James Caan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Caan
Caan in 1976
Born	James Edmund Caan (1940-03-26)March 26, 1940 New York City, U.S.
Died	July 6, 2022(2022-07-06) (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1961–2022
Spouse(s)	Dee Jay Mathis ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1966)​ Sheila Marie Ryan ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1977)​ Ingrid Hajek ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1995)​ Linda Stokes ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2017)​
Children	5, including Scott Caan

James Caan (born March 26, 1940, died July 6, 2022) was a famous American actor. He acted in movies, on stage, and on TV.

He was best known for playing Sonny Corleone in the movie The Godfather (1972). He also played Ed Deline in the TV show Las Vegas. Some of his other well-known roles were Frank in Thief and Paul Sheldon in Misery.

James Caan was nominated for many big awards. These included the Academy Award, Emmy, and Golden Globe.

In 1978, Caan received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This was to honor his important work in the movie industry. His star is located at 6648 Hollywood Boulevard.

Caan passed away on July 6, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. He was 82 years old.

Early life

James Caan was born on March 26, 1940, in the Bronx, New York City. His parents, Sophie and Arthur Caan, were Jewish immigrants from Germany. His father worked as a meat dealer.

James grew up in Sunnyside, Queens, New York City, with his two siblings. He went to school in New York City but did not finish college there. Later, he became very interested in acting while studying at Hofstra University.

He then joined the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He studied acting there for five years and graduated. Famous director Francis Ford Coppola was one of his classmates.

Career

Caan starring in Submarine X-1 (1969)

James Caan started his acting career with smaller roles. Some of his early films included El Dorado (1966) and The Rain People (1969).

He became widely recognized for his role as Brian Piccolo in the 1971 TV movie Brian's Song. For this role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. He also received Golden Globe Award nominations for his acting in The Gambler (1974) and Funny Lady (1975).

Caan continued to get many important movie roles. These included Cinderella Liberty (1973), Rollerball (1975), and A Bridge Too Far (1977). He also starred in Thief (1981).

After taking a five-year break from acting, he returned to the screen. He appeared in films like Gardens of Stone (1987) and the popular movie Misery (1990). Other notable roles included Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Eraser (1996), Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), and the family favorite Elf (2003). He also appeared in Get Smart (2008).

Other work

James Caan was also a skilled martial artist. He trained in Gosoku Ryu Karate for almost 30 years. He earned a high rank, becoming a Master (6th Dan). He was given the special title of Soke Dai by the International Karate Association.

Personal life

James Caan was married four times and had five children. His first marriage was to Dee Jay Mathis in 1961. They had a daughter named Tara.

Later, he married Sheila Marie Ryan in 1976. They had a son, Scott Caan, who also became an actor.

Caan's third marriage was to Ingrid Hajek. They had a son named Alexander James Caan. His fourth marriage was to Linda Stokes. They had two sons, James Arthur Caan and Jacob Nicholas Caan.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

Images for kids

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  Caan (left), Karyn Kupcinet, and Roy Thinnes appeared in the "Shadow of Violence" episode of Death Valley Days (1963).

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  Caan in 1976 during the filming of A Bridge Too Far

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  Caan with Guillaume Canet at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013

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  Caan at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival

See also

In Spanish: James Caan para niños