James Caan Ed « big Ed » Deline in Las Vegas
Birth name: James Edmund Caan Biography for James CaanA 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 (1963) and began to impress audiences with his work in Red Line 7000 (1965) and the western El Dorado (1966) alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. Further work followed in Journey to Shiloh (1968) and in the sensitive The Rain People (1969). 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 (1971) (TV).
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 (1972). 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 (1974) 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 (1974), a superb performance as a man playing for his life in The Gambler (1974) alongside Lauren Hutton, and pairing with Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady (1975). 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 (1975) and teaming up with Robert Duvall in the Sam Peckinpah spy thriller The Killer Elite (1975).
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 (1976), the quasi-western Comes a Horseman (1978) and the saccharine Chapter Two (1979). However, he did score again with the stylish Michael Mann-directed heist movie Thief (1981). He followed this with a supernatural romantic comedy titled Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) 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 (1987).
Caan appeared back in favor with fans and critics alike and raised his visibility with the sci-fi hit Alien Nation (1988) and Dick Tracy (1990), then surprised everyone by playing a meek romance novelist held captive after a car accident by a deranged fan in the dynamic Misery (1990). The 1990s were kind to him and he notched up roles as a band leader in For the Boys (1991), another gangster in Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), appeared in the indie hit Bottle Rocket (1996) and pursued Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser (1996).
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 (2000), City of Ghosts (2002) and Dogville (2003). In addition, he finds himself at the helm of the hit TV series "Las Vegas" (2003) 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.
After spending his youth in Queens in New York, James Caan joined Michigan State University at the age of sixteen to study the economy and play American football. He then turned to legal training at the Hofstra University, but an hearing allows him to enter the Neigborhood Playhouse in Sanford Meisner. He subsequently obtained a scholarship to study with Wynn Handman and won the first four roles for which he is auditioned.
James Caan started on stage in 1961 in "La Ronde" then plays Broadway "Mandingo" and "Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole". After several appearances in TV series (Naked City, the Incorruptibles, The Wide Country), he appears for the first time in the cinema in Irma the sweet (1963) by Billy Wilder and after a remarkable passage in two feature films by Howard Hawks ( Red line 7000 (1965) and El Dorado (1967) alongside John Wayne), he finds himself at the head of the people of the rain (1969) by Francis Ford Coppola.
After his brilliant performance of a treble footballer, he turns again under the direction of Coppola in the godfather, where in the role of the brutal Sonny Corleone he formed an amazing contrast with the other son, more intellectual, interpreted by Al Pacino. This family fresco imposes it on Hollywood and allowed it to be appointed in 1972 to the Oscar of the second male role. Now an actor of the very first plan, he embodies a university professor plagued by the demon of the game in the Flambeur (1974) and gave the reply to Barbra Streisand in the musical Funny Lady (1975) by Herbert Ross.
In 1975, his past as a great sportsman allowed James Caan to put on particularly physical roles: he made his own waterfalls in the futuristic and violent rollerball by Norman Jewison and practiced martial arts for the needs of elite killer, film D 'Sam Peckinpah espionage. The following year, he joined the prestigious casting of a bridge too far (1977) and was led by Claude Lelouch in another man, another chance (id.), Mixture of romance and western with it canvas Basically the United States of the 1870s. The two men will again collaborate together on each other in 1981.
In 1980, James Caan put himself for the first and only time on the impossible witness which turns out to be a commercial failure. Despite everything, he continued his cinematographic career by playing the ace of the burglaole in the solitary (1981) of Michael Mann. After an absence of five years on the screen, he found the director who revealed him internationally, Francis Ford Coppola, for the needs of Pierre's Gardens (1987), a military drama with the War of Vietnam. He continued with the filming of immediate future Los Angeles 1991 (1988), where he embodied a police officer collaborating with an extraterrestrial, then interpreted the gangster Spaldoni against Warren Beatty in the police comedy Dick Tracy (1990).
In the 90s, James Caan was more prolific: he was in turn the writer Paul Sheldon selected prisoner by Kathy Bates in Misery (1990), the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, La Grande star of Music-Hall Eddie Sparks in For The Boys (1991), the murderous father of Dennis Quaid in Flesh and Bone (1993) or even the mentor and adversary of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the erasurer (1996). The actor with large shoulders also shows remarkable charisma when it comes to interpreting an unavailable employer in The Yards (2000) or a man in charge of the bass work in Way of the Gun (Id. ). However, these rather serious roles do not prevent him from playing in lighter films like Mickey Les Eyes Bleus (1999), where he self -produces as a mafia godfather, and Elf (2003), where he slips into the skin of A disaster publisher father of a funny individual (Will Ferrell) high in elves.
2003 marks his first regular role in a TV series since he became head of security for a large casino in Las Vegas.
James Caan is an American actor born March 26, 1940 in New York, in the Bronx district. He started his acting career in the 1960s and has since played in many films and television series.
Caan is known for his role in the film "The godfather" of 1972, in which he interpreted the character of Sonny Corleone, the impulsive and angry son of Vito Corleone. He also played in other popular films such as "Misery" (1990), "Eraser" (1996) and "Elf" (2003).
In addition to his film career, Caan has also played in television series such as "Las Vegas" (2003-2008) and "Back in the Game" (2013-2014). In 2011, he received an Emmy Award for the best actor's performance in a supporting role for his performance in the series "Entourage".
Apart from his acting career, Caan is also known for his commitment to various charitable causes, in particular in terms of education and help for children in difficulty. He is also passionate about combat sports, and has practiced karate for many years. Filmography
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