James Caan, the actor best known for playing Sonny Corleone in ‘The Godfather,’ has died aged 82, his manager said Thursday.
‘It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6,’ Caan’s family said in a tweet.
James Caan started his Hollywood career in the 1960s with small roles. He then went on to star in bigger movies such as ‘Misery,’ ‘Thief’ and ‘Rollerball’ through the 80s and 90s.
It was his portrayal of Michael Corleone’s older brother Sonny in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic ‘The Godfather’ that got him many accolades, including an Oscar nomination.
He briefly reprised the role in a small cameo for ‘The Godfather Part II.’
‘Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend,’ co-star Al Pacino said in a statement. ‘It’s hard to believe that he won’t be in the world anymore because he was so alive and daring. A great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend. I’m gonna miss him.’
Robert De Niro paid tribute to his co-star as well, saying ‘I’m very very sad to hear about Jimmy’s passing.’
Caan’s publicist also confirmed his demise, but no further details were shared.
His family signed off their tweet ‘End of tweet,’ which is how the late actor signed off.
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