James Caan, the star of films like “The Godfather,” “Misery,” and “Elf,” passed away yesterday at the age of 82. His family announced Caan’s death in a statement over Twitter on his verified account today. “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,” the statement said, “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.” Caan’s family did not disclose the cause of death.
Known for his varied tough-guy roles, Caan had more versatility as an actor than simply playing hot-heads like Sonny Corleone. Early roles like Mississippi in 1966’s “El Dorado” with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum and 1970’s “Brian’s Song” showed the actor’s promise. After his breakout role in Francis Ford Coppola‘s 1972 film “The Godfather,” Caan leaned into more antiheroic parts like 1974’s “The Gambler” and “Freebie And The Bean.” He also played up his physicality, demonstrated in 1975’s dystopian sci-fi classic “Rollerball” and Sam Peckinpah‘s underrated mercenary film from the following year, “The Killer Elite.” Before the decade was over, Caan had worked with several other premiere directors of the ’70s, including Richard Attenborough on “A Bridge Too Far,” Alfred J. Pakula in “Comes A Horseman” and Steven Spielberg in “1941.”
Caan’s acting roles became more intermittent in the ’80s and beyond, but some performances remain legendary. In 1981, he starred as Frank, a professional safecracker, in Michael Mann‘s “Thief.” He was at his vulnerable best as bedridden writer Paul Sheldon in Rob Reiner‘s “Misery” in 1990. He also had a comedic side, demonstrated in “Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead,” “Bottle Rocket,” and “Mickey Blue Eyes.” He also worked in television in his later years, including NBC‘s “Las Vegas” from 2003-2007, and the “Hawaii Five-0” reboot, where he co-starred opposite his son, Scott Caan. Other highly regarded later roles include 2003’s Christmas comedy “Elf” as Will Ferrell‘s father and The Big Man in Lars Von Trier‘s “Dogville” from the same year. His final film role came last year in Michael Lembeck‘s “Queen Bees.”
A native New Yorker, Caan was born in 1940 in the Bronx to Jewish immigrants. He played football at Michigan State before transferring to Hofstra University, where he became interested in acting and befriended fellow classmate Coppola. Caan didn’t graduate from Hofstra, and eventually moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s to start his film career. Coppola remembered his friend years later and gave him an important early role in the 1969 film “The Rain People.” Coppola and Caan remained life-long friends.
Caan was nominated for four Golden Globes, an Emmy, and an Oscar. While he never won, he did win over generations of fans through his performances. He will be sorely missed.