Actor James Caan, who played criminal Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 82, according to a statement on Twitter from his family.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time,” said the statement, which was posted on Caan’s official Twitter account.
Despite having other notable parts in movies like 1990's Misery and Dick Tracy or 2003's Elf, his career was defined by his performance as Vitto Corleone's brother and Michael Corleone's son. For his work in a supporting role, he received nominations for both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe. The news was shared by James' family on his official Twitter account. James Caan passed away without a known cause of death, although considering his old age—82—natural causes can be the reason why. We won't be able to provide an official reason, though, until something is announced. Caan did lead a quite adventurous and difficult life over the years, particularly in the 1980s. One of the worst things he had to go through was losing his sister in 1981, but acting ultimately saved his life.
According to Marca, James Caan's battle with depression was brought on by the early 1980s death of his sister; the two were very close. In actuality, Caan had a dreadful decade, which included a battle with cocaine addiction that lasted for about 4 years.
