In the wake of his passing, James Caan’s Godfather costars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro have paid heartfelt tributes to the legendary actor.
Although some younger movie fans may have their fondest memories of Caan from his role in Elf , his turn as the hotheaded Sonny Corleone in The Godfather remains the most iconic and timeless in his long body of work.
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And in his decades of work in the film industry, he’s clearly touched a lot of lives in Hollywood judging by the sombre memorials this sad news has inspired among his peers.
But some of the closest among them were people who also lent their talents to the gangster classic and they are now speaking out with their own bittersweet words of praise for their fallen friend.
At 1:02 pm on July 7, James Caan’s family updated his Twitter account with news of his death at the age of 82 that occurred on the previous day.
As they wrote in their tweet , “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
Soon after, his on-screen brother Al Pacino released his own statement of sorrow for Caan’s passing.
He would extend this tribute to Hollywood Life, saying, “Jimmy was my fictional brother and my lifelong friend. 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 — who played a younger version Sonny’s father Vito in ‘The Godfather: Part II — soon followed with his own short tribute.
Although the difference in time period between their parts of the film meant they didn’t share any scenes together, it was clear that De Niro nonetheless shared Pacino’s respect and affection for Caan.
In his words, “I’m very very sad to hear about Jimmy’s passing.”
Caan is survived by five children, including fellow actor Scott Caan, who is best known for his roles in ‘Hawaii Five-O’ and ‘Ocean’s 11.’
In keeping with their request for privacy while they mourn Caan, his family have not released a cause of death.
h/t: Hollywood Life