"I got a prescription to live at the Playboy Mansion," he joked to Esquire magazine in 2003. 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 toldThe Independent. The film was an immediate critical and commercial smash, the highest grossing film of 1972, and introduced a whole new pop culture lexicon.
Inside James Caan's drug addiction and depression battle after The LOS ANGELES -. A character actor with movie star swagger, or perhaps the other way around, Caan got his start on television in the 1960s before becoming one of the biggest names in Hollywood in the 1970s, thanks in large part to his immortal turn as Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather." ". Despite Coppolas fears he had made a flop, the 1972 release was an enormous critical and commercial success and brought supporting actor Oscar nominations for Caan, Duvall and Pacino. The elder Caan experienced addiction in the 1980s, which required him to take a step back from acting. "Godfather" star James Caan's cause of death has been revealed.
Legal Statement. For Women. Fans of a certain age will no doubt know James Caan best from "The Godfather," but their children and grandchildren might have a different experience of the actor not as a violent mid-century mobster but as a grumpy dad who needs to learn the true meaning of Christmas. "The thing I most cherish, as far as my whole career was the respect I felt from these young kids, really good actors," he said. The 75-year-old actor - who is best known for playing Sonny Corleone in 1972's The Godfather - had complained of chest pain, according to . The following year he played a tongue-in-cheek version of Sonny Corleone in the comedy Honeymoon in Vegas, tricking Nicolas Cage into betting his girlfriend, Sarah Jessica Parker, in a high-stakes poker game so he can spirit her away and try to persuade her to marry him. James Caan was a bona fide A-lister in the 1970s, but in the years following "The Godfather" he took a more eclectic route with his stardom, acting in films like Sam Peckinpah's ninjas-vs-spies mash-up "The Killer Elite" and the turn-of-the-century caper "Harry and Walter Go to New York." Let's put it that way. "I had these little skinny legs[with] this big square top," Caan told Cigar Aficionado in a 2006 interview.
James Caan: Legendary Actor Leaves Behind Legacy of Abuse Although presented as the moral centre of the film, Caans character, Jonathan E, is as sadistic as everyone else around him. I spend most of my time upstairs in my bedroom, wearing out one spot on the bed where I sit when Im making phone calls. When he had not appeared in a film for four years, people in Hollywood were beginning to ask, What ever happened to ?. At the end of July, TMZ obtained Caan's death certificate revealing that his official cause of death was a combination of heart issues, including a heart attack.
James Caan obituary | Movies | The Guardian I just gave them all the cocaine they wanted. (Fleiss was convicted of Federal Tax Evasion in 1996 and served seven years in prison.). I am self-employed, says Frank. The full statement reads, "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6. Caan embraced his role as the hotheaded Sonny, turning to his friend, insult comic extraordinaire Don Rickles, for inspiration. Caan starred in several television series including "Naked City" and "The Untouchables" before landing a film role in "Funny Lady" opposite Barbra Streisand, giving him the chance to showcase his adaptability (via IMDb). Outside, they had discovered a body of an aspiring actor, Mark Alan Schwartz, on the pavement eight storeys below. Instead, Joel Grey took home the award for "Cabaret." 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. But Sonny, a remorselessly violent hoodlum driven by family loyalty, represented the true nature of the Corleone family. James Caan stands up to Mob Boss from "Thief" 1981 by An Unexpected Life on YouTube But by the early 1980s, a decade of stardom had taken its toll. If Im ranking the best James Caan movies, of course Ill start with The Godfather and Ill include Brians Song and The Gambler and Misery but Thief makes the Top 5. The actor's rep told The Hollywood Reporter that Caan died Wednesday night at 82, confirming a Twitter post from his family. Interspersed between the elaborate heist sequences and the shootouts, Thief makes time for dialogue-rich interludes, most famously the nearly 10-minute scene where Frank and Tuesday Welds Jessie lay their cards on the table and speak with raw truth about their pasts and the prospects for a future together. That work ethic, whether due to artistic passion or financial need, resulted in a very busy 21st century for the actor. Caan had begun to struggle with drug use and was devastated by the 1981 leukemia death of his sister, Barbara, who until then had been a guiding force in his career. The top entertainment stories, features and must-read reviews sent to you weekly. As writer Jonathan Meyers recounted in Fortune, one day during filming, Minkow, perhaps giddy from being in the same room as Sonny Corleone, confessed to Caan that the film had been financed with stolen money. Although Caan had all the right Italian gestures as Sonny, he was the son of Jewish parents, Sophie (nee Falkenstein) and Arthur Caan, who were refugees from Nazi Germany. Alexis Cosio-Read more. I looked guilty..
