5 Things You Never Knew About James Caan
James Caan, born on March 26, 1940, was a Hollywood icon known for his tough-guy persona. With a career spanning over six decades, he left a lasting mark on the industry, starring in a diverse array of classics that ran the gamut from The Godfather to Misery to Elf. His portrayal of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather earned him an Academy Award nomination, and he continued to impress audiences with roles in Thief, Rollerball and The Gambler. However, behind the scenes, Caan