A masculine and enigmatic actor whose life and movie career have had more ups and downs than the average rollercoaster and whose selection of roles has arguably derailed him from achieving true superstar status, James Caan is New York born and bred (the son of a butcher). The athletically gifted Caan played football at Michigan State University while studying economics, holds a black belt in karate and for several years was even a regular on the rodeo circuit, where he was nicknamed "The Jewish Cowboy". However, while studying at Hofstra University, he became intrigued by acting and was interviewed and accepted at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. He then won a scholarship to study under acting coach Wynn Handman and began to appear in several off-Broadway productions, including "I Roam" and "Mandingo".

He made his screen debut as a sailor in Irma la Douce and began to impress audiences with his work in Red Line 7000 and the western El Dorado alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. Further work followed in Journey to Shiloh and in the sensitive The Rain People. However, audiences were moved to tears as he put in a heart-rending performance as cancer-stricken Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo in the highly rated made-for-TV film Brian's Song.

With these strong performances under his belt, Francis Ford Coppola then cast him as hot-tempered gangster Santino "Sonny" Corleone in the Mafia epic The Godfather. The film was an enormous success, Caan scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination and, in the years since, the role has proven to be the one most fondly remembered by his legion of fans. He reprised the role for several flashback scenes in the sequel The Godfather: Part II and then moved on to several very diverse projects. These included a cop-buddy crime partnership with Alan Arkin in the uneven Freebie and the Bean, a superb performance as a man playing for his life in The Gambler alongside Lauren Hutton, and pairing with Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady. Two further strong lead roles came up for him in 1975, first as futuristic sports star "Jonathon E" questioning the moral fiber of a sterile society in Rollerball and teaming up with Robert Duvall in the Sam Peckinpah spy thriller The Killer Elite.

Unfortunately, Caan's rising star sputtered badly at this stage of his career, and several film projects failed to find fire with either critics or audiences. These included such failures as the hokey Harry and Walter Go to New York, the quasi-western Comes a Horseman and the saccharine Chapter Two. However, he did score again with the stylish Michael Mann-directed heist movie Thief. He followed this with a supernatural romantic comedy titled Kiss Me Goodbye and then, due to personal conflicts, dropped out of the spotlight for several years before returning with a stellar performance under old friend Francis Ford Coppola in the moving Gardens of Stone.

Caan appeared back in favor with fans and critics alike and raised his visibility with the sci-fi hit Alien Nation and Dick Tracy, then surprised everyone by playing a meek romance novelist held captive after a car accident by a deranged fan in the dynamic Misery. The 1990s were kind to him and he notched up roles as a band leader in For the Boys, another gangster in Honeymoon in Vegas, appeared in the indie hit Bottle Rocket and pursued Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser.

The demand on Caan's talents seems to have increased steadily over the past few years as he is making himself known to a new generation of fans. Recent hot onscreen roles have included The Yards, City of Ghosts and Dogville. In addition, he finds himself at the helm of the hit TV series Las Vegas as casino security chief "Big Ed" Deline. An actor of undeniably manly appeal, James Caan continues to surprise and delight audiences with his invigorating performances.


The Godfather: Part II (1974): $35,000
The Godfather (1972): $35,000

Played football for Michigan State University. Father of actor Scott Caan. In the 1990s, he kicked a cocaine habit of some 20 years. Son of Arthur & Sophie Caan. His father was a kosher butcher. Briefly lived at the Playboy Mansion in the 1970s. Some sources give his birth year as 1939. Spent 9 years on the pro rodeo circuit. Was a drama major at Hofstra University on Long Island, New York. After being turned down by Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino, Julia Phillips inquired of Caan's agent if he would be interested in taking the lead role of Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Caan's agent responded that he would read the script for a guarantee of $1 million plus 10% of the gross if he accepted the role. Phillips went with the original choice, Richard Dreyfuss. Two generations of his family and the Coppola family have worked together. He worked with Francis Ford Coppola most memorably in the first two Godfather films (The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974)) and in Gardens of Stone (1987). His son, Scott Caan, appeared in Sonny (2002), which was directed by Nicolas Cage and featured Cage and his brother, Marc Coppola. Sonny was also the name of Caan's "Godfather" character. In the Godfather trilogy, Andy Garcia plays the son of Caan's character, Sonny Corleone. In Ocean's Eleven (2001) and Ocean's Twelve (2004), Caan's son, Scott Caan, works with Garcia. In his youth, his nicknames were "Shoulders" and "Killer Caan". His film contracts during his rodeo days had written in them that he could not compete in rodeos during filming. This was for fear he would injure or kill himself. Has a daughter named Tara Caan with Dee Jay Mathis. Studied in Rhodes High School in New York. Studied Economics in Michigan State University. During the making of Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), he nicknamed Hugh Grant "Whippy" after the Whippet, an English breed of dog that shivers a lot.