Billy Dee Williams, Gary Sinise and Jon Lovitz were among Hollywood stars remembering James Caan’s life after his death at the age of 82.
Caan, best known for his Oscar-nominated performance as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather films alongside Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Diane Keaton, died Wednesday night, his family confirmed.
The veteran actor’s other notable credits include playing Chicago Bears footballer Brian Piccolo in the sports drama Brian’s Song, which earned him an Emmy nomination in 1972.
Teammates and friends until the end. RIP Jimmy 💔#jamescaan pic.twitter.com/s7lfMzMlh3
— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) July 7, 2022
The Brian’s Song co-star and Star Wars actor Williams paid tribute to the actor on Thursday, sharing a photo on Twitter of a smiling Caan perched on his lap.
He wrote, “Teammates and friends til the end. RIP Jimmy,” along with a broken heart emoji.
Actor Sinise, who played Lt. Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump, tweeted: “Very sad to hear the news of James Caan’s passing. Heartfelt heartfelt love for his family and friends.
Very sad to hear the news of James Caan’s passing. Love for his family and friends. Wonderful to know him and call him a buddy. Jimmy was so supportive of the Gary Sinise Foundation and my work with our veterans. We will miss him. Thank you my friend. Rest in peace. God bless you pic.twitter.com/BJYJkSepOW
— Gary Sinise (@GarySinise) July 7, 2022
“Wonderful to know him and call him a buddy. Jimmy was so supportive of the Gary Sinise Foundation and my work with our veterans. He will be missed. Thank you buddy. Rest in peace. God bless you.”
Grosse Pointe Blank star John Cusack simply wrote “wonderful actor” while Star Trek actor Robert Picardo tweeted: “RIP James Caan. An unforgettable Sonny. A great career. »
British filmmaker Edgar Wright tweeted: “RIP to a real megawatt movie star, Mr Jimmy Caan, star of not only The Godfather but also Thief, Misery, Freebie And The Bean, Slither, Rollerball, Bottle Rocket, Gardens Of Stone, The Way Of The Gun, Honeymoon In Vegas, Elf and many more.
Upon hearing the news of Caan’s death, actor and comedian Lovitz tweeted, “Well, that sucks for James Caan. I was blessed to work with him and be friends.
“Always a fun guy to be around. He has always supported my career. He even made an appearance on my special and got Robert Duvall on it. A highlight of my career. God bless James Caan.
Well, that just sucks for James Caan. I had the chance to work with him and to be friends. Always a fun guy to be around. He has always supported my career. He even made an appearance on my special and got Robert Duvall on it. A highlight of my career. God bless James Caan.
— Jon Lovitz (@realjonlovitz) July 7, 2022
Meanwhile, filmmaker James Gunn said: “There are so many films of his that I love, the Godfather films of course being at the top, but here are a few others that I love (Thief in particular was a classic Gunn family – I had the poster on my wall in high school).
Rest in peace James Caan. There are so many films of his that I love, the Godfather films of course being top of the line, but here are a few others that I love (Thief in particular was a Gunn family classic – I had the poster on my wall in high school). 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/mhrtGMzB0S
—James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 7, 2022
American actor James Urbaniak described Caan as “real” in a tribute to the actor.
He tweeted: “James Caan rushing during the flashback scene at the end of The Godfather Part II is one of the greatest reveals of all time. You can practically hear the audience cheering.
James Caan rushing during the flashback scene at the end of The Godfather Part II is one of the all-time great star revelations. You can practically hear the audience cheering. RIP to a real one. https://t.co/6sNDLyOwHX
— James Urbaniak (@JamesUrbaniak) July 7, 2022
Meanwhile, actress Jennifer Tilly said the actor always had the “funniest stories”.
She added: “He once told me that Coppola used to take food off his plate and eat it, so one day he made a sandwich with very hot jalapenos between two pieces of buttered bread, and waited outside Coppola’s airflow.”
James Caan always had the funniest stories. He once told me that Coppola used to take food off his plate and eat it, so one day he made a sandwich with very hot jalapeños between two pieces of buttered bread, and waited outside Coppola’s draft…
—Jennifer Tilly (@JenniferTilly) July 7, 2022
The performers and broadcasters union Sag-Aftra also paid tribute to Caan.
He tweeted: “We celebrate the life and career of @James_Caan and extend our condolences to his family. From Brian’s Song to The Godfather to Misery and Elf, Jimmy’s celluloid legacy lives on.
We celebrate the life and career of @James_Caan and offer condolences to his family. From Brian’s Song to The Godfather to Misery and Elf, Jimmy’s celluloid legacy lives on. #sagaftramember since 1960. https://t.co/2Yfk7JWeKG
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) July 7, 2022
Caan starred in the 2003 family comedy Elf, playing Will Ferrell’s on-screen biological father, Walter Hobbs, as well as the psychological thriller Misery, action film Thief and crime hit The Gambler.
Other appearances include Honeymoon In Vegas, Bulletproof, and Mickey Blue Eyes.
The actor has been married four times and is survived by his five children.
