Hollywood Reacts To The Death Of James Caan
Another Hollywood legend has passed on. James Caan's death was announced via his official Twitter account on July 7 (he passed on the 6th), but the details surrounding the cause are currently unknown. Just as fans of Ray Liotta did under two months ago after his surprising death, fans of Caan headed to social media to remember the late actor who starred in critically-acclaimed hits "The Godfather," "Misery," and the beloved Christmas comedy flick, "Elf."
Caan was 82 years old and leaves behind a catalog of films that any actor in the game would be so lucky to boast. Not only did fans take to social media, but friends and colleagues of Caan did as well. Twitter was flooded with condolences, fond memories, and photos of the "Theif" star from dozens of entertainment personalities — both those who have worked with him and those who simply admired him. Here's what they had to say.
James Caan's co-stars remember him fondly
One of the most heartfelt posts on Twitter came from Adam Sandler, who previously co-starred with James Caan in "Bulletproof" and "That's My Boy." "James Caan. Loved him very much. Always wanted to be like him. So happy I got to know him. Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. His movies were best of the best. We all will miss him terribly. Thinking of his family and sending my love," the comedian tweeted. Another Caan co-star mirrored Sandler's sentiments, with "Elf" actor Andy Richter sharing his stories of the late actor online. "They say never meet your heroes, but he proved that to be very very wrong," he tweeted after gushing over his colleague. Richter also mentioned that every time he was around Caan he couldn't stop laughing, and he went on to praise his talent.
Veteran actor Gary Sinise also shared some words about his friend on Twitter. "Jimmy was so supportive of Gary Sinise Foundation & my work w/ our veterans. He will be missed. Thank you my friend. Rest In Peace. God bless you," the "Snake Eyes" star wrote fondly. Rob Reiner, who directed "Misery," said he was so sad to hear about Caan's passing. "I loved working with him. And the only Jew I knew who could calf rope with the best of them. Love to the family," the director tweeted. If we learned anything from the overwhelming response from celebrities today, it's that Caan was genuine, funny, and encouraging.
James Caan had a massive influence on celebrities both on and off screen
James Gunn wrote about his admiration for James Caan online shortly after the news of the actor's death. "There are so many movies of his I love, The Godfather films of course being at the very top, but here are a few more I adore (Thief in particular was a Gunn family classic," the "Guardians of the Galaxy" director wrote, while also noting he had a "Theif" poster on his wall when he was younger.
Jennifer Tilly, who worked with Caan on 2003's "Jericho Mansions," told a funny story she remembered her co-star telling her about Francis Ford Coppola. According to Tilly, Coppola used to steal Caan's food on "The Godfather" set. This became a habit, so Caan decided to play a risky prank on his director. One day he put a whole bunch of jalapenos between two pieces of bread and stood outside Coppola's trailer waiting for him to come out. "Coppola came roaring out to direct the next scene, grabbed the sandwich off the plate & gobbled it down. Immediately tears started squirting out of his eyes & he started yelling 'What is this? What did you do to me?!' And Jimmy said meekly 'Did I ask you to eat my sandwich? Did I?' Tilly recounted.
"Can't Hardly Wait" star Ethan Embry got very personal in his Twitter post where he responded to the news of Caan's death. "The Caan family played a major role in saving my life 11 years ago. I am so sorry for your loss and hope you can again soon find peace," Embry wrote. The actor revealed on Twitter in 2017 that he was recovering from an opiate addiction, which he said he kicked six years prior. While Embry didn't detail how the Caan family helped him, they obviously had a tremendous impact on his life.
Other celebrities who honored Caan on social media in shorter posts included Maria Shriver, Cary Elwes, Scott Derrickson, Brent Spiner, Michael McKean, and Barbara Streisand — to name a few.