Legendary actor James Caan has died at age 82was confirmed in a statement.
The career of the American star spanned decades, with movie and theater fans devastated after news of his death broke†
“It is with great sadness that we inform you of Jimmy’s passing on the evening of July 6,” the statement began.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of love and sincere condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
Caan’s resume features a range of iconic roles, dating back to the 1960s and continuing through 2021. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about some of his most famous performances…
El Dorado – 1967
Caan took on the role of Alan Bourdillon Traherne – also known as Mississippi – in the 1967 Western, El Dorado.
The film tells the story of Cole Thornton, a gunfighter who comes to the rescue of an old friend, a drunken sheriff, who struggles to defend a farmer and his family from another farmer who tries to steal their water.
He starred alongside Charlene Holt, Paul Fix, Arthur Hunnicutt, Michele Carey, RG Armstrong and Ed Asne in what was one of his first film roles.
The Godfather – 1972
The Godfather is arguably Caan’s most iconic film role.
He played the volatile Santino “Sonny” Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s epic portrait of organized crime, a role he briefly reprized two years later for a flashback scene in The Godfather: Part II.
Caan received his first and only Oscar nomination for the Francis Ford Coppola-directed film and he was known as a prankster on set.
The actor also participated in EA’s The Godfather: The Game.
Celebrating The Godfather’s 50th anniversary earlier this year, Caan said he was “glad” that movie fans can “have something to remind them of.”
He said “it feels great” to be part of a film that so many people love and still talk about to this day, adding that he is “very proud of it.”
Speak with Collider, he said: ‘I am very proud of it, and I am very proud of Francis. The cast was amazing. And that just added to my one big thing about making a good movie. When you bring people together who like each other and genuinely love each other and have fun, the movie is always good and better.”
The Gambler – 1974
The Gambler was an 1866 loosely based book by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which tells the story of a literature professor with a gambling addiction.
Caan would clash with director Karel Reisz during filming, but he still called it one of his favorite movies.
The drama was remade in 2014, this time starring Mark Wahlberg.
Thief – 1981
Caan played lead actor Frank in the 1981 film Thief, a film about a veteran hermit who wants to pull off one last major heist before going straight and settling down with his girlfriend.
The film also starred Weld, Jim Belushi, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson and Dennis Farina on Tuesday.
Caan has said that, alongside The Godfather, Thief was the project he was most proud of.
Misery – 1990
In 1990, Caan starred in Misery, a film about a bestselling writer who has a car accident on his way home before being rescued by a fan – before finding out she’s holding him captive.
Caan played writer Paul Sheldon with Kathy Bates as “number one fan” Annie Wilkes in the horror/thriller based on Stephen King’s 1987 novel of the same name.
The film grossed an impressive $61 million domestically and has become one of Caan’s most famous performances.
Mickey Blue Eyes – 1999
Caan co-starred with none other than Hugh Grant in this 90s classic.
He played Frank Vitale, whose daughter (Jeanne Tripplehorn) gets engaged to a British auctioneer (Hugh), and let’s just say he wasn’t too happy about it.
He later spoke of working with Caan, the Love Actually actor and Bridget Jones’s Diary, saying he “got along very well” with Caan.
“My theory is that he kind of fell in love with me,” he said sweetly.
Eleven – 2003
Eleven is at the top of many people’s favorite Christmas movies and now it gets even more special to watch every year.
A far cry from his real-life character, Caan played Walter Hobbs, the father of Buddy (Will Ferrell) and only cared about himself and making money.
The film follows the human Buddy after he is raised by elves in the North Pole and later in life discovers that he is not an elf himself.
When he ventures to New York in search of his biological father, chaos ensues and is a joy to watch.
The Good Neighbor – 2016
Thriller/drama the Good Neighbor was one of Caan’s more recent films, collaborating with Logan Miller, Keir Gilchrist, Lili Reinhart and Laura Innes.
The film follows a pair of mischievous high school students who create the illusion of a ghost near their unsuspecting neighbor – played by Caan.
But as they observe his every move, they see much more than they expected, and discover that the man they torment is not the easy target they thought he would be.
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