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James Caan Bio
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James CaanJames Langston Edmund Caan was born March 26, 1940, in the Bronx, New York. The son of a butcher, both his parents were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany; despite often being mistaken for Italian ancestry, Caan is of German descent. He attended Michigan State University, where he played football and studied economics, also receiving a black-belt in karate. While attending Hofstra University, Caan became enamored with the craft of acting. He was accepted to Sanford Meisner’s Neighborhood Playhouse, after which he won a scholarship to study with Wynn Handman. With his training, Caan began appearing on stage in off-Broadway productions.
Like so many actors before him, Caan kick-started his career in television. He worked on episode appearances on several television series including Naked City, Route 66, The Untouchables, and Dr. Kildare. Caan made his film debut in 1963 with Irma La Douce, but he was not even credited for the role. He followed this performance with more television work until finally a substantial film role came his way. This time around, he played the villain in 1964’s horror-thriller Lady in a Cage. He was also recognized for his acting in Red Line 7000 in 1965 and El Dorado in 1966, with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. In 1969, Caan and Francis Ford Coppola teamed up to make The Rain People. Written and directed by Coppola, it was one of his first film efforts, and the novice acting and directing were apparent. With Robert Duvall, Caan and Coppola worked together again in 1972 for The Godfather. The result had a tremendous impact.
However, before that film made him a star, Caan would lead in the 1971 biopic-drama Brian’s Song. Co-starring Billy Dee Williams, each man would earn an Emmy nomination for their performance. While Caan was beginning to gain notoriety, his career would truly launch in the following year, in 1972. Playing Santino "Sonny" Corleone in Coppola’s production of The Godfather, Caan earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Also starring Marlon Brando, who won Oscar for Best Actor, and Al Pacino, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, the film itself took home the coveted Best Picture statuette. Riding on the phenomenal success of this film, Caan became a household name in the acting arena.
Refusing to conform to the mobster stereotype, Caan strove to take different and varied roles. To that end, he starred in the romantic drama Cinderella Liberty in 1973 and The Gambler in 1974, for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Other notable films include Rollerball in 1975, Harry and Walter Go to New York in 1976, A Bridge too Far in 1977, and his one-and-only directing attempt, Hide in Plain Sight in 1980. In 1981 Caan appeared in the Michael Mann production Thief, which he sites as the role he is most proud of second to his portrayal of Sonny Corleone.
From the years of 1982 to 1987, Caan suffered from depression (stemming from his sister’s death), an increasingly out of control cocaine addiction, and plain and simple professional burnout. He barely worked at all during this period in his life.
Caan made his return to film with Coppola’s Garden of Stone in 1987. He also starred in the successful Stephen King inspired horror Misery in 1990, for which Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her role as a psychopathic, obsessed fan. Caan also had a memorable part in the 1990 film Dick Tracy starring Warren Beatty. In 1992, he starred in the commercially successful film Honeymoon in Vegas, with Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. In 1996, Caan was a part of Wes Anderson’s film Bottle Rocket, which also starred brothers Luke and Owen Wilson. In more recent years, Caan acted in the successful comedies Mickey Blue Eyes, with Hugh Grant; and Elf, with Will Ferrell and Bob Newhart. He also turned to dramas such as 2003’s Dogville. Caan is currently on the hit television series Las Vegas, playing Ed Deline opposite Molly Simms and Josh Duhamel.
Caan has been married four times. His first wife was Dee Jay Mathis from 1960 to 1966, with whom he had one child. He then married Sheila Ryan from 1976 to 1977, and they also had one child. Ingrid Hajek was his third wife from 1990 to 1995, and he had his third child with her. Caan’s last marriage was to Linda Stokes from 1995 to 2005. The couple had two children together. YUDDY |
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James Caan - Appeared with Bob Newhart in Elf |
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James Caan - Appeared with Edward Asner in Elf |
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James Caan - Appeared with Mary Steenburgen in Elf |
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James Caan - Appeared with Zooey Deschanel in Elf |
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James Caan - Appeared with Daniel Tay in Elf |
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James Caan - Appeared with Faizon Love in Elf |
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James Caan - Appeared with Peter Dinklage in Elf |
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James Caan - Appeared with Amy Sedaris in Elf |
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James Caan - Appeared with Richard S. Castellano in The Godfather |
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James Caan - Appeared with Robert Duvall in The Godfather |
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