James Caan Dead: ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Elf’ Star Dies at 82

usmagazine.com:

Goodbye to a film legend. James Caan has died at the age of 82.The Oscar nominee’s family announced the news in a statement shared via Twitter on Thursday, July 7. “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,” the statement read. “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”A cause of death was not immediately revealed.Caan, who was born in the Bronx in 1940, was best known for his portrayal of Santino “Sonny” Corleone in 1972’s The Godfather.

His performance earned him a best supporting actor nomination at the Academy Awards as well as the Golden Globes. He reprised the role in 1974’s The Godfather Part II, making a cameo at end of the film.The Emmy nominee began his career in off-Broadway plays and TV shows before making the jump to the big screen in 1963 with an uncredited role in Irma la Douce.

His rise to fame began in earnest in 1969, when he appeared in Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Rain People, which also featured his future Godfather costar Robert Duvall.The following year, he starred alongside Billy Dee Williams in the TV adaptation of Brian’s Song, which garnered him his first Emmy nomination.

The film became such a massive hit that Columbia Pictures eventually rereleased it in theaters.In 1972, Caan starred in The Godfather, Coppola’s now-iconic mob drama about the fictional Corleone crime family.