Al Pacino, Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates And More React Following The Death Of The Godfather Star James Caan

Hollywood took to social media to mourn the death of actor James Caan who died on Wednesday (July 6) at the age of 82.  

Caan was best known for playing tough guys and roughnecks, including his Oscar-nominated turn as Sonny Corleone in 1972's The Godfather. His other famous roles include novelist Paul Sheldon in the Stephen King thriller Misery, and the Will Ferrell-led Christmas comedy Elf.

His family said in a statement on Twitter: "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." 
 

Cann's The Godfather co-star Al Pacino, who played Sonny's brother, Michael, said in a statement to People: "Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend. It's hard to believe that he won't be in the world anymore because he was so alive and daring." 

The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola praised Caan as "someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion-picture figure I've ever known." 

He added, "From those earlier times working together on The Rain People and throughout all the milestones of my life, his films and the many great roles he played will be forgotten. He will always be my old friend from Sunnyside, my collaborator and one of the funniest people I've ever known."

Caan's Misery co-star Kathy Bates also shared fond memories of working together in a statement (per Variety).

“I can’t believe Jimmy’s gone,” she wrote. “Working with him on Misery was one of the most profound experiences of my career. When you watch his performance, his terror, it’s as though he’s watching a snake. Brilliant. So many memories flooding back today.

"Jimmy saying, ‘Let’s get the most hyper guy in Hollywood and make him stay in bed for 15 weeks.’ We were so excited when we got to shoot in the dining room. He was kind. Hilarious. He would have something insightfully funny to say right now. I’m bereft. Sending all my love to the Caan family.”

Adam Sandler also paid tribute to Caan, whom he acted in 1996's Bulletproof and 2012's That's My Boy, on Twitter. 

"James Caan. Loved him very much," he wrote. "Always wanted to be like him. So happy I got to know him. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. His movies were best of the best. We all will miss him terribly. Thinking of his family and sending my love. (sic)"

Guardians of the Galaxy director and James Caan fan James Gunn tweeted, "Rest In Peace James Caan. There are so many movies of his I love, The Godfather films of course being at the very top, but here are a few more I adore (Thief in particular was a Gunn family classic - I had the poster on my wall in high school). [prayer and heart emoji] (sic)"

Arnold Schwarzenegger also took a moment to remember his co-star in 1996's Eraser and gym buddy.

"James Caan was an icon - a legend," Schwarzenegger penned. "He inspired everyone who has ever been in front of a camera. I was lucky to work with him and see his talent and his fantastic sense of humor firsthand. He was a great training partner in the gym and a true friend, and I’ll miss him.

Elsewhere, Michael Mann who made his feature debut, the 1981 crime thriller Thief, with Caan, said in a statement to Variety: "What a terrible and tragic loss. Jimmy was not just a great actor with total commitment and a venturesome spirit, but he had a vitality in the core of his being that drove everything from his art and friendship to athletics and very good times.

"There was a core of values within him about how people should be, more or less. It might be variable, the corners could be rounded with urban irony, but there was a line and it was non-fungible. And it produced many outrageous and hilarious anecdotes. “

He continued, “I loved him and I loved working with him. He reached into the core of his being during difficult personal times to be the rebellious, half wild child, institutionalized outsider Frank, in my first film, Thief. Frank is half Frank, half Jimmy. The character and the man — like his Sonny in The Godfather — were made for each other. Unique. What a loss.”

Variety reported that Caan had recently completed filming his role in the thriller Fast Charlie before his passing.

In Fast Charlie, directed by Philip Noyce (Patriot Games), Pierce Brosnan stars a a hitman with Caan as a mob boss and longtime employer. The movie is slated for release in 2023. 

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos