She was the only person I was afraid of. Then he had a motorcycle accident and his house was nearly destroyed by a landslide. These allegations were also largely swept under the rug, both by media and law enforcement. He also showed a tender side as a naive sailor who falls for a prostitute in Cinderella Liberty (1973) and in Karel Reiszs The Gambler (1974), in which Caan, intense and sympathetic, gives one of his finest performances as a university professor addicted to gambling. 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. (Michael Kovac), The tweet was completed withCaan's famous Twitter phrase, "End of tweet.". James Caan died at 82 years old, . But I think if you know this guy well enough, if he was that pig-headed about doing what he had to fulfill, and he loved her, I dont think theres any question where hes going. Always wanted to be like him. 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. Life on a third straight one-year contract with the mega-talented Astros isnt bad at all. Perhaps, though, he was saying no a bit too often when he turned down the lead roles in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Kramer vs. Kramer," "Superman," and "Apocalypse Now" for one reason or another. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. When Ronnie Lorenzo, an LA mobster, was arrested for drug trafficking, kidnap and extortion, Caan offered his home as collateral toward the $2m bail and appeared as a character witness for his best friend. He also made a brief appearance in a flashback sequence in The Godfather, Part II.. The 45-year-old told the news outlet: "To say our relationship wasn't dysfunctional would be a lie." At the times, his dad James, said: "He saw me when I was a little rough around the . Caan survived all this to rebuild his career. Feminist Writing. Sign up now to get updates and support our team of feminist writers. His mother's name was Sophie and his father was Arthur. ", Caan died from a heart attack in early July. 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. Following a brief stage career, he moved to Hollywood. In the interview, Caan joked that he only agreed to the one-on-one because Hefner threatened to revoke his mansion privileges, and when asked what drugs he enjoys, he replied, "I take an aspirin now and then, when I've got someone like you to talk to. When we erase the word woman, we erase womens material reality. All Rights Reserved. Jon Favreau's 2003 family comedy hit "Elf" has something for everyone, a warmhearted holiday story wrapped in a hip, retro vibe and starring a murderer's row of indie and alt comedy stars, including Zooey Deschanel, Kyle Gass, Andy Richter, a pre-"Game of Thrones" Peter Dinklage, and Amy Sedaris. Harry and Meghan news - latest: Duke of Sussex says marijuana 'really Playing Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather" earned James Caan a Golden Globe nomination and his sole Academy Award nod; he might have won if the Academy had not pitted him against co-stars Robert Duvall and Al Pacino in the Best Supporting Actor category. After leaving Las Vegas, James went on to feature in hit movies like New York, I Love You, Blood Ties, and The Good Neighbor. Market data provided by Factset. The news of his death was reported around the world the next day. I looked guilty.. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Poles needs to make sure Eberflus maintains significant input. 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. Caan died from a heart attack in early July. We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. In Carol Morleys Out of Blue (2018), an adaptation of Martin Amiss 1997 novel Night Train, he was the intimidating father of a murdered astrophysicist daughter, and his movie work continued up to the time of his death. Caan receive good reviews for the role he called the most physically demanding of his career as he had to stay in bed most of the time. 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. "I've had a wonderful four years, worked with great people and made friends for life working on Las Vegas, but I'm eager to return to where my heart is, which is film, and due to the show's schedule, I missed some great opportunities to do that," James explained in a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter. James Caan, the Hollywood icon who portrayed Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and starred in films like Brian's Song, Thief, and Misery, has died at the age of 82. Many reporters have ignored or downplayed his behavior toward women and used euphemisms, particularly in reference to prostituted women, sometimes calling them girls. The Washington Post, for example, referred to Caans decadent lifestyle as an habitue of the Playboy Mansion., Celebrity memorials of Caan on Twitter and in the media would leave most readers completely unaware of the actors darker side. The football star played for Michigan State University before transferring to Hofstra University where he discovered his talent as an actor and was accepted into the New York City's Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre (via Walk of Fame). In search ofsomething good to read? I am doing fine. Published July 7, 2022 10:51 a.m. PDT. Like our work? Frank is a hard-talking tough guy, pressed into one last job by a dangerous mobster (Robert Prosky), but Mann and Caan give him vast reserves of pain and trauma just under the surface. Actor Scott Caan, the son of the late actor James Caan, has filed a petition to manage his father's estate in new court documents obtained by The Blast. 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. "I got a prescription to live at the Playboy Mansion," he joked to Esquire magazine in 2003. As per Cigar Aficionado, the early morning before his classes he would pull a shift at a meatpacking plant. The completed film, titled "Minkow" at the time, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival that same year but ended up on the shelf until nearly a decade later, when it was released quietly under the name "Con Man." The news of his death was reported around the . reality series "The Girls Next Door," attending the mansion's annual Halloween party. That work ethic, whether due to artistic passion or financial need, resulted in a very busy 21st century for the actor. When Caan was going through a difficult divorce from wife Sheila Ryan in 1976, Hefner offered him a place to stay until he got back on his feet. James Caan says that he walked out of an initial " The Godfather " screening after realizing director Francis Ford Coppola cut a key scene involving Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen. His passion for acting never ceased, even at the age of 80. My thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this difficult time. Given that James fell for so many women, some fans may wonder how many kids the actor fathered. Unfortunately, he passed [] James Caan, who has died aged 82, sought satisfaction in extreme sports, drugs and a colourful personal life. Detectives were questioning a person who was inside the home at the time. The creators obliged, and Ed Deline's character was born. James Caan obituary | Movies | The Guardian He didn't feature in any movies in 1994, and he went on another break between 1996 and 1998. Per the New York Post, their relationship was so strong that when Russo was arrested in 2011, the "Rollerball" actor submitted a letter to the court vouching for him. When [Mann] came to me with the script [for Thief], I bought three tomatoes, I didnt know what the hell he was selling, cracked Caan. No cause was given and Caans family, who requests privacy, said that no further details would be released at this time. Lee called the police and Caan was arrested on a misdemeanor charge, then released later that night. It is doubtful a female celebrity with a comparable past would be portrayed as favorably in the media or receive the near universal praise Caan has basked in posthumously this week. Caans mistreatment of women, including those whom he is acccused of beating and sexually abusing, only fueled his image in the media. This cool and calculating facet of Caans was exploited by Howard Hawks in two movies, as a daredevil racing driver in Red Line 7000 (1965) and as the laid-back Mississippi, John Waynes gunslinging sidekick in El Dorado (1967). The next year Caan told Rolling Stone: It is impossible to tell you the whole story without getting into a whole lot of smut, without degrading my ex-wife If I were to say to you that someone threw a phone at me I put up my hands an accidental slap a backhand. In this interview his sister Barbara is quoted as saying, Yes, he shoved her. Thats when I want to choke somebody.. The spotlight on Caans minor brushes with the law (the Associated Press) has been dim. (Already did this? James was best known for playing Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather," which won him both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. Those ones I would watch more than once. 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. According to Yahoo! Soon after The Godfather, Caan was wallowing in violence again as the embittered hero of Rollerball (1975). Finding a new gravitas, Caan was utterly convincing as a stiff-necked but compassionate army sergeant who feels that there is nothing to win, and no way of winning it in Vietnam. For Women. There is no doubt about that. "The Godfather" would sit at the top of nearly any actor's resume, and rightly so, but James Caan had other, less heralded favorites. Caan really did live at Hef's house for a short time, and even after moving out remained a frequent guest of the mansion for decades. It's an importantjob, but can she resist the tug pulling her away? Caan bonded with Brando, Robert Duvall and other cast members and made it a point to get everyone laughing during an otherwise tense production, sometimes dropping his pants and mooning a fellow actor or crew member. As at home as Caan felt at the Playboy Mansion, he seems to have felt just as welcome in the magazine's pages. Hollywood great James Caan, who had recently undergone back surgery, appeared frail as his son Jacob pushed him around in a wheelchair back in 2020. According to the death certificate obtained by TMZ, Caan died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease. Its hard to believe that he wont be in the world anymore because he was so alive and daring. How rare. It was not a box office smash, grossing $31 million in todays dollars, but has become revered as a classic of the genre and a major influence on films from Manns own Heat (1995) to Nicolas Winding Refns 2011 classic Drive., Click here for behind-the-scene gems from the making of Thief and Caans great story about the aftermath of Brians Song.. "You know, we boxed in a ringsometimes it wasn't in a ring. He was born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Queens, where his father was a kosher butcher. Our relationship was always friendship before business. It was among the most