James Caan, Iconic ‘Godfather’ & ‘Misery’ Actor, Dies At 82

James Caan, a prolific actor on stage and screen who has been working since the 60s, has died at the age of 82 according to a post on his official Twitter account. The cause of death has not been confirmed.

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Caan was best known for his breakout role as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, but built up a portfolio of other excellent starring turns in films such as the Stephen King adaptation Misery, Thief and For The Boys.

James Caan Cause Of Death

James Edmund Caan was born in The Bronx, New York to Jewish immigrants Sophie (née Frankenstein) and Arthur Caan, a butcher. He was raised primarily in Sunnyside, Queens, and attended both Michigan State and Hofstra University, but never received a degree.

Caan met Francis Ford Coppola while they were both students at Hofstra, and Coppola later cast the actor in one of his first major film roles in 1969’s The Rain People. Caan gained a love of acting by studying at the New York City Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater for five years, where one of his instructors was the notable acting coach Sanford Meisner.

Caan then began making a name for himself on Broadway, before moving onto television and film roles. Even before his part in The Godfather catapulted him to international recognition, Caan collaborated with several iconic directors who spoke very well of him in the 60s, including Howard Hawks and Robert Altman.

He received a single Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather. The actor also secured several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, and won a Saturn Award for Best Actor in 1975 for the film Rollerball. Caan had a reputation as an excellent “tough guy” actor who still delivered nuanced performances.

After many high-profile films in the 70s the actor’s career saw a slowdown in the next decade. He later reflected on the time saying he went through a period of intense drug addiction, and was also deeply affected by the death of his sister. He also joked that he would have stayed in hiding if he didn’t end up “flat-ass broke,” before his 1987 comeback.

Caan continued acting consistently through the 21st century, not receiving as wide recognition as he did in his early years but always being known and liked as a solid addition to any movie. He even became known to younger audiences in 2003 when he played uptight book publisher Walter Hobbs, estranged father of Will Ferrel’s character in Elf.

James Caan is survived by his children: Tara A. Caan, Scott Caan, Alexander James Caan, James Arthur Caan, and Jacob Nicholas Caan,