Bates won an Oscar for the role.
What Happened to Scott Caan? How Did Scott Caan Break His Arm? He has five children and four grandchildren, three from his eldest daughter Tara and one from his son Scott. James Caan, whose indelible, Oscar-nominated performance as Sonny Corleone, the recklessly hotheaded son of Marlon Brando's Mafia don in " The Godfather ," is sure to be remembered as long as. Where does he go? I would love to do a real character thing. And if youre my girl and someones smart to you, Ill slap him in the mouth. He also told Rolling Stone: The one thing that gets me most is having my intelligence underestimated. The elder Caan experienced addiction in the 1980s, which required him to take a step back from acting. Few of these films were blockbuster hits, certainly not on the level of "The Godfather," but it wasn't as if he was losing out on big roles in fact, more often than not he was turning them down. Fox News' Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report. "The Godfather" would sit at the top of nearly any actor's resume, and rightly so, but James Caan had other, less heralded favorites. Los Angeles benefit at Paramount Studios on April 22, 2017 in Hollywood, California. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on . I can get that. A great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend. Caan, who was nominated for an Oscar, was perfect as the hedonistic and volatile heir apparent to the Corleone family, whose bloody ways end in his own death. But the role also followed him around in a more unusual way: Caan, who was of Hungarian Jewish descent, was often mistaken for Italian, if not an actual wiseguy. Caan explained that some jerk at MGM altered the movie. Poles needs to make sure Eberflus maintains significant input. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Unfortunately, he passed [] Veteran actor James Caan, known for his tough guy roles in movies including "The Godfather," died Wednesday. Market data provided by Factset.
The Untold Truth Of James Caan - Looper.com "Then I felt there was this stigma to doing a TV series. "If there's anything I can attribute my success to," Caan told Roger Ebert in 1988, "it's that I said 'no.'" or redistributed.
James Caan: 'I was always cast as Mister Tough Guy - they wouldn't let Caan was well teamed with Genevive Bujold in Claude Lelouchs romance set in the US, Another Man, Another Chance (1977), and with Jane Fonda in the western Comes a Horseman (1978).
James Caan looks back at 'Thief,' a Chicago classic released 40 years Mann said 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.. "Not only was he one of the best actors our business has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and beloved. Great! The generous support of our readers allows 4W to pay our all-female staff and over 50 writers across the globe for original articles and reporting you cant find anywhere else. So happy I got to know him. James Caan as Billy Rose, the gambling, philandering husband of Barbra Streisands Fanny Brice in Funny Lady (1975). Caan never admitted to hurting his co-star, claiming that he worked with a stunt double . Entertainment, Caan said that he lived with cocaine addiction after turning to the drug when his sister died from leukemia. "One in my wrist, two in the other wrist, and one in each. 0. In later years, Caan was content to have the security of a popular TV series, Las Vegas (2003-07), appearing as a former CIA agent now the head of security at the fictional Montecito resort and casino. While studying at Hofstra, he became interested in acting and was soon taken on by the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York, where he studied under Sanford Meisner, whose technique was allied to the method. 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. A handful of small film roles followed, and Caan finally got his breakthrough in 1966's "El Dorado," Howard Hawks and John Wayne's unofficial remake of their own "Rio Bravo." There are some film stars for whom the frisson of fame and the exultation of acting are not enough.
