interview with Today, the creators were very open to his suggestions granting him plenty of opportunities to get involved in the creative process. The tumultuous making of the blockbuster movie is at the center of the Paramount+ limited series The Offer, charting the behind-the-scenes drama that plagued the big-screen adaptation of Mario Puzos novel. 'All Good Here!' Caan would not appear in another Hollywood film until 1987, when Coppola cast him in his Vietnam war drama Gardens of Stone. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. He starred as a self-destructive gambling addict in the 1974s now-cut classic The Gambler, the foil to Barbra Streisands Fanny Brice in the Funny Girl sequel Funny Lady and as a superstar athlete-turned-revolutionary in the 1974 sci-fi sports film Rollerball. James Caan and Barbra Streisand starred in Funny Lady circa 1975. According to Yahoo! We all will miss him terribly. James Caan. He accused ex-wife Linda Stokes of spending his money to the point where he was forced to . James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. He was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978. Published on July 7, 2022 01:27 PM. "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. 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 . ", "I will miss him dearly and am proud to have worked with him all these years. 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. The legendary actor starred in 'Misery' and 'Elf," in addition to hundreds of other roles. He was 82. Tony Sirico was an American actor born in New York City on July 29, 1942. "The Godfather" star James Caan, who died this week, was infamous for his antics and "excess" namely, cocaine benders and feuds with John Wayne that were much-discussed in the media. I cant do a little of anything. The two of them appear in the upcoming film Fast Charlie together. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA THOUGHT GODFATHER WAS GOING TO BE A SPECIAL FAILURE, RECEIVES WALK OF FAME STAR, Kathy Bates And James Caan paired up for the chilling Misery flick in 1990 (Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection). He followed this with a supernatural romantic comedy titled Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) and then, due to personal conflicts, dropped out of the spotlight for several years before returning with a stellar performance under old friend Francis Ford Coppola in the moving Gardens of Stone (1987).Caan appeared back in favor with fans and critics alike and raised his visibility with the sci-fi hit Alien Nation (1988) and Dick Tracy (1990), then surprised everyone by playing a meek romance novelist held captive after a car accident by a deranged fan in the dynamic Misery (1990). Sirico's death was first announced by his Sopranos co-star,Michael Imperioli, in a touchingInstagramtribute. Caan bonded with Brando, Robert Duvall and other cast members and made it a point to get everyone laughing during an otherwise tense production, sometimes dropping his pants and mooning a fellow actor or crew member. But by the early 1980s he began to sour on films, though Michael Manns 1981 neo-noir heist film Thief, in which he played a professional safecracker looking for a way out, is among his most admired films. So happy I got to know him. Pierce Brosnanis a film producer and actor from Ireland. Short on cash, Caan was hired by Coppola for the leading role in the 1987 film Gardens of Stone. The movie, about life at Arlington National Cemetery, proved too grim for most audiences, but it renewed Caans acting career. My thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time. Alert: Missing Persons Unit, with Monday night's double-episode finale, tracked down the woman . Caan spoke with The Independent about his career in 2021, saying he "was always cast as Mister Tough Guy or Mister Hero. A fan posted a tribute to both iconic actors, writing: "2 legends gone in the space of a week. ", He added: "We're really best buddies. Market data provided by Factset. or redistributed. 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. Editors picks Legal Statement. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Fox News' Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report. Frank is half Frank, half Jimmy. After the death of his sister, Barbara in 1981 fromleukemia,Caanfell into a deep depression thatplagued himfor most of his life. For much of the 1980s he made no films, telling people he preferred to coach his son Scotts Little League games. Instead of a passive, relatively one-sided character, he wanted to play someone able to walk around the casino and engage in small talk with its most eccentric customers. I had some wonderful people, like Rob Reiner and those guys, God bless them. Godfather veteran James Caan, 79, is pushed in a wheelchair by son Jacob, 21 | Daily Mail Online The frail star was pushed in wheelchair by his son Jacob on Tuesday following a recent back. In 2003, Caan would endear himself to a younger generation and get to showcase his comedic chops by playing the biological father of Will Ferrells character in the now-Christmas classic Elf. (Warner Brothers-Seven Arts). he boasted. I got a little cocaine in my pocket, a couple of quaaludes. Russo, who was help producing the drama, told theNew York Post: "He said, You know, Jimmy would be great in this movie. His movies were best of the best. I just want the opportunity, while I'm still walking, to do something that will have you calling me and saying, 'Jimmy, that was really good.' He continued to receive significant roles in feature films such as Cinderella Liberty (1973), Rollerball (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Comes a Horseman (1978), Chapter Two (1979) and Thief (1981). People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Caan, who passed away on Wednesday at age 82, once recalled to The Independent in 2021 how he "started doing cocaine, which is like a death sentence" and it "lasted a while. After a string of minor film and TV appearances, Caan achieved leading man status in 1965 in Howard Hawks stock car racing drama Red Line 7000, following it up with a role alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum in Hawks 1966 western El Dorado. Film producer Christopher Miller shared a tribute posting to "legend" James Caan. But James saw it otherwise. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The 1990s were kind to him and he notched up roles as a band leader in For the Boys (1991), another gangster in Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), appeared in the indie hit Bottle Rocket (1996) and pursued Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser (1996).The demand on Caan's talents seems to have increased steadily over the past few years as he is making himself known to a new generation of fans. Check out what clicked this week in entertainment. Scoot Caan, also an actor like his dad, opened up to PEOPLE back in 2010 about their relationship. [on being voted "Italian of the Year" in New York twice, after his role Caan and co-star Billy Dee Williams, who played Piccolos teammate and best friend Gale Sayers, were nominated for best actor Emmys. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The Oscar-nominated icon of Seventies cinema first appeared on the big screen in the mid-Sixties with roles in Howard Hawks-directed films like the auto-racing drama Red Line 7000 and the hit 1966 western El Dorado, where he starred alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. "My beautiful Smile is pain-free, living in her . "When Michael [Al Pacino] tells me he is going to take care of the cop and Sollozzo [Al Lettieri], I say, 'You'll get brains all over your nice Ivy League suit,' " Caan told The Hollywood Reporter in March. I enjoy working. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. As they traveled to the Vibrato Grill Jazz in Los Angeles for supper, the 79-year-old Godfather actor was spotted enjoying time with his youngest child, who is 21. Thinking of his family and sending my love., Actor and long-time friend Gary Sinise has shared his condolences. Caan died from a heart attack in early July. However, Caan's previous health . It renewed Caan's career, and he became busy as ever. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. Among Caan's numerous accolades are four Golden Globe nominations, along with nods from both the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, While living inNew York,Liottalanded one of his first acting gigs on the soap opera,Another World. 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