Actor James Caan has died at the age of 82, his verified Twitter account said Thursday.
Caan, known for his performances in The Godfather and Elf, had been acting for nearly 60 years all the way to his death. Other films include Brian’s Song, Misery, Rollerball, Hide in Plain Sight, and El Dorado.
“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,” the tweet from the Hollywood great’s account said.
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.
End of tweet
— James Caan (@James_Caan) July 7, 2022
Caan was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1940 to Jewish-German immigrants, according to Entertainment Tonight. He attended Michigan State University with a focus on football and then Hofstra University, where he dropped out to get into acting on Broadway and later Hollywood.
He was nominated for an Emmy for his role in the 1971 TV film Brian’s Song and nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for his role as Sonny Corleone in the 1972 film The Godfather.
Prior to his death, Caan was set to reunite with The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola by starring in Megalopolis, scheduled to begin filming in September, according to World of Reel.
Among those to pay tribute to was actor Adam Sandler, who appeared in the 1996 movie Bulletproof and the 2012 film That’s My Boy with Caan.
“James Caan. Loved him very much. Always wanted to be like him. So happy I got to know him. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. His movies were best of the best. We all will miss him terribly. Thinking of his family and sending my love,” Sandler said in a tweet.
James Caan. Loved him very much. Always wanted to be like him. So happy I got to know him. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. His movies were best of the best. We all will miss him terribly. Thinking of his family and sending my love. pic.twitter.com/a0q8rCP1Yl
— Adam Sandler (@AdamSandler) July 7, 2022
Maria Shriver tweeted, “So sad about Jimmy Caan. He was a legend. He was always kind to me. Sending his family my love.”
Caan was married several times over the years and was divorced four times. He leaves behind five children, including actor Scott Caan, and four grandchildren.
