Movie legend James Caan died Wednesday night, according to a tweet on the actor’s verified Twitter account. He was 82.
A cause of death was not immediately released.
“It is with great sadness that we inform you of Jimmy’s passing on the evening of July 6th,” the tweet read. “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
The Bronx native, who played Sonny Corleone in the godfather and starred in a slew of other much-loved films such as Brian’s song, elf and Troubletold ABC last year he was still excited to work at 81.
“I can’t take it easy,” he said last July. “I like to work. I like to work with good people. I have more fun at work because I get to meet new people, and especially good people, you know?”
The son of a kosher butcher, Caan ditched the meat business for Hollywood in the early 1970s. After his breakthrough role in the godfatherhe became a star defining a generation into the early 80s before abruptly quitting acting for what he described as a “pretty scary period.”
Kaan told The New York Times in 1991, the period included two bitter divorces, “bad” career moves, depression, cocaine abuse, financial problems and the loss of his beloved sister, which left him out of the limelight for nearly a decade.
However, he recovered in the 90s, despite never rising to the pinnacle of Hollywood he once occupied.
In his later years, Caan was an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump and backtracked from his personal policy of staying out of politics.
“I was never politically oriented – in fact, I called myself a radical middle-man,” he told the newspaper. Jerusalem Post in 2016†
But as the actor got older, he became more critical of “liberal Hollywood” and the Democrats running for office, namely Hillary Clinton.
“It pisses me off when they talk about all those Hollywood liberals,” Caan told the… After† “There is a whole group of us who are conservative. I find it offensive when actors go to news shows and express their political views. They don’t really have a degree in political science, who cares what they think?”
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