Michael Mann Remembers James Caan As A Totally Committed Actor With A “Vitality In His Core”

Today, we lost the inimitable actor James Caan at the age of 82. Known for his no-nonsense, salt-of-the-earth, hot-headed tough-guy roles, Sonny in “The Godfather,” “Rollerball,” “Alien Nation,” and “The Gambler,” Caan was actually similar to the world of Marlon Brando: a hyper-masculine man who could still access all sides of his emotional and vulnerable sides. Caan was arguably much more versatile than some may remember—see his comedic roles in “Elf” and Wes Anderson’s “Bottle Rocket” debut and his romantic parts in movies like “Kiss Me Goodbye.” But perhaps one of his most quintessential roles that melded his rugged exterior and vulnerable yearning for something more was in Michael Mann’s 1981 debut film, “Thief.”

READ MORE: James Caan, Star Of ‘The Godfather,’ ‘Misery,’ ‘Thief,’ ‘Elf’ & More Passes Away At 82

In “Thief,” Caan plays Frank, an ace safe cracker who wants to do one last big heist for the mob before going straight. Of course, getting out of the world of crime is much harder than it seems. As the heartbreak of Caan’s passing makes headlines worldwide, Mann has released a statement about his friend and collaborator, who he called, a “great actor,” but stressed the vital core values inside him that drove him to greatness.

Here’s Mann’s full statement.

What a terrible and tragic loss. Jimmy was not just a great actor with total commitment and a venturesome spirit, but he had a vitality in the core of his being that drove everything from his art and friendship to athletics and very good times. There was a core of values within him about how people should be, more or less. It might be variable, the corners could be rounded with urban irony, but there was a line, and it was non-fungible. And it produced many outrageous and hilarious anecdotes.  

I loved him, and I loved working with him. He reached into the core of his being during difficult personal times to be the rebellious, half-wild child, institutionalized outsider Frank, in my first film, Thief. Frank is half Frank, half Jimmy. The character and the man – like his Sonny in The Godfather – were made for each other. 

Unique. What a loss. 

Michael Mann

Mann’s team also provided this rare behind-the-scenes image of Caan and the director on the set of “Thief.”

This afternoon, dozens of tributes poured in upon the news of Caan’s passing. “Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend,” Al Pacino said in a statement. “It’s hard to believe that he won’t be in the world anymore because he was so alive and daring. A great actor, a brilliant director, and my dear friend. I’m gonna miss him.”

“I’m very, very sad to hear about Jimmy’s passing,” Robert De Niro said in a short statement. Director Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with Caan on “The Godfather” parts one and two, but also “Gardens Of Stone” and one of Coppola’s earliest films, 1969’s “The Rain People,” gave a statement to Deadline about this grand loss to cinema and his professional life.

“Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure I’ve ever known,” Coppola said. “From those earlier times working together on The Rain People, and throughout all the milestones of my life, his films and the many great roles he played will never be forgotten. He will always be my old friend from Sunnyside, my collaborator, and one of the funniest people I’ve ever known.”