His movies were best of the best.. Adam Sandler tweeted, for example, Always wanted to be like him Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. He hadnt done any motion pictures but hed done a TV movie, The Jericho Mile, and that was pretty good, so I read the script for Thief and it was fantastic. Married and divorced four times, Caan had a daughter, Tara, and sons Scott, Alexander, James and Jacob. He has the pedigree, too: his grandfather Bob was a left tackle and offensive captain on Packers teams that won five NFL championships from 1961-67. Veteran Hollywood actor James Caan, who had memorable roles in The Godfather and Misery, has passed away at the age of 82. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez' and other must-read new books, For more must-readbook recommendations, check out, 20 books we were most excited for this winter, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez' and other must-read new books, Justin Timberlake posts sweet birthday message for 'dream of a partner' Jessica Biel, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works'. We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. He was 82. He wasn't afraid to play against his tough guy image, either, in sensitive supporting turns opposite Barbra Streisand and Jane Fonda in "Funny Lady" and "Comes a Horseman," respectively. James Edmund Caan, actor, born 26 March 1940; died 6 July 2022, Superb actor whose defining role of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather found echoes in his colourful personal life, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, James Caan in bath smoking as Karel Reiszs The Gambler (1974). He married and divorced four times. But 12 years later, when oldest sister Jessica sees a woman in a raunchy reality show she thinks might be Ruthy, the Ramirez women go on a road trip to investigate. On July 6, 82-year-old American actor, James Caan, best known for his roles in The Godfather, Misery, and Elf, died from causes that have not yet been made public. On top of this, he walked off the set of The Holcroft Covenant (1985) and was replaced by Michael Caine. He was 82. 5 breaking through in the 1971 TV movie "Brian's Song," an emotional drama about Chicago Bears running back Brian . His character rose to become boss of the Montecito but remained the tough guy who had learned judo in an undercover division of the U.S. government.
Why James Caan Keeps Disappearing From Hollywood Caan briefly lived at the Playboy Mansion and, in 2010, People reported that his son, Scott, spent much of his unconventional childhood inside the walls of the Playboy Mansion. James Caan told People, Id have Scott bring me girls. He says, I am, not Im, so its, I am the last guy on Earth you want to f---- with. At one point Michael said, Why are you talking so deliberately and slowly? and I said, Because I never have to repeat myself. , Frank is a master thief who uses an arsenal of heavy and complicated tools such as a 200-pound magnetic drill, and Caan said he had to make it all look real while technical advisers, including some former notorious thieves, looked on. She was the only person I was afraid of. Then he had a motorcycle accident and his house was nearly destroyed by a landslide. James Caan died last Wednesday from an undisclosed cause (Image: Getty Images) In February 2020, he was pictured being wheelchaired around by his son Jacob. For decades after, he once said, strangers would approach him on the street and jokingly warn him to stay clear of toll roads. 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. Both of his parents were Jewish immigrants from Germany. The film stars James Caan, Marsha Mason and Eli Wallach, and was produced and directed by Mark Rydell. Enter your email below to sign in or become a 4W member and join the conversation. After undergoing serious back surgery in 2020, he was hospitalized for months and has only recently begun to walk again.
James Caan is rushed to the hospital with chest pains This month marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Michael Manns directorial debut, a gritty, Mamet-esque crime drama that perfectly captured the Chicago of the early 1980s and struck the ideal balance between elaborately choreographed safe-cracking sequences, moments of stunningly realistic violence and extended scenes dependent on great actors delivering pages of authentic yet stylized dialogue. GODFATHER star James Caan had long battles with drug addiction and depression before his death at the age of 82 and even lived in the Playboy Mansion for a time. Great job.". There were several flops, undeservedly in the case of Michael Manns Thief (1981), released as Violent Streets in the UK, and deservedly with the whimsical Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) Caans attempts at comedy were slow to be appreciated. So, what happened? Always wanted to be like him. (Michael Kovac), The tweet was completed withCaan's famous Twitter phrase, "End of tweet.". In the film, based on Stephen Kings novel, Caan is an author taken captive by an obsessed fan who breaks his ankles to keep him from leaving. His manager, Matt Del Piano, confirmed Caan's death to Fox News Digital. I mean, I couldn't stand it. His dad was a butcher and his mother was a homemaker. James Caan, the curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone of "The Godfather" and to television . James was best known for playing Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather," which won him both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. Just a few months later, Caan faced a lawsuit from ex-girlfriend Leesa Anne Rowland, alleging he attacked her in a Los Angeles hotel in May. But now I see what you were doing. Al Pacino called Caan, A great actor. In the early 60s, Caan made his off-Broadway debut in Schnitzlers La Ronde and started to appear on television, mostly as juvenile delinquents, in series including Naked City, Route 66, The Untouchables and Dr Kildare. Many well-known actors have trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse over the years, including Caan's "Godfather" co-star Robert Duvall and "Elf" co-star Mary Steenburgen.