UPDATED 2:23 p.m.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -American actor James Caan, who starred as gangster Sonny Corleone in epic mafia film “The Godfather,” has died at age 82, his family said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement, posted on Caan’s official Twitter account, said the actor died Wednesday evening. No cause of death or location were provided.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time,” the statement said.
Caan was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the hot-tempered Corleone in 1972’s “The Godfather.” He reprised the role in flashback scenes in “The Godfather: Part II” in 1974. Other nominations included four Golden Globes and an Emmy.
His career spanned six decades and included a broad range of other roles in movies from psychological thriller “Misery” to comedy “Elf.” Last year, he starred in romantic comedy “Queen Bees” opposite Ellen Burstyn.
James Edmund Caan was born in the Bronx borough of New York City on March 26, 1940 to German Jewish immigrants. One of three siblings, Caan began acting on television in 1961. He gained widespread acclaim for his role in the 1971 TV movie “Brian’s Song,” in which he played real-life Chicago Bears football player Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer at age 26. The role earned Caan an Emmy nomination.
Billy Dee Williams, who starred with Caan in “Brian’s Song”, shared an undated photo of the two together in recent years on his Twitter account.
“Team Mates and friends till the end. RIP Jimmy,” Williams tweeted with a broken heart emoji.
Actor Adam Sandler, who co-starred with Caan in 1996 comedy “Bulletproof,” said he “always wanted to be like him.”
“Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. His movies were best of the best,” Sandler said on Twitter.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine;Additional reporting by Tyler Clifford;Editing by Diane Craft)
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Actor James Caan, who starred as gangster Sonny Corleone in epic mafia film “The Godfather,” died on Wednesday evening at age 82, his family said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement, posted on Caan’s official Twitter account, said the actor died Wednesday evening. No cause of death or location were provided.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time,” the statement said.
Caan was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the hot-tempered Corleone in 1972’s “The Godfather.” He reprised the role in flashback scenes in “The Godfather: Part II” in 1974.
His career spanned six decades and included a broad range of other roles in movies from psychological thriller “Misery” to comedy “Elf.”
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine Editing by Diane Craft)
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Actor James Caan, who starred as gangster Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather” movie, died on Wednesday evening at age 82, his family said in a statement posted on Twitter.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time,” said the statement, which was posted on Caan’s official Twitter account.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine Editing by Chris Reese and Diane Craft)
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
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