The statement, posted on Caan's official
Twitter account, said the actor died Wednesday evening. No cause
of death or location were provided.
"The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt
condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy
during this difficult time," the statement said.
Caan was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting
actor for his portrayal of the hot-tempered Corleone in 1972's
"The Godfather." He reprised the role in flashback scenes in
"The Godfather: Part II" in 1974. Other nominations included
four Golden Globes and an Emmy.
Al Pacino, who played Sonny Corleone's brother Michael in "The
Godfather," praised Caan as "a great actor, a brilliant director
and my dear friend."
"It’s hard to believe that he won’t be in the world anymore
because he was so alive and daring," Pacino said in a statement.
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Caan in "The Godfather" and
1969 movie "The Rain People," said Caan's films "and the many
great roles he played will never be forgotten."
Caan's career spanned six decades and included a broad range of
other roles in movies from psychological thriller "Misery" to
comedy "Elf." Last year, he starred in romantic comedy "Queen
Bees" opposite Ellen Burstyn.
James Edmund Caan was born in the Bronx borough of New York City
on March 26, 1940 to German Jewish immigrants. One of three
siblings, Caan began acting on television in 1961. He gained
widespread acclaim for his role in the 1971 TV movie "Brian's
Song," in which he played real-life Chicago Bears football
player Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer at age 26. The role
earned Caan an Emmy nomination.
Billy Dee Williams, who starred with Caan in "Brian's Song,"
shared an undated photo of the two together in recent years on
his Twitter account.
"Team Mates and friends till the end. RIP Jimmy," Williams
tweeted with a broken heart emoji.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine;Additional reporting by Tyler
Clifford;Editing by Diane Craft and Marguerita Choy)
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