A macho leading man best known for his role as the hot-headed Sonny Corleone from
The Godfather, Caan seemed to have it all in the early 1970s. After earning raves and an Emmy nomination as a dying football player in the 1971 TV-movie
Brian's Song, he made a splash on the big screen the next year in
The Godfather and earned an Oscar nod. A string of mostly disappointing features followed (
Funny Girl,
Gone with the West and
Hide in Plain Sight, which he also directed) before Caan suddenly exited the Hollywood scene in 1982. For five years he was MIA, and although rumors about his absence abounded, no one ever figured out the entire story. He returned to the big screen in the Vietnam drama
Gardens of Stone (helmed by
Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola) and continued to work steadily, sometimes parodying his gangster persona (
Honeymoon in Vegas,
Mickey Blue Eyes). In 2003, after four decades in showbiz, he took a gamble on series television and hit the jackpot on the popular drama
Las Vegas. He left the show after its fourth season to pursue big-screen work. In his spare time, Caan practices martial arts and is a sixth-degree black belt.
James Caan Fast Facts:
- Rejected the family meat business to pursue an education and, ultimately, acting.
- Was a rider on the professional rodeo circuit.
- Kick-started career with an unbilled part in Billy Wilder's Irma la Douce (1963).
- Has a black belt in karate.
- Displayed his singing voice opposite Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady and Bette Midler in For the Boys.
- Turned down roles in several big hits, including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Kramer vs. Kramer and Apocalypse Now.
- James Caan Relationships:
- Arthur Caan - Father
- Tara Caan - Daughter
- Alexander James Caan - Son
- Jacob Nicholas Caan - Son
- Sheila Ryan - Ex-wife
- DeeJay Mathis - Ex-wife
- Ronald Caan - Brother
- Barbara Caan - Sister
- Ingrid Hajek - Ex-wife
- James Arthur Caan - Son
- Scott Caan - Son
- Sophie Caan - Mother
- Linda Stokes - Wife (separated)
- James Caan Awards:
- 1972 Emmy: Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Nominee
- 1966 Golden Globe: New Star of the Year - Actor - Nominee
- 1975 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
- 1976 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
- 1973 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1972 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- College:
- Attended Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; attended Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY