Al Pacino, Kathy Bates, and more stars pay tribute to James Caan: 'The film world has suffered a big loss'

Keith Langston
·7 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Hollywood lost a legend this week when James Caan, the Oscar-nominated actor known for his work in such beloved films as The Godfather, Misery, and Elf, died at 82. In the wake of his passing, many of Caan's costars, collaborators, friends, and fans have been paying tribute to him and his storied career, which spanned nearly six decades.

Al Pacino, who starred alongside Caan in The Godfather, said in a statement to EW, "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."

Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola, who was slated to reunite with Caan on his upcoming film Megalopolis, said in a statement, "Jimmy was someone who stretched through my life longer and closer than any motion picture figure I've ever known. From those earlier times working together on The Rain People and throughout all the milestones of my life, his films and the many great roles he played will never be forgotten. He will always be my old friend from Sunnyside, my collaborator, and one of the funniest people I've ever known."

James Caan and Al Pacino in 'The Godfather'
James Caan and Al Pacino in 'The Godfather'

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images James Caan and Al Pacino in 'The Godfather'

Robert De Niro, another contemporary of Caan's who starred in The Godfather: Part II, said simply, "I'm very, very sad to hear about Jimmy's passing."

Kathy Bates, who won an Oscar for her role opposite Caan in Misery, said in a statement, "I can't believe Jimmy's gone. Working with him on Misery was one of the most profound experiences of my career. When you watch his performance, his terror, it's as though he's watching a snake. Brilliant. So many memories are flooding back today. Jimmy saying, 'Let's get the most hyper guy in Hollywood and make him stay in bed for 15 weeks!' We were so excited when we got to shoot in the dining room. He was kind. Hilarious. He would have something insightfully funny to say right now. I'm bereft. Sending all my love to the Caan family."

Misery director, Rob Reiner, said to EW in a statement, "Jimmy was a natural. A great instinctive actor loaded with talent and presence. His chemistry with Kathy Bates brought Misery to life. More importantly, he was the only Jew I knew who could rope a calf with best of them. The film world has suffered a big loss."

Michael Mann, who directed Caan in the 1981 thriller Thief, offered his own heartfelt tribute: "What a terrible and tragic loss. Jimmy was not just a great actor with total commitment and a venturesome spirit, but he had a vitality in the core of his being that drove everything from his art and friendship to athletics and very good times. There was a core of values within him about how people should be, more or less. It might be variable, the corners could be rounded with urban irony, but there was a line and it was non-fungible. And it produced many outrageous and hilarious anecdotes."

Mann continued, "I loved him and I loved working with him. He reached into the core of his being during difficult personal times to be the rebellious, half-wild child, institutionalized outsider Frank, in my first film, Thief. Frank is half Frank, half Jimmy. The character and the man — like his Sonny in The Godfather — were made for each other. Unique. What a loss."

Read more tributes to Caan below.

Related content: