James Caan, actor of The Godfather, Misery and Elf, has died at the age of 82

For his role in The Godfather, James Caan received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. At the moment the causes of his death are unknown.

Renowned American actor James Caan, unforgettable in his roles as mobster Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and writer Paul Sheldon in Misery , died Wednesday night at the age of 82 . The news was confirmed by his relatives on the interpreter’s official account on Twitter.

“The family appreciates the love and condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy at this difficult time,” the family statement said. At the moment, the causes that led to the death of the legendary film actor are unknown.

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 The Bronx, New York, on March 26, 1940, Caan graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse acting school and began his career on the small screen with series such as The Untouchables, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Kraft Suspense Theatre , Combat! , Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, The Wide Country, Alcoa Premiere, Route 66 and Naked City .

But the cinema was undoubtedly the space in which he stood out the most. He made his debut in 1964 as a villain in A Trapped Woman and three years later starred in Eldorado opposite John Wayne and Robert Mitchum.

In the late 1960s, the actor began his work relationship with Francis Ford Coppola. He first played a football player in It’s Raining on My Heart (1969) and Brian’s Song (1971).

But in 1972 one of his most popular characters would arrive: Santino “Sonny” Corleone, in the first part of The Godfather trilogy , work that earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.

After such success, he worked on dozens of movies, such as Cinderella Liberty, Rollerball, Harry And Walter Go To New York, A Bridge Too Far, Comes A Horseman and Chapter Two . While in 1980 he presented his directorial debut: Hide In Plain Sight, a film that also had him as the lead.

The death of his sister, in 1982, plunged him into a deep depression, for which he did not want to participate in any filming until 1987. But at the hands of Coppola he made his public reappearance in Gardens of Stone and continued his career with Alien Nation, Dick Tracy, Misery , Honeymoon for Three, Eraser, The Yards, City of Ghosts, Dogville and Elf, among other productions.