His role as Santino "Sonny" Corleone in the film The Godfather (1972) is still remembered today.
American actor James Caan died at the age of 82, announced Thursday, July 7, his family and his manager.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you of Jimmy's passing on the evening of July 6th," his family said in a tweet posted on Caan's account.
His manager, Matt DelPiano, confirmed the news to AFP.
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.
The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
End of tweet
— James Caan (@James_Caan) July 7, 2022
Born in New York, in the Bronx district, in 1940, James Caan had played in 1972 Sonny Corleone, the eldest son of Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) in the legendary film by Francis Ford Coppola, "The Godfather", on the mafia Italian-American.
He had been nominated for an Oscar for this role of Sonny Corleone, whose brutal assassination, under a hail of bullets at a toll booth, became one of the most significant moments of the film, which this year celebrated its 50 year.
For one of his other big roles, in "Misery" in 1990, adapted from Stephen King's book, he played a writer kidnapped by an evil woman played by Kathy Bates.
"Jimmy was one of the greatest. Not only was he one of the best actors our industry has ever seen, but he was funny, loyal, caring and loved," his manager Matt DelPiano said.
Caan had also had roles in the films "Le Solitaire" and "Rollerball".
With AFP
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