‘I was astonished by his talent’: Zooey Deschanel pays tribute to James Caan as she recalls his ‘beautiful’ piano playing on the set of Elf – as Hollywood mourns the loss of acting great aged 82
- Caan, best known for his role in The Godfather, passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home, aged 82, on Wednesday evening
- Those who crossed paths with the actor during his illustrious six-decade spanning career have since paid tribute across social media
- Taking to Instagram, Deschanel revealed he was a talented musician who surprised cast-members – among them Will Ferrell – by playing a piano solo
- Caan, who also had roles in Misery and A Bridge Too Far, received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a mafia family’s eldest son in 1972 classic The Godfather
Zooey Deschanel has paid tribute to James Caan after the legendary actor’s death was confirmed by his manager and close family members on Thursday.
Caan, best known for his role as short-tempered gangster Sonny Corleone in The Godfather and affectionately referred to as Jimmy by close friends, passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home, aged 82, on Wednesday evening.
Those who crossed paths with the actor during his illustrious six-decade spanning career have since paid tribute across social media, and Deschanel – who famously starred alongside Caan in festive comedy Elf – is the latest to share fond anecdotes from their time on set.
Tragic: Zooey Deschanel has paid tribute to James Caan after the legendary actor’s death was confirmed by his manager and close family members on Thursday
Taking to Instagram, the actress, 42, revealed he was a talented musician who surprised cast-members – among them Will Ferrell – by playing an accomplished piano solo while working on the 2003 film.
Sharing a photo of herself and Ferrell on either side of the actor, she wrote: ‘James Caan was a true delight. My favourite memory of him was shooting part of a montage for the end of Elf and he started playing piano – he played beautifully – I sang and he played and I was just astonished by his talent!
‘I think he was just capable of so many things and that’s what made him such a wonderful actor. I was so honoured to have worked with him.’
Caan, who also had roles in Misery, Thief, Rollerball and A Bridge Too Far, received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a mafia family’s eldest son in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic The Godfather.
Main man: Screen veteran Caan, who died on Wednesday evening, starred alongside Deschanel and Will Ferrell in the 2003 festive comedy Elf (pictured)
‘It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,’ Caan’s family said in a tweet posted to his account on Thursday.
Caan’s manager Matt DelPiano also confirmed the news to AFP, adding: ‘Jimmy was one of the greatest. Not only was he one of the best actors our business has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and beloved.’
Caan started as an actor in 1960s Hollywood, with roles in films by acclaimed directors including Billy Wilder (Irma La Douce), Howard Hawks (El Dorado) and Coppola (The Rain People).
He had a breakthrough television role in 1970 American football drama Brian’s Song, portraying dying gridiron star Brian Piccolo.
Legendary: The actor became a household name thanks to his role in The Godfather (L-R: James Caan as Sonny Corleone, Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, Al Pacino as Michael Corleone and John Cazale as Fredo Corleone)
But his turn as Sonny Corleone, whose slaying in a hail of bullets at a toll booth became one of the defining scenes in Coppola’s The Godfather, established him as a major actor.
Briefly the highest grossing film of all time, The Godfather – an adaptation of Mario Puzo’s bestselling novel – won three Oscars including best picture and best actor for Marlon Brando.
Caan was among three cast members nominated for best supporting actor, along with Al Pacino and Robert Duvall.
Chilling: Caan starred in Misery (pictured) as a popular writer who is imprisoned by a homicidal nurse (Kathy Bates) obsessed with his romance series after she finds him in the wake of a car crash
‘Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure I’ve ever known,’ said Coppola in a statement to AFP.
‘His films and the many great roles he played will never be forgotten. He will always be my old friend from Sunnyside, my collaborator and one of the funniest people I’ve ever known.’
Caan reprised his role in a small cameo for The Godfather Part II, appearing in flashback.
Asked in 2010 if he ever gets tired of talking about The Godfather, Caan replied: “No. I thank God for it.”
‘Unlike actors that hide, or that don’t like to give autographs or be recognized… I’m very thankful that people still remember that I’m alive and all that.’
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‘A legend’: Hollywood stars including Barbra Streisand and Adam Sandler pay tribute to Godfather actor James Caan following his death at 82
Tributes have poured in for Godfather star James Caan following his death at the age of 82.
The actor — whose most memorable role was as Sonny Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather — died on Wednesday evening.
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.
Costars: Barbra Streisand — who starred in 1975’s Funny Lady as Fanny Brice, while Caan played her husband Billy Rose — spoke warmly of her costar in a tribute tweet
‘The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.’
