American Actor born in New York.
Sometimes James Caan is credited as Jimmy Caan, he also goes
by the nickname 'Jimmy'. In his youth, his nicknames were "Shoulders"
and "Killer Caan".
In the 1963 film James Caan made his screen debut as a sailor
in IRMA LA DOUCE.
Moving the audiences to tears as James Caan put in a heart
rending performance as cancer stricken Chicago Bears running
back, Brian Piccolo in the TV movie BRIAN'S SONG in 1971.
Two generations working together James appeared in the movie
MISERY, which was directed by Rob Reiner. James Caan son,
Scott Caan, appeared in OCEAN'S ELEVEN and OCEAN'S TWELVE,
opposite Rob Reiner's father, Carl Reiner.
For the box office hit THE GODFATHER James Caan was originaly
screen tested for the role of Michael Corleone. Later getting
the role of Sonny.
In the GODFATHER trilogy, Andy Garcia plays the son of James
Caan's character, Sonny Corleone. In OCEAN'S ELEVEN and OCEAN'S
TWELVE, James's son, Scott, works with Garcia.
Francis Ford Coppola cast James Caan as fiery tempered gangster
Santino "Sonny" Corleone in the Mafia epic THE GODFATHER.
For James Caan's role in THE GODFATHER, he was nominated for
Best Supporting Actor. In 1974 Caan reprised
the role for several flashback scenes in the sequel THE GODFATHER:
Part II.
Upon being voted Italian of the Year, James Caan was quoted
as saying ''I'm a Jew from the Bronx. I feel guilty about accepting
these awards, but they wouldn't let me turn them down''. This
was based on his role in THE GODFATHER.
Two generations of James Caan's family and the Coppola family
have worked together. James worked with Francis Ford Coppola
most memorably in the first two GODFATHER films and in GARDENS
OF STONE (1987). James' son, Scott Caan, appeared in SONNY (2002),
which was directed by Nicolas Cage, and featured Cage and
his brother Marc Coppola. Sonny was also the name of James's
GODFATHER character.
As the casino security chief Ed Deline, James Caan was on
the hit TV series LAS VEGAS.
In the 1970s James Caan lived at the Playboy Mansion for
a short time.
Known as The Jewish Cowboy James Caan was even a regular
on the rodeo circuit.
Alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, James Caan began
to impress audiences with his work in the western EL DORADO.
In the 1990 hit movie MISERY, surprising everyone, James
Caan played a meek romance novelist being held captive by a deranged fan after a
car accident .
In addition to THE GODFATHER, Caan's other memorable roles were in
ALIEN NATION, ROLLERBALL, and COUNTDOWN to name a few.
James Caan's other films include:
