NEW YORK — James Caan, whose explosive performance as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather” produced some of the most memorable moments in movie history, died Wednesday at age 82, his family announced Thursday.
A cause of death was not released for the Bronx-born actor.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time,” reads the announcement on Caan’s official Twitter page.
Raised in Sunnyside, Queens, Caan got his start in entertainment as a New York stage actor, making his Broadway debut in “Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole” in the early 1960s.
He went on to appear in more than 130 film and TV roles during a career spanning more than six decades, bringing similar gusto to the dramatic “Brian’s Song,” the thrilling “Misery” and the raucous comedy “Elf.”
But he was best known for his portrayal of the no-nonsense, quick-tempered mobster Sonny in 1972′s timeless “The Godfather,” which earned him Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actor.
Ahead of the film’s 50th anniversary this year, Caan told the Daily News he never could’ve imagined the gangster flick directed by Francis Ford Coppola would have such a lasting impact.
“The story, there were a lot of angles in it that had to touch one of us in the audience,” Caan told The News in February. “Some could have said, ‘Wow, that was a really strong (story) about the family.’ Somebody else could’ve said, ‘See how that works as a gangster?’ ... Whatever it was, there was enough out there to interest somebody, no matter what they did for a living.”
Caan’s character was the eldest son of Don Vito Corleone, and was at the center of several of the film’s most famous scenes, including a brutal beat down of his younger sister’s abusive husband using his fists and a trash can.
Sonny’s death scene was similarly memorable, with the character getting gunned down at a highway toll plaza.
“What I remember most was, ‘Wow, I didn’t know I could be that frightened.’ They had bullets all over the place,” Caan recalled in February. “I had 147 squibs on my body and in my jacket. ... Pretty loud squibs, too.”
Caan also appeared as the character in a flashback sequence in 1974′s “The Godfather II.”
Caan spent two years at Michigan State University, where he was a quarterback for the Spartans football team. He then transferred to Hofstra University on Long Island, where he met Coppola.
Before “The Godfather,” Caan worked with Coppola on the 1969 drama “The Rain People” in what proved to be a breakthrough role. The film also starred Caan’s future “Godfather” co-star Robert Duvall.
Caan then teamed up with Billie Dee Williams on the 1971 made-for-TV football drama “Brian’s Song,” which depicted the friendship between two Chicago Bears players, one white and one Black, during the racial tension of the 1960s.
Williams played Gale Sayers, while Caan portrayed teammate Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer several years after his NFL debut.
Celebrities and fans tweeted their appreciation for the actor and sadness at his death.
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