Barbra Streisand — who starred in 1975’s Funny Lady as Fanny Brice, while Caan played her husband Billy Rose — spoke warmly of her costar in a tribute tweet.
‘I’m so sorry to hear about Jimmy. He was so talented,’ she wrote, while sharing a black-and-white photo of the two that was taken around the time of their film.
Old pals: ‘Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure I’ve ever known,’ said Caan’s Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola. (L–R) Coppola, Caan and Talia Shire seen in February in LA
Like brothers: Caan’s Godfather costar Al Pacino called the late actor ‘my fictional brother and my lifelong friend’; Caan, Marlon Brando, Pacino and John Cazale seen in The Godfather (1972)
Al Pacino, who played the lead role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather and its sequels, also shared a statement about Caan.
‘Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend,’ he said. ‘It’s hard to believe that he won’t be in the world anymore because he was so alive and daring. A great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend. I’m gonna miss him.’
Caan starred in director Francis Ford Coppola’s first film, 1969’s The Rain People, and they went on to make The Godfather in 1972. The filmmaker shared a tribute to the late actor for Deadline.
Sweet: Adam Sandler, who was joined by Caan in 1996’s Bulletproof and That’s My Boy (2012), tweeted that he ‘loved’ the veteran actor ‘very much’ and was ‘so happy I got to know him’
Film legend: Rob Reiner, who directed the Caan-starring thriller Misery, wrote that he ‘loved working’ with the late actor
‘Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure I’ve ever known,’ Coppola said. ‘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 never be forgotten. He will always be my old friend from Sunnyside, my collaborator and one of the funniest people I’ve ever known.’
Robert De Niro also shared a short statement about Caan’s death. De Niro played a major supporting role in The Godfather Part II (1974) as young Vito Corleone, who was played in the original by Marlon Brando.
Caan made a brief appearance in the final flashback scene of the sequel, but he and De Niro shared no scenes together.
‘I’m very very sad to hear about Jimmy’s passing,’ De Niro said.
Buddies: Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred with Caan in the 1996 action thriller Eraser, called him an ‘icon’ and a ‘legend,’ as well as a ‘great training partner in the gym and a true friend’
Departed: Antonio Banderas tweeted, ‘A great actor has left us. Deepest condolences to all of his family and loved ones.’
Adam Sandler, who was joined by Caan in 1996’s Bulletproof and That’s My Boy (2012), tweeted that he ‘loved’ the veteran actor ‘very much.’
‘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.’
Rob Reiner, who directed Caan’s movie Misery, wrote: ‘So sorry to hear the news. I loved working with him. And the only Jew I knew who could calf rope with the best of them. Love to the family.’
Paying tribute: Maria Shriver wrote: ‘So sad about Jimmy Caan. He was a legend. He was always kind to me. Sending his family my love.’
Impressive filmography: Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn singled out some of his favorite Caan performances in Michael Mann’s Thief (1981) The Gambler and Freebie And The Bean (both 1974) and Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket (1996)
Saluted: Forrest Gump actor Gary Sinise wrote that he was ‘heartbroken’ for the late actors family and friends while complimenting him on his work with veterans
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred with Caan in the 1996 action thriller Eraser, called him an ‘icon’ and a ‘legend.’
‘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.’
Antonio Banderas tweeted, ‘A great actor has left us. Deepest condolences to all of his family and loved ones.’
Maria Shriver wrote: ‘So sad about Jimmy Caan. He was a legend. He was always kind to me. Sending his family my love.’
Inspired: ‘Sad to hear of James Caan’s passing,’ tweeted Mark Wahlberg, who appeared with him in James Gray’s 2000 crime drama The Yards. ‘It was an honor and pleasure to know and work with a true legend like Jimmy. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP’
High praise: Josh Brolin said that Caan was his ‘friend’ and ‘spirit animal’
Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn wrote: ‘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).’
The filmmaker included several posters for Caan’s most acclaimed films, including Michael Mann’s thriller Thief (1981), The Gambler (1974), the buddy police comedy Freebie And The Bean (1974) and Wes Anderson’s feature debut Bottle Rocket (1996), which Caan starred in with Luke and Owen Wilson.
Forrest Gump actor Gary Sinise wrote that he was ‘heartbroken’ for the late actors family and friends.
‘Wonderful to know him & call him a pal. Jimmy was so supportive of Gary Sinise Foundation & my work w/ our veterans. He will be missed. Thank you my friend. Rest in Peace. God bless you.’
