James Caan, star of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Misery,’ dies at 82

Caan, known as Jimmy and a native of the Bronx, also starred in the films ‘Elf’, ‘Misery’ and ‘Funny Lady’, as well as ‘Rollerball’, ‘Bottle Rocket’ and the TV show ‘Las Vegas’.

James Caan as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, in an iconic scene with Gianni Russo. Picture: Supplied

James Caan, the actor who played Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather”, has died. He was 82 years old.

“The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time,” said a post from his verified Twitter account. He died Wednesday evening, according to the tweet.

Arnold Robinson, Caan’s publicist, said the actor died in Los Angeles. The representative didn’t disclose the cause of death and said no further details would be released at this time.

Caan’s acting career lasted for more than six decades, starting in the early 1960s.

“Jimmy was one of the greatest,” Matt DelPiano, Caan’s manager, said in a statement. “Not only was he one of the best actors our business has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and beloved. Our relationship was always friendship before business. I will miss him dearly and am proud to have worked with him all these years.”

Caan, known as Jimmy and a native of the Bronx, also starred in the films “Elf,” “Misery” and “Funny Lady”. He acted in “Brian’s Song,” “Rollerball,” “Thief,” “Bottle Rocket” and the TV show “Las Vegas”. In 1973, Mr. Caan was nominated for an Oscar for best actor in a supporting role and a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in a motion picture for his performance in “The Godfather”.

James Caan speaks onstage during the 20th Annual American Cinematheque Award honouring Al Pacino at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 21, 2005. Picture: Getty Images

He was nominated for a best actor Golden Globe in 1976 for his performance in “Funny Lady”. Billy Dee Williams, who starred in “Brian’s Song” with Caan, mourned Caan’s death on Twitter on Thursday. In the movie, which is based on a true story, Williams plays Chicago Bears player Gale Sayers and Caan plays his teammate Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer at age 26.

“Team Mates and friends till the end,” Williams tweeted from his account. Rob Reiner, the director of “Misery,” tweeted that he loved working with Caan.

Fellow Hollywood director James Gunn shared on Twitter pictures of James Caan movies that he loves. “Rest In Peace James Caan. There are so many movies of his I love, The Godfather films of course being at the very top,” he said on Twitter.

While Caan was largely known for his acting career, earlier in his life he played football for Michigan State University. He also spent some time in the rodeo and held a black belt in karate, according to IMDb.

Caan’s first time on screen was in the 1963 movie “Irma la Douce.” He played a sailor, IMDb said.

Caan had five children and was married and divorced four times, according to the Associated Press. One of his sons, Scott Caan, is also an actor.

Dow Jones