Actor James Caan, , A Bridge Too Far, and Elf, has died at the age of 82.
The iconic actor’s death was confirmed in a statement on social media reading: ‘It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.
‘The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.’
Tributes from the likes of Misery director Rob Reiner, his Bulletproof co-star Adam Sandler, and actor Antonio Banderas.
Acting legend Caan had an incredible career, but is particularly well known for playing Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, a role which has gone down in film history. It earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor and he later reprised the role for The Godfather Part II with a cameo appearance at the end.
In the 1972 cinema classic, which celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year, Caan appeared alongside Marlon Brando (Don Vito Corleone), Al Pacino (Michael), and Diane Keaton (Kay Adams).
Caan enjoyed a decades-long career, starting out in the 1960s with theatre and then films like El Dorado in 1966, Countdown in 1967, and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rain People in 1969.
After The Godfather, Caan didn’t slow down, with roles throughout the 1970s and 80s, in films like Brian’s Song, The Gambler, and A Bridge Too Far.
He continued to make sporadic, but beloved, appearances in the 90s and into the new millennium, in films like Misery, Bottle Rocket, The Yards and, of course, Elf.
Caan continued to act until his death, and was due to film his fifth collaboration with Coppola, titled Megalopolis, this autumn.
One of his last public appearances came with the 50th anniversary of the release of The Godfather in February. He celebrated the momentous occasion at a talk in Los Angeles with Coppola, and opened up about why the film has endured for half a century.
‘There’s something that doesn’t get dated and that’s the truth,’ he
‘The Godfather has a lot of truth to it, a lot of sincerity to it and a lot of art. The cast was great and we all had a lot of fun making it. Having fun and liking the people you’re working with is a very important ingredient, which I found out after 130 movies or whatever.’
Caan was married four times – first to Dee Jay Mathis from 1961 to 1966, with the pair welcoming their daughter Tara. He went on to have a brief marriage to Sheila Marie Ryan, from 1976 to 1977, and the pair welcomed a son, Scott, who has followed in his father’s footsteps to become an actor.
The actor was married to Ingrid Hajek from 1990 to 1994 and they had a son, Alexander. Caan married his fourth wife, Linda Stokes, in 1995, with the pair sharing two sons, James and Jacob. Caan filed for divorce in 2017.
Following the actor’s death, many have shared tributes.
Rob Reiner, who directed Caan in Misery tweeted: ‘I loved working with him. And the only Jew I knew who could calf rope with the best of them.’
Director James Gunn said: ‘Rest In Peace James Caan. There are so many movies of his I love, The Godfather films of course being at the very top, but here are a few more I adore (Thief in particular was a Gunn family classic – I had the poster on my wall in high school).’
Comedian and former SNL star Jon Lovitz added: ‘Well, this just sucks about James Caan. I was lucky enough to work with him & be friends. Always a fun guy to be around. He was always supportive of my career. He even did a cameo in my tv special and got Robert Duvall to be in it. A highlight of my career. God bless James Caan.’
Actor Michael McKean added: ‘RIP James Caan.’