popular and wrenching TV movies in history and Caan and co-star Billy Dee Williams, who played Piccolos teammate and best friend Gale Sayers, were nominated for best actor Emmys. James Caan counted a lot of Hollywood celebrities as close friends, including Don Rickles and Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. The actor is currently single, his starsign is Aries and he is now 82 years of age. His first and last directorial effort, Hide in Plain Sight (1980), in which he starred as a man in search of his ex-wife and children, was generally given a chilly critical reception. A great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend. Based on the supposed true account of a former safecracker, Caan plays Frank, a stoic, principled thief (cash and diamonds only) who dreams of a straight life and a family with his girlfriend (Tuesday Weld). Then in the B form, he has this woman he loves and a baby now, so he cant afford to be that guy anymore. "Caan took pride in his work, telling Bright Lights Film Journal that he especially loved being looked up to by the next generation of actors. James Caan Biography - life, family, children, name, story, wife Caan threw a billy club at Russos head, bit his hands, and lifted him off the sidewalk with a kick actions Russo claims were not part of the choreography. Caan had been a favorite of Francis Ford Coppola since the 1960s, when Coppola cast him for the lead in Rain People. He was primed for a featured role in The Godfather as Sonny, the No. "I had these little skinny legs[with] this big square top," Caan told Cigar Aficionado in a 2006 interview. I just gave them all the cocaine they wanted. (Fleiss was convicted of Federal Tax Evasion in 1996 and served seven years in prison.). James stayed on the show for four years, only leaving before the shooting of Season 5. But by the early 1980s he began to sour on films, though Michael Manns 1981 neo-noir heist film Thief, in which he played a professional safecracker looking for a way out, is among his most admired films. James Caan, Film Icon Who Starred in 'The Godfather', Dead at 82 Why did he leave the show? 1 enforcer and eldest son of Mafia boss Vito Corleone. ", allegedly pulled a gun on a man during an argument. He married and divorced four times. Even when James Caan wasn't looking for trouble, trouble seemed to find him. James Caan death updates Fans also mourn mobster movie stars Ray The first episode of the crime drama aired on Sept. 22, 2003 and it was an immediate hit. "Birnam Wood," by Eleanor Catton(FSG, fiction):The Booker Prizewinning author of The Luminaries returns with a gripping thriller, pitting an activist gardening collective against an enigmatic billionaire who offers the group access to his land but to what end? James Caan appears at a Miami red-carpet event in 2015. As the actor described in a previous interview with Today, the creators were very open to his suggestions granting him plenty of opportunities to get involved in the creative process. James was a core cast member on the show since the very beginning. His manager, Matt Del Piano, confirmed Caan's death to Fox News Digital. In March 1994, Caan was visiting his brother in Los Angeles when he got into a heated argument with another man, reportedly over an act of vandalism. In an interview with Collider published less than three months before his death, he dismissed actors who don't like watching themselves. The film, which points to the links between the mafia and American capitalism, portrays men such as Don Corleone (Marlon Brando), the godfather of the title, as businessmen. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). 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." 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. His "two, three days" of work helped bring attention to the movie and its makers, launching Anderson and the Wilson brothers to stardom in just a few years. Jimmy and I are not friends at all, believe me. Short on cash, Caan was hired by Coppola for the leading role in the 1987 film Gardens of Stone. The movie, about life at Arlington National Cemetery, proved too grim for most audiences, but it renewed Caans acting career. James Caan: 'I was always cast as Mister Tough Guy - they wouldn't let to represent a bullet to the head. Then his friend Coppola gave him the lead in Gardens of Stone (1987). Caan was perfect as the volatile heir apparent to the Corleone family. And the violent, anti-woman propaganda appearing in its place. 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. After the death of his sister, Barbara in 1981 from leukemia, Caan fell into a deep depression that plagued him for most of his life. His manager Matt DelPiano said he died Wednesday. The late Associated Press writer Bob Thomas contributed biographical information to this report. Check out what clicked this week in entertainment. But now I see what you were doing. Claire Jimenez's 'What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez' is our must-read new I got into the whole lifestyle of girls and drugs and partying you really do get caught up in it, and its very destructive, the Times reports Caan told Entertainment Weekly. He was a famously tricky interview subject, by turns hostile to journalists and refreshingly forthright. Caan may have been a great actor and his roles may be long-remembered. According to Yahoo! On top of this, he walked off the set of The Holcroft Covenant (1985) and was replaced by Michael Caine. Even at the end, when father and son have reconciled in time to save Christmas, there's the sense that Walter still isn't a big fan of Buddy's whole thing. But even an artistic success like "Thief" can't nourish an actor forever, and at a certain point in the early 1980s, James Caan stepped away from the film business, seemingly for good. 