‘He was so much fun’: Sharon stone also gushed about working with Caan
‘What a loss’: Thief was among Caan’s most lauded films, and the film’s director, Michael Mann — best known for helming Heat and The Last Of The Mohicans — shared a moving tribute to his old friend and colleague
‘Sad to hear of James Caan’s passing,’ tweeted Mark Wahlberg, who appeared with him in James Gray’s 2000 crime drama The Yards. ‘It was an honor and pleasure to know and work with a true legend like Jimmy. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. RIP.’
Josh Brolin said that Caan was his ‘friend’ and ‘spirit animal.’
‘Every conversation I had with you was full of piss and vinegar and guttural laughs. I love what you brought to this world: an old school we are in it together but we must poke each other incessantly to keep the humility and connections taut schooling. Knowing you are an era of man gone whose sensitivities were many saddens. Bon voyage. my friend [sic].’
Zoe Saldaña, who appeared with Caan in 2013’s Blood Ties, wrote that ‘it was an honor to have worked with you and exchanged jokes about being from Queens, New York.’
Hometown favorite: Zoe Saldaña, who appeared with Caan in 2013’s Blood Ties, wrote that ‘it was an honor to have worked with you and exchanged jokes about being from Queens, New York’
Surprise! Jennifer Tilly recounted a story Caan told her about pranking director Francis Ford Coppola on the set of The Godfather. Coppola liked to steal his food, so one day he made an extra spicy sandwich and left it out
Icon: Rapper-turned-actor Ice-T said that Caan ‘was the star of my Favorite movie ever. And many more. Respect RIP.’ He included a trailer for 1981’s Thief, suggesting that was his favorite film
Impressive list: Baby Driver director Edgar Wright called the late actor a ‘genuine megawatt movie star’ and listed some of his classic films
Thief was among Caan’s most lauded films, and the film’s director, Michael Mann — best known for helming Heat and The Last Of The Mohicans — shared a moving tribute to his old friend and colleague.
‘What a terrible and tragic loss,’ he wrote while sharing a photo of the two on the set of Thief. ‘ 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.
Star power: Actor James Urbaniak called Caan’s cameo role at the end of The Godfather Part II ‘one of the all-time great star reveals’
Impressed: Piers Morgan wrote that Caan was a ‘brilliant actor’ wrote about how ‘funny’ and ‘entertaining’ he was when they met at a party in Los Angeles
‘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,’ he concluded, adding, ‘Unique. What a loss.’
Actress Jennifer Tilly recounted a hilarious anecdote that Caan had once told her about the making of The Godfather.
‘James Caan always had the funniest stories,’ she wrote. ‘Once he told me [director Francis Ford] Coppola had the habit of grabbing food off his plate & eating it, so one day he made a sandwich with very hot jalapeños between two pieces of buttered bread, & waited outside Coppola’s airstream…
Dream come true: Comedian Andy Richter said he was ‘shocked’ to learn of Caan’s death before gushing about when he got to work with him on Elf. He also urged his fans to watch Thief
‘Coppola came roaring out to direct the next scene, grabbed the sandwich off the plate & gobbled it down. Immediately tears started squirting out of his eyes & he started yelling “What is this? What did you do to me?! And Jimmy said meekly “Did I ask you to eat my sandwich? Did I?”‘
Comedian Andy Richter said he was ‘shocked’ to learn of Caan’s death.
‘Was lucky enough, after a lifetime of loving his work, to get to work with him and I loved him as a person even more. Funny, warm, self-deprecating, and effortlessly talented. They say never meet your heroes, but he proved that to be very very wrong,’ he tweeted.
He also urged his fans to watch Thief in a follow-up post.
It’s a hit: Rob Reiner and Caan’s adaptation of Misery, based on the book by Stephen King, was a critical and commercial success; Caan (center) seen with Reiner (R) and Michael McKean (L) in 2014 in NYC
Rapper-turned-actor Ice-T said that Caan ‘was the star of my Favorite movie ever. And many more. Respect RIP.’
He included a trailer for 1981’s Thief, suggesting that was his favorite film.
Baby Driver director Edgar Wright called the late actor a ‘genuine megawatt movie star’ and listed some of his classic films.
Actor and director Alex Winter called Caan a ‘giant’ and noted that he had recently seen him at a 50th anniversary screening of The Godfather with Coppola and his sister, actress Talia Shire.
Actor James Urbaniak called Caan’s cameo role at the end of The Godfather Part II ‘one of the all-time great star reveals.’
‘You can practically hear the audience cheering. RIP to a real one,’ he wrote.
Piers Morgan wrote that Caan was a ‘brilliant actor’ and commended his ‘magnificent performance’ in The Godfather as ‘ferocious’ and ‘menacing.’
‘Met him once at a party in LA and he was a very funny & highly entertaining man. Sad news,’ he continued.
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