L.A., July 7, 2018 (Reuters) – The family of James Caan, who played gangster Sonny Corleone in the acclaimed mafia film “The Godfather,” announced his passing on Thursday. He was 82 years old. According to the statement on Caan’s official Twitter account, the actor passed away Wednesday night. There was no mention of the death’s cause or place.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of love and deep condolences and begs that you continue to respect their privacy during this terrible time,” the statement stated. In 1972’s “The Godfather,” Caan’s portrayal of the irritable Corleone earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. In 1974’s “The Godfather: Part II,” he played the character once more in flashback sequences. Four Golden Globe nominations and one for an Emmy were also made.
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Al Pacino, who portrayed Michael Corleone in “The Godfather,” said of Caan that he was “a terrific actor, a brilliant director, and my dear friend.” Because he was so vibrant and bold, Pacino stated in a statement, “It’s hard to think that he won’t be in the world longer.” Caan’s films, “and the many brilliant characters he portrayed,” according to Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Caan in “The Godfather” and the 1969 picture “The Rain People,” “will never be forgotten.”
In addition to playing a variety of other roles in films like the comedy “Elf” and the psychological thriller “Misery,” Caan’s career spanned six decades. He co-starred with Ellen Burstyn in the love story “Queen Bees” the previous year.
On March 26, 1940, German Jewish immigrants gave birth to James Edmund Caan in the Bronx neighbourhood of New York City. Caan, one of three siblings, debuted in television in 1961. He received a great deal of praise for his performance in the 1971 television film “Brian’s Song,” in which he played the real-life Chicago Bears football star Brian Piccolo, who passed away at the age of 26 from cancer. Caan was nominated for an Emmy for the part.
In recent years, Billy Dee Williams, who co-starred with Caan in “Brian’s Song,” posted an undated photo of the two on his Twitter page. “Up till the end, teammates and friends. RIP, Jimmy “Williams tweeted with a heart-broken emoticon.