James Caan died at the age of 82

James Caan, the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actor who has appeared in some of the best films of the past four decades, has died. He was 82 years old.

Caan was born in 1939 in the Bronx neighborhood of New York, the son of Arthur, a meat trader, and Sophia, a dancer. Growing up, Caan was a star from an early age, if not always, he was a prominent actor and class president at his high school.

Heading to Michigan State University with plans to play on their football team as a path to a career in the NFL, he realized he was too young to be on the team and moved to Hofstra University, where he actually switched careers to study. acting but dropped out.

From there he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse Theater School with legendary acting coach Sanford Meisner in New York and began his career on the stage. After various roles on Broadway, he moved to Los Angeles to try his hand at television, getting gigs in shows such as naked city, Route 66, the Untouchables, Wagon train Yes to be smart. His biggest television break came in the 1971 film. Brian’s song. However, even as her film career flourished, she still found time to work on the small screen, even acting Las Vegas For four years.

His film debut takes place in 1963. Irma the sweet, although it is a minor and uncredited part. His first real role dates back to 1964. lady in cage. Francis Ford Coppola helped boost his career in the ’69s rain peoplewhich later led him to choose what will perhaps be remembered as his best role: Sonny Corleone in The Godfatherfor which Caan was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Other films included Thief, funny lady, chapter two, Roller, kiss me goodbye, alien nation, Misery, for the guys, honeymoon in Las Vegas, the path of the gun, Elf, construction sites and, more recently, Queen bee. She had planned to appear in Coppola’s ambitious epic. Megalopolis.

Although Caan had an ambition to direct, he struggled so much with his debut behind the camera hide in plain sight he never noticed.

His personal life has also been troubled, with family tragedies (his sister Barbara died of leukemia), financial problems, clashes with the law and problems with anger, drug use and depression.

Caan’s family confirmed his death via Twitter.

He is survived by his children Tara, Scott (who also became an actor), Alexander, James Arthur and Jacob Nicholas.

“I was king of my block,” Caan told Christina Newland a few months ago for ours Godfather problem, “because I was smart enough to understand that if you were the boss, you didn’t have to do much. So I made him think you were the boss.”