James Caan, best known for his popular role as Sonny Corleone in two Godfather films, has passed away at the age of 82.

The Oscar-nominated actor’s death was confirmed in a statement on social media reading.

“It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.

The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

The cause of death is not yet known though he struggled with extreme chest pain in 2015 and spent his final years in a wheelchair.

Born in the Bronx, New York, Caan broke into acting on Broadway before appearing in episodes of Naked City (1961), The Untouchables (1962) and Dr. Kildare (1963). He soon made his film debut  as a sailor alongside Jack Lemmon and Shirley Maclaine in the acclaimed romantic comedy Irma la Douce (1963).

He slowly began to chalk up roles in various films including Lady in a Cage (1964), Red Line 7000 (1965) and the western El Dorado (1966) alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. During that period, he received the first of four Golden Globe nominations for his performance as the fiery Pvt. Anthony Dugan in the war drama The Glory Guys (1965).

After appearing in Countdown (1967), Journey to Shiloh (1968) and two episodes of Get Smart (1969), Caan then collaborated with rising filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola on the roadie drama The Rain People (1969).

He then delivered an emotional performance as cancer-stricken Chicago Bears player Brian Piccolo in the acclaimed television film Brian’s Song (1971). His performance landed him his sole Emmy nomination for ‘Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role’.

However, Caan’s biggest role was to come a year later when Francis Ford Coppola cast him in the crime epic The Godfather (1972).

He originally auditioned to play Michael Corleone and was heavily favoured by studio executives only for Al Pacino to land the role instead. Instead, he played Michael’s hot-headed older brother Sonny who had the misfortune of being at the centre of one of cinema’s most iconic death scenes.

The performance also landed Caan his sole Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for which he competed for the gong alongside co-stars Pacino and Robert Duvall. Unsurprisingly, he later reprised the role of Sonny briefly in a flashback scene for The Godfather: Part II (1974).

His post-Godfather career initially brought mixed success with the likes of Slither (1973), Cinderella Liberty (1973) and Freebie and the Bean (1974) as well as Golden Globe-nominated performances as notorious gambler Axel Freed in The Gambler (1974), and as showman Billy Rose in Funny Lady (1975).

After playing rollerball athlete Jonathan E. in the sci-fi thriller Rollerball (1975), Caan enjoyed a productive end to the 1970s with diverse roles in The Killer Elite (1975), Silent Movie (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Comes a Horseman (1978) and Chapter Two (1979).

However, the 1980s proved a tough period for him after his starring roles in the heist film Thief (1981) and Kiss Me Goodbye (1982). The death of his sister and an ongoing drug addiction caused his acting career to derail though he still managed to appear in Coppola’s war drama Gardens of Stone (1987).

He soon enjoyed a renaissance in 1990 starting with his role as Spaldoni in the comic-book thriller Dick Tracy. Shortly after, he portrayed Paul Sheldon, a meek romance novelist held captive by his “number one fan” Annie Wilkes (superbly played by an Oscar-winning Kathy Bates) in the big-screen adaptation of the Stephen King novel Misery.

From then on, Caan appeared in a variety of well-known films including For the Boys (1991), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Bottle Rocket (1996), Eraser (1996), Bulletproof (1996) and Mickey Blue Eyes (1999). In 2003, he enjoyed a busy year with roles as the Big Man in Lars Von Trier’s Dogville, and as Will Ferrell’s businessman father Walter in the festive classic Elf.

He also found success on the small-screen with his most memorable credit coming as veteran casino security chief Ed Deline in 88 episodes of the hit NBC series Las Vegas (2003-07). He also contributed his voice to guest roles in both The Simpsons (2004), and Family Guy (2009).

Towards the end of his life, Caan featured in the likes of Get Smart (2008), New York, I Love You (2008), Middle Men (2009), Hawaii Five-0 (2012), That’s My Boy (2012), Magic City (2013), Undercover Grandpa (2017), Out of Blue (2018) and last year’s Queen Bees (2021). He was also due to appear alongside Pierce Brosnan in the big-screen adaptation of the crime novel Gun Monkeys.

Married four times, Caan is survived by his actor son Scott Caan as well as four other children.