‘My heart is deeply saddened by your passing:’ Pierce Brosnan pays tribute to ‘inspirational’ James Caan after his death at age 82 – as former 007 shares photos of vulnerable star on set
Pierce Brosnan has described James Caan as an inspiration after working with the actor shortly before his death was announced Thursday.
Hollywood veteran Caan passed away peacefully on his… The Angels home on Wednesday evening at age 82, just weeks after completing work on the forthcoming mobster thriller Fast Charlie.
The legendary star had worked with former Bond actor Brosnan, 69, on location in Louisiana for more than a month, despite being confined to a wheelchair and in poor health.
Close: Pierce Brosnan has described James Caan as an inspiration after working with the actor shortly before his death was announced on Thursday
On Instagram on Friday, a devastated Brosnan offered a touching eulogy to his co-star alongside several photos of the friends as they relaxed between scenes.
He wrote: ‘On the set of the movie “Fast Charlie” with the great man James Cann, goodbye Jimmy. We laughed a lot together during those five days in New Orleans…
“You were an inspiration to me as a young actor starting out, and an even greater inspiration as a man who watched you work every day against great physical pain and discomfort.
“You gave yourself to the art of acting and performing to the very end. My heart is deeply saddened by your passing today.’
He added: ‘I will always cherish the memory of you. My deepest sympathy to your family. May you rest in peace, forever in the light.’
Co-stars: The legendary star had worked with former Bond actor Brosnan on location in Louisiana for over a month, despite being in a wheelchair
Tribute: On Instagram on Friday, a devastated Brosnan offered a touching eulogy to his co-star alongside several photos of the friends as they relaxed between scenes
Caan, who also had roles in Misery, Thief, Rollerball and A Bridge Too Far, received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the eldest son of a mob family in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic The Godfather.
The actor’s death was confirmed on Thursday in a tweet shared by family members.
“It is with great sadness that we inform you of Jimmy’s passing on the evening of July 6,” it read.
Side by side: Despite his ill health, Caan was on set every day, copy of the Fast Charlie recording script in hand
Caan’s manager Matt DelPiano also confirmed the news to AFP, adding: “Jimmy was one of the best. Not only was he one of the best actors our company has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and loved.”
Caan started out as an actor in 1960s Hollywood, starring in films by acclaimed directors such as Billy Wilder (Irma La Douce), Howard Hawks (El Dorado), and Coppola (The Rain People).
He had a breakthrough television role in the 1970 American football drama Brian’s Song, in which he played the dying star Brian Piccolo.