James Caan: Godfather star dies.

Actor James Caan, who made film history as Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather” (1972), died Wednesday night (6/7) in Los Angeles, of an unknown cause, at the age of 82.

Caan is always remembered for his explosive portrayal of Dom Corleone’s (Marlon Brando) eldest son in Francis Ford Coppola’s classic. Mesmerizing on-screen presence, the role of the heir to the Corleone family’s criminal empire earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Initially, Paramount had cast another actor for the role, but Coppola, who was an old friend and had previously directed Caan in “Wildly Roads” (1969), insisted that only he could do the character justice. Born in New York, Caan even had the character accent and fit the production like a glove.

James Edmund Caan was born on March 26, 1940. The son of Jewish immigrants from Germany, he grew up in Sunnyside, Queens, and attended Long Island College in the same class as Coppola.

His acting career began in off-Broadway stage plays and TV series appearances in the early 1960s. His first film roles took place in episodes of “Cidade Nua” and “Rota 66” in 1961. her film debut was an appearance in Billy Wilder’s play “Irma La Douce” (1963).

It began to stand out from the western “So Die the Brave” (1965), written by Sam Peckinpah. For his role as a US trooper, he received a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer.

The accolade earned him a casting in the classic “El Dorado” (1967), the penultimate film by Howard Hawks, opposite John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, and paved the way for his early starring work – in the thriller “The Third Shot. “and in science fiction” In the Amazing World of the Moon “, both also released in 1967.

A year before starring in “The Godfather,” Caan was still nominated for an Emmy for Best Actor for his performance in “Glory and Defeat,” a show in which he played football player Brian Piccolo, who was diagnosed with a terminal cancer shortly after turning pro. Many critics consider the ABC production to be one of the best series ever made.

With the huge difference in tone between “Glory and Defeat” and “The Godfather”, Caan displayed the versatility that would accompany him throughout his career, allowing him to alternate sensitive dramas, edgy thrillers and insane comedies.

There were over 100 roles and many highlights. Only in the 1970s, the list includes the drama “The Gambler” (1974), by James Toback, the science fiction “Rollerball: Gladiators of the Future” (1975), the thriller “Elite of Assassins” (1975), by Sam Peckinpah, the comedy “The Last Madness of Mel Brooks” (1976), by Mel Brooks, and the war epic “A Bridge Too Far” (1977), by Richard Attenborough.

But it could have made the movies even more popular. At the peak of his career, he received so many offers that he could not fit in with some classics, such as “French Connection” (1971), “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) and “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979)) , three productions that have won the Academy Award for Best Actor for their performers. Also, he lost the role of Han Solo in “Star Wars” – it was George Lucas’ original option.

Coppola also tried to persuade him to play Captain Willard in “Apocalypse Now” (1979), but the two only worked together again in “Stone Gardens” (1987).

Determined not to play the same role over and over again, Caan preferred challenges that defied expectations, such as playing singer and dancer Billy Rose alongside Barbra Streisand in “Funny Lady” (1975) or a duet with Bette Midler in “For Them, with Much Amore “(1991).

Even in the face of mafia plots, as in Michael Mann’s “Profession: Thief” (1981), he tried to surround these productions with unexpected choices, such as two plays by French director Claude Lelouch – “Another Man, Another Woman” (1977 ) and “Portraits of Life” (1981).

But Caan got tired of acting and decided to direct a film in 1980: “Hide in Plain Sight”, based on the true story of a man who discovers that his children and ex-wife are missing when his boyfriend is put on the program. of protection. .witnesses.

The film was unsuccessful and, along with the loss of his sister to leukemia and the sorrow for the jobs he was offered, the star decided to leave Hollywood, being absent from the screens from 1983 to 1986. During this time, he devoted himself to training of children in American football and basketball teams. Until his old friend Coppola convinced him to return to acting, playing a US Army sergeant in the traumatic war drama Gardens of Stone.

Upon his return, Caan decided to accept higher checks to pursue more commercial genres, and thus also made his mark in the science fiction “Mission Alien” (1988), which gave rise to a franchise, in the comic book adaptation “Dick Tracy” ( 1991) and in the horror “Holy Obsession” (1991), which won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her co-star, Kathy Bates.

On the other hand, he also helped launch the career of some first-time directors – or in the second film -, such as Wes Anderson, with whom he worked on his first independent feature, “Pure Adrenaline” (1996), in addition to James Gray in “The Way of No Return” (2000), Christopher McQuarrie in “In Cold Blood” (2000) and Jon Favreau in “A Fairy in New York” (2003), even before Hollywood adequately recognized their talents.

He also made two comedies with Adam Sandler, “Bulletproof” (1996) and “This Is My Boy” (2012), and, tired of his mafia reputation, mocked the clichés of “Mickey Blue Eyes” (1999). .

As movies started to get repetitive, Caan decided to go on TV, spending four seasons as a casino owner in “Las Vegas” (2003-2007), another as a Miami mob boss in “Magic City” (2013) and more. as a former baseball star on “Back in the Game” (2013-2014). In addition, he became a voice actor in the animation “Tá Chovendo Hamburger” (2009) and its sequel in 2013.

Like his filmography, Caan’s personal life was also a roller coaster ride. He has been married four times and has five children. Most famous of him is Scott Caan, who followed in his father’s footsteps, starring in the “Men’s 11” franchise and the “Hawaii-Five-0” reboot – which featured old Caan in a 2012 episode.

The fourth marriage ended after three divorce applications and the actor’s complaint that his wife was spending all his money forcing him to star in really bad movies, like “Sicilian Vampire” (2016), simply to pay the bills. And, indeed, his latest films were far from the quality of the works that earned him recognition.

His latest film, “Gun Monkeys”, was finished this year and represents a return to mafia roles. Directed by Phillip Noyce, it will be released in 2023.

Source: Terra

Emily

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