James Caan

@Film & Theater Personalities, Birthday and Childhood

James Caan is an American actor and director known for his work in ‘Brian’s Song.’

Mar 26, 1940

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Biography

Personal Details

  • Birthday: March 26, 1940
  • Nationality: American
  • Famous: Film & Theater Personalities, Actors, Directors
  • City/State: New York City, New Yorkers
  • Spouses: Dee Jay Mattis (m. 1960; div. 1966), Ingrid Hajek (m. 1990; div. 1995), Linda Stokes (m. 1995; div. 2009), Sheila Marie Ryan (m. 1976; div. 1977)
  • Known as: James Edmund Caan
  • Childrens: Alexander James Caan, Jacob Nicholas Caan, James Arthur Caan, Scott Caan, Tara A. Caan

James Caan born at

The Bronx, New York City, New York

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Birth Place

James Caan has been married four times. In 1961, he married Dee Jay Mathis. The couple had a daughter named Tara before divorcing in 1966.

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Personal Life

He then married Sheila Marie Ryan in 1976. Their son, Scott Caan, who is also an actor, was born in August 1976. However, the couple parted ways a year later.

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Personal Life

The American actor was married to Ingrid Hajek from 1990 to 1994. The couple has a son named Alexander James Caan.

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Personal Life

James Edmund Caan was born on March 26, 1940 in New York to Sophie and Arthur, a butcher, as one of their three children.

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Childhood & Early Life

He received his schooling in New York City and later went on to attend Michigan State University. He eventually transferred to Hofstra University. However, he didn’t graduate from there.

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Childhood & Early Life

During his time at Hofstra, he developed a deep interest in acting and enrolled at New York City's Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and studied there for five years.

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Childhood & Early Life

James Caan started his career on the stage by appearing in off-Broadway plays including ‘La Ronde’ before making his Broadway debut in the play ‘Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole’. He then made his first television appearance in an episode of the series ‘Naked City’.

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Career

In 1963, he landed his first movie role in ‘Irma la Douce’. The following year, he got featured in an episode of ‘Channing’. That year, the actor appeared in the thriller film ‘Lady in a Cage’ as well.

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Career

He had a role in the flick ‘The Glory Guys’ in 1965. The same year, he played Mike Marsh in the movie ‘Red Line 7000’. He next did the films ‘El Dorado’, ‘Countdown’, ‘Games’, ‘Submarine X-1’ and ‘Journey to Shiloh’.

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Career

Caan next portrayed a brain-damaged football player in the movie ‘The Rain People’ (1969) for which he was highly praised. He then filmed for the flick ‘Gone with the West’ that was not released until 1975. In the year 1970, he did ‘Rabbit, Run’. The following year, he got featured in ‘T.R. Baskin’.

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Career

The actor was then cast in ‘Slither’ (1973), a romantic comedy that also starred Peter Boyle and Sally Kellerman. He then played the title role in the flick ‘The Gambler’ in 1974. The same year, Caan appeared in the action comedy film ‘Freebie and the Bean’.

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Career

In 1971, James Caan appeared in the TV film ‘Brian's Song.’ In this movie, he played the dying football player Brian Piccolo who shares a great bond with Chicago Bears teammate Gale Sayers. The production was a huge success and critics even called the movie one of the finest television movies ever made. The flick also earned Caan an Emmy Award nomination.

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Major Works

Caan was cast as Sonny Corleone in the crime film ‘The Godfather’. Produced by Albert S. Ruddy and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this movie was based on Mario Gianluigi Puzo’s best-selling novel of the same name. This movie was the highest-grossing movie of 1972 and went on to win several Oscar awards. Also, Caan’s performance in the flick earned him one Academy Award nomination as well as one Golden Globe Award nomination.

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Major Works

For a few years, the American actor served as the chairman of Openfilm, an internet company that was dedicated to help upcoming filmmakers. Openfilm closed in 2015.

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Major Works