James Caan, Buddy's Dad In 'Elf' & Star Of 'The Godfather,' Has Died At 82
RIP
Veteran actor James Caan — whom most millennials probably remember best as Buddy's business-tycoon dad in Elf — has died at the age of 82.
Caan's representatives announced the news via social media on Thursday, though they didn't go into detail about it.
"It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6," they wrote. "The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time."
\u201cEnd of tweet\u201d— James Caan (@James Caan) 1651617995
Caan started acting in the early 1960s and appeared in several tremendously successful movies over the years. In The Godfather, for example, he played the hot-headed Sonny Corleone, and starred in several other movies such as Thief and Rollerball before taking a break in the mid-80s due to a "pretty scary period" in his life.
"I missed a decade," he once told the New York Times.
\u201cRIP to the legend James Caan aka Sonny Corleone!\n\nHis death in the Godfather is one of the most memorable scenes ever in film history! \n\nhttps://t.co/83Aan1BWi4\u201d— \ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc7fDJ Gandolfini\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc7f (@\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc7fDJ Gandolfini\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc7f) 1657214947
But Caan returned to Hollywood at the end of the decade and got his career rolling again with Misery and dozens of other films over the following decades.
He won a new generation of fans in 2003, when he starred as Will Ferrell's grumpy father in Elf.
Caan's Elf co-stars didn't immediately address the news, but many of them aren't particularly active on social media.
However, there were still plenty of fans mourning him on social media Thursday, with many tweeting "RIP Sonny" as a tribute to his role in The Godfather.
Caan's career slowed down in recent years but he continued acting with a role in Queen Bees last year and one more film, Fast Charlie, slated for release next year, according to IMDB.