Portraying gangsters, cowboys, and even the father of a famous elf, James Caan left a
celebrated legacy behind after his tragic passing. But did you know he had a special
place in his heart for a fellow on-screen wiseguy, and even a few suspected real-life mobsters? Keep
watching to learn about one heart-breaking tribute Caan published before his death.
As millions mourn the tragic death of James Caan, many remember him for his iconic role
as a gangster. Caan became legendary as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather
alongside Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro.
Caan was so good at playing a gangster that some people accused him of being in the mafia.
In a 2004 interview with Vanity Fair, Caan said he'd even won the "Italian of the Year" award in
New York several times, despite not being Italian. According to The New York Times,
the Queens-born actor is Jewish but got his "bad boy" reputation
after getting married and divorced four times. His run-ins with the police, as well as the fact that
he testified on behalf of a suspect in a criminal investigation, might also add to that reputation.
In 2011, the New York Post reported that Caan's old friend Andrew Russo
was accused of being part of a Brooklyn mafia gang. The two were so tight that Caan actually
named Russo the godfather to his son, Scott. Caan showed his loyalty when he told the Post,
"My friendship with Andrew Russo dates back over 35 years,
and I've only known him to be as good a friend as anyone could be to me and my family."
The Godfather crew, along with actors Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino from "Goodfellas," are
among the most iconic gangster characters in modern movie history. For this reason,
Caan's tweet after his friend Liotta died is even more heartbreaking now.
James Caan's simple message after the death of Ray Liotta gutted fans and spoke for millions. On May
26, Caan tweeted the words "Not Ray" with a broken heart emoji. After the news of The Godfather
star's death, some returned to Caan's tweet to pay tribute. One fan tweeted a broken heart emoji with
the message, "Not you." Another fan noted the gap left by Caan and Liotta's deaths, tweeting,
"It's like God is putting the greatest mob movie together."
While the Thief star played many tough-guy roles, the outpouring of stories and tributes about the
82-year-old actor shows how beloved he was in the Hollywood community. The tough guy appeared
to have a big heart, and people loved him for it. Actor Gary Sinise commented about how much support
his foundation for assisting veterans received from Caan. Comedian Andy Richter also tweeted,
"They say never meet your heroes, but [James Caan] proved that to be very wrong."
Caan's Las Vegas co-star Josh Duhamel isn't known for being the touchy-feely type,
but the actor posted an emotional video on his Instagram story after learning about Caan's death.
The clip is packed with kind words honoring his old friend.
"One of the kindest, coolest, funniest people I've ever met. One of my mentors.
You'll be missed, Jimmy Caan. I love you."
Beyond his co-stars and industry friends,
those who knew The Godfather actor best show the depth of Caan's legacy.
Outside of his career, The Washington Post reports that Caan dedicated much of his time off-screen,
to his many hobbies including karate and roping steers. In a 2011 interview with the Los Angeles
Times, the Godfather star and his son Scott Caan showed where the famous actor's heart was.
Scott explained that acting wasn't the priority for his dad,
explaining that, while his father loved his craft, his family always came first.
The elder Caan summed up the importance of family to the outlet, saying,
"The best advice I give to young actors [...] was what comes first is my family and my friends.
No matter what heights you achieve in this business,
what is inevitable in every single case is there is a slide backwards."
The Brian's Song star noted that actors who put everything into work are much, much more liable
to get hurt in the process. He elaborated that hard work and high ambitions are also important,
but being able to lean on your family through the good and bad is an essential part of any career.
The highest praise a parent can receive is that their kids look up to them.
In a 2017 interview with The Fall, Scott talked about how growing up he never saw his father as
the superstar the film industry considered him. Instead, he described him as "an interesting,
colorful, wild kinda cat" that he himself aspired to be like.
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