James Caan, the US actor best known for portraying Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, passed away at 82.....
Digital Desk: James Caan, the US actor best known for portraying Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, passed away at 82. James Caan, who also starred in "Misery," "Thief," and "Rollerball," was nominated for an Oscar for his devastating depiction of the eldest son of a mafia family in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 masterpiece 'The Godfather.'
"One of the best was Jimmy. In addition to being one of the greatest actors our industry has ever seen, he was also hilarious, loyal, loving, and kind," Matt DelPiano said.
"Before business, our connection was always one of friendship. I'm honoured to have worked with him for all these years and will miss him sincerely," he added.
Caan began his acting career in Hollywood in the 1960s, appearing in supporting roles in films by renowned filmmakers, including Billy Wilder (Irma La Douce), Howard Hawks (El Dorado), and Coppola (The Rain People).
He received an Academy nomination for his performance as the angry Sonny Corleone, whose shooting death at a toll booth became one of the pivotal moments in The Godfather.
He returned to the role for a brief cameo in The Godfather Part II.
Later, he excelled as a violent athlete in Norman Jewison's Rollerball, a jewel thief in Michael Mann's 1981 film Thief, and a kidnapped writer in Rob Reiner's Misery (1990).
"So sorry to hear the news. I loved working with him," Reiner tweeted. While confirming Caan's death, his spokesperson chose not to disclose any other information, including the cause of death.
Following Caan's practice, while he was alive, his family ended each tweet with the phrase "End of tweet."
