Godfather and Elf star James Caan dies at 82
TRIBUTES have poured in for James Caan, star of The Godfather who has died aged 82.
The actor’s family announced his death yesterday in a statement which spoke of their ‘great sadness’ but expressed their appreciation for ‘the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences’ from fans.
Caan, who had been plagued by health problems in recent years, started his acting career in theatre in his native New York.
His first big movie break came in 1966 Western El Dorado, but it was his role as hot-headed mobster Sonny Corleone in 1972’s The Godfather which saw him become a household name.
He was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for the performance and went on to star in successful Seventies films including musical comedy Funny Lady and science fiction drama Rollerball. In the Eighties Caan, suffering from depression over his sister Barbara’s death from leukaemia, battled with drug addiction and what he called ‘Hollywood burnout’.
He credited director Rob Reiner for rescuing him by casting him as the bed-bound victim of Kathy Bates’s obsessive fan in 1990 Stephen King adaptation Misery. He later played the disgruntled father of Will Ferrell’s Elf in the hit 2003 Christmas film.
Paying tribute last night, Reiner said: ‘So sorry to hear the news. I loved working with him.’ His Funny Lady co-star Barbra Streisand said: ‘He was so talented.’ He was also hailed as ‘one of the greatest’ by his manager Matt DelPiano.
Caan had a heart attack scare in 2015 and was pictured in a wheelchair two years ago after back surgery. The actor, who was married four times, leaves behind five children.