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James Caan

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Biography

Like so many other prominent actors of the 1970s, the versatile James Caan rose to success on the strength of his riveting performance in The Godfather. Born March 26, 1939, in the Bronx, NY, Caan decided to pursue a career in acting while attending college and in 1960 was accepted by Sanford Meisner into the Neighborhood Playhouse. After making his debut off-Broadway in I Roam, he landed in the Broadway production of Mandingo but exited after just four performances because of artistic difficulties with star Franchot Tone. Caan then landed in television, where he became a busy character actor; he made his film debut in an unbilled performance in 1963's Irma La Douce, followed by a meatier role in Lady in a Cage the following year. The 1965 Howard Hawks auto-racing drama Red Line 7000 was his first starring role, followed two years later by the Hawks Western El Dorado, which cast him opposite John Wayne and Robert Mitchum; in 1968, Caan starred in Robert Altman's Countdown, and in 1969, he appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's The Rain People.

Caan shot to fame thanks to a poignant performance in the 1970 television movie Brian's Song, in which he played the ill-fated Chicago Bears star Brian Piccolo; his turn as the similarly ill-fated Sonny Corleone in Coppola's 1972 masterpiece The Godfather solidified his stardom and earned him an Academy Award nomination, but his subsequent films, including 1973's Slither and the next year's Freebie and the Bean, failed to live up to expectations. After earning a Golden Globe bid for his work in 1974's The Gambler, Caan briefly appeared in 1974's The Godfather Pt. 2 before co-starring with Barbra Streisand in the hit Funny Lady, followed by Norman Jewison's futuristic parable Rollerball. When both 1975's Sam Peckinpah thriller The Killer Elite and 1976's Harry and Walter Go to New York met with failure, Caan's career took a downward turn, and apart from cameo appearances in both Mel Brooks' Silent Movie and the star-studded A Bridge Too Far, he was largely absent from screens for a time. He also made any number of ill-considered decisions; he and Coppola were unable to come to terms for Apocalypse Now, and he also rejected roles in hits including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Superman, and Kramer vs. Kramer.

By the end of the decade, Caan's career had hit the skids, as projects including the 1978 Western Comes a Horseman (co-starring Jane Fonda) and the following year's Neil Simon drama Chapter Two all failed to live up to expectations. His directorial debut in 1980's Hide in Plain Sight fared no better, although Michael Mann's thriller Thief garnered a cult following; when 1982's Kiss Me Goodbye bombed, Caan disappeared from sight for the next five years. Finally, in 1987, Caan resurfaced, starring in Coppola's war drama Gardens of Stone; the next year's science fiction picture Alien Nation was a hit, as was his next major project, Rob Reiner's 1990 feature Misery. After 1991's For the Boys failed to connect with audiences, Caan spent much of the decade in prominent supporting roles which showcased his smart, edgy persona; among the more high-profile were 1992's Honeymoon in Vegas, 1996's Eraser, and the wonderful indie hit Bottle Rocket. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Filmography

