James Caan, who starred in The Godfather, died in July 2022 at the age of 82.
(CNN) — James Caan, a veteran film actor known for his work in films including The Godfather, Misery and Elf, has died, his family said in a statement on their verified Twitter account. He was 82 years old.
“It is with great sadness that we inform you that Jimmy passed away on the evening of July 6,” the statement said. “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and deepest condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy at this difficult time.”
The cause of death was not disclosed.
It is with great sadness that we inform you that Jimmy passed away on the evening of July 6th.
The family appreciates the love and sincere condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy at this difficult time.
end of tweet
— James Caan (@James_Caan) July 7, 2022
Francis Ford Coppola and James Caan at the 50th anniversary of The Godfather.
Who Was James Caan?
Caan first rose to fame when he repelled Brian Piccolo of the Chicago Bears in ‘Brian’s Song,’ a widely viewed 1971 TV movie. The heartbreaking film chronicles Piccolo’s real-life battle with terminal cancer and received praise for its treatment of the interracial friendship between Piccolo and a black teammate, Gale Sayers.
His next film, 1972’s The Godfather, made Caan a star. Though not Italian, Caan played the hot-headed Sonny Corleone, the eldest of gangster Vito Corleone’s three sons, who is memorably gunned down by rival gangsters at a tollbooth.
In a 2021 interview for CBS Sunday Morning, Caan said he based Sonny’s persona on the late comedian Don Rickles.
“It wasn’t to imitate Don Rickles. It had that drive, that thing, you know? I just focused on that,” he said of his performance.
The role earned him an Oscar nomination. Caan also appeared in a flashback in The Godfather, Part II.
Caan was perhaps best known for playing tough characters in films like Thief and Rollerball. But he was a versatile actor who played a variety of roles, including “Misery,” Stephen King’s 1990 adaptation about a mild-mannered romance novelist who is terrorized by an obsessive female fan.
He is probably best known to younger audiences for his role in Elf, the Christmas Carol, in which he played Will Ferrell’s Scrooge-esque father, a children’s book publisher who is disgusted to learn he has an exuberant son who carries a leprechaun and Maple pours syrup on his spaghetti.
In the same CBS interview, Caan said he almost turned down the role just because of the film’s title, but Ferrell convinced him to join the project.