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. In keeping with the tone of the picture, I thought the ending was kind of cool., By subscribing, you agree with Revues Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Caan's character spends the film searching for his wife and children, who have entered the witness protection program after Jack testifies against the Mafia. One of Caans fellow students was Robert Duvall, with whom he was to co-star in The Godfather, as well as in Robert Altmans moon-landing drama, Countdown (1967), Coppolas The Rain People (1969) and The Killer Elite. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. His dad was a butcher and his mother was a homemaker. The fun of it was taken away, he told an interviewer in 1981. James Caans comeback became entrenched with his role in Rob Reiners Misery (1990), in which he spends most of the movie bedridden and kept captive by his No 1 fan, played by Kathy Bates. James was best known for playing Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather," which won him both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. Per Rotten Tomatoes, the film also stars Caan who plays "a blue-collar worker in Buffalo whose estranged wife, Ruthie (Barbara Rae), has taken up with a local mobster, Jack Scolese (Robert Viharo)." 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 was best known for playing Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather," which won him both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. James Caan's son on 'dysfunctional' relationship with dad. The actor's family announced . 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. Born on March 26, 1940, in The Bronx, New York, Caan's path to acting began while attending college, according to Britannica. In a 2013 interview with the AV Club, Caan took credit for discovering Mann, recounting how the fledgling filmmaker waited to talk to him on the set of the Neil Simon adaptation "Chapter Two." As he said in Cigar Aficionado, "I love kids because they're not full of s***, you know?" Las Vegas Has Basically Shut Down Thanks to the Coronavirus, FaZe Banks and His Crew Caused $30,000 in Damages to a Las Vegas Hotel Room, Man's Text Messages With Friend Who Was In Las Vegas Massacre Emerge Online. Once again in demand, Caan starred in For the Boys with Bette Midler in 1991 as part of a song-and-dance team entertaining U.S. soldiers during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. He survived a car crash in 1985. 0. FILE - James Caan attends the 2016 Summer TCA "Hallmark Event" on July 27, 2016, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Caan, whose roles included "The Godfather," "Brian's Song" and "Misery," died Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at age 82. . James Caan looks back at 'Thief,' a Chicago classic released 40 years Copyright 2023 Distractify. He is survived by a daughter, Tara, from his first marriage, to Dee Jay Mathis; a son, Scott, from his second, to Sheila Ryan; a son, Alexander, from his third marriage, to Ingrid Hajek; and two sons, James and Jacob, from his fourth, to Linda Stokes. The elder Caan experienced addiction in the 1980s, which required him to take a step back from acting. Throughout his career, Caan faced a parade of allegations of other instances of assault. In 1995 he married actress/costume designer Linda Stokes who looks at least a decade younger than him and they divorced in 2016, after filing for divorce three times. 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. 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. Fourth Wave. It wasnt just women who were the targets of Caans violence and abuse. Caan played. Alexis Cosio-Read more. James Caan 's portrayal of Ed Deline, the head of security at the Montecito Resort and Casino, was the main reason many viewers switched on their TV every Monday to catch a new episode of Las Vegas . Whether or not Caan gets his wish, he will be remembered as a shining star of American cinema. At times Caan gave the impression he wished to be seen as an artist, not a tough guy. I dont deal with egos. The guys nuts.. Leaving 'Las Vegas': James Caan, Nikki Cox Fold, Molly Simms Antes Up HOLLYWOOD (AP) - The sister of actor James Caan and president-chief operating officer of the actor's film and television production company has died at the age of 38, a spokesman said. Selena Gomez Documentary Highlights Mental Health Struggles. Caan was also the first significant film star to admit to being friends with the Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, although he said the relationship was platonic. I dont usually get that cerebral with s--- I read, but there was something really strange about it that drew me to it., The Bronx-born Caan employs a hard but accurate Chicago accent in Thief, but Frank has a very particular way of expressing himself, as when he first declines an offer to work for Robert Proskys crime boss, Leo. While the film was well-received Caan recalled that "Francis Coppola said it was one of the best flight films he has ever seen" he never directed another. Caan was best known for his role as Sonny Corleone in " The Godfather " and "The Godfather II," but before the iconic film series .