Castle of Lies (2003) .... William Larnach
Dallas and Rusty (2003) .... Walter
Incredible Mrs. Ritchie, The (2003) .... Mr. Dewitt
Jericho Mansions (2003) .... Leonard Grey
Elf (2003) .... Buddy's Biological Father
Dogville (2003)
Blood Crime (2002) (TV) .... Sheriff Morgan McKenna
City of Ghosts (2002) .... Marvin
Lathe of Heaven (2002) (TV) .... Dr. Haber
Night at the Golden Eagle (2002) .... Prison Warden
In the Shadows (2001) .... Lance Huston
Glimpse of Hell, A (2001) (TV) .... Captain Fred Moosally
Warden of Red Rock (2001) (TV) .... John Flinders
Playboy: The Party Continues (2000) (TV) .... Himself
Viva Las Nowhere (2000) .... Roy Baker
... aka Dead Simple (2001) (USA: video title)
Way of the Gun, The (2000) .... Joe Sarno
Luckytown (2000) .... Charlie Doyles
Yards, The (2000) .... Frank Olchin
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars (1999) (TV) .... Himself
Come Get Some: The Women of the WWF (1999) (V) .... Himself
Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) .... Frank Vitale
Making of a Mobster: 'Mickey Blue Eyes', The (1999) (TV) .... Himself
Poodle Springs (1998) (TV) .... Philip Marlowe
This Is My Father (1998/I) .... Kieran Johnson
Directors: Norman Jewison, The (1997) (V) .... Himself
Bulletproof (1996) .... Frank Colton
Eraser (1996) .... U.S. Marshal Robert Deguerin
Bottle Rocket (1996) .... Abe Henry (Mr. Henry)
Boy Called Hate, A (1995) .... Jim
Tashunga (1995) .... Sean McLennon
... aka Duello tra i ghiacci (1995) (Italy)
... aka Grand nord (1995)
... aka North Star (1996) (USA)
Harley-Davidson: The American Motorcycle (1993) .... Himself
Flesh and Bone (1993) .... Roy Sweeney
Program, The (1993) .... Coach Winters
Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980, The (1992) (V) .... Santino 'Sonny' Corleone
... aka Godfather Saga, The (1992) (V) (USA)
... aka Godfather Trilogy, The (1992) (V)
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) .... Tommy Korman
Godfather Family: A Look Inside, The (1991) (TV) .... Himself
"Naked Hollywood" (1991) (mini) TV Series .... Himself
Dark Backward, The (1991) .... Doctor Scurvy
... aka Man with Three Arms, The (1991) (UK)
For the Boys (1991) .... Eddie Sparks
Godfather: Part III, The (1990) (uncredited) (archive footage) .... Santino 'Sonny' Corleone
... aka Mario Puzo's The Godfather: Part III (1990) (USA: complete title)
Misery (1990) .... Paul Sheldon
Dick Tracy (1990) .... Spaldoni
Alien Nation (1988) .... Detective Sergeant Matthew Sykes
Gardens of Stone (1987) .... Clell Hazard
Dorothy Stratten: The Untold Story (1985) (V) .... Himself
"Uns et les autres, Les" (1983) (mini) TV Series .... Glenn Sr./Glenn Jr.
Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) .... Jolly Villano
Uns et les autres, Les (1981) .... Jack Glenn/Jason Glenn
... aka Bolero (1981) (USA)
... aka Within Memory (1981)
Thief (1981) .... Frank
... aka Violent Streets (1981)
Hide in Plain Sight (1980) .... Thomas Hacklin
Chapter Two (1979) .... George Schneider
1941 (1979) (uncredited) .... Sailor in Fight
Superstunt (1978) (TV)
Comes a Horseman (1978) .... Frank 'Buck' Athearn
Un autre homme, une autre chance (1977) .... David Williams
... aka Another Man, Another Chance (1977) (USA)
... aka Another Man, Another Woman (1977) (UK)
Bridge Too Far, A (1977) .... SSgt. Eddie Dohun
Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) .... Harry Dighby
Silent Movie (1976) .... Himself
Gone with the West (1976)
... aka Bronco Busters (1976)
... aka Little Moon and Jud McGraw (1978) (USA: reissue title)
Don Rickles: Buy This Tape You Hockey Puck (1975) (V) .... Himself
From Rome to Rollerball: The Full Circle (1975) .... Himself
Funny Girl to Funny Lady (1975) (TV) .... Himself/Billy Rose
Killer Elite, The (1975) .... Mike Locken
Rollerball (1975) .... Jonathan E.
Funny Lady (1975) .... Billy Rose
Freebie and the Bean (1974) .... Freebie
Godfather: Part II, The (1974) (uncredited) .... Santino 'Sonny' Corleone
... aka Mario Puzo's The Godfather: Part II (1974) (USA: complete title)
Gambler, The (1974) .... Axel Freed
Cinderella Liberty (1973) .... John Baggs Jr.
Slither (1972) .... Dick Kanipsia
Godfather, The (1972) .... Santino 'Sonny' Corleone
... aka Mario Puzo's The Godfather (1972) (USA: complete title)
T.R. Baskin (1971) .... Larry Moore
... aka Date with a Lonely Girl, A (1971) (UK)
Brian's Song (1971) (TV) .... Brian Piccolo
Rabbit, Run (1970) .... Rabbit Angstrom
Rain People, The (1969) .... Jimmy Kilgannon (Killer)
Submarine X-1 (1968) .... Cmd Richard Bolton RNVR
Journey to Shiloh (1968) .... Buck Burnett
Countdown (1968) .... Lee Stegler
Games (1967) .... Paul Montgomery
El Dorado (1967) .... Alan Bourdillion Traherne 'Mississippi'
Red Line 7000 (1965) .... Mike
Glory Guys, The (1965) .... Pvt. Anthony Dugan
Lady in a Cage (1964) .... Randall

Links

Contact

P.O. Box 6646
Denver, CO 80206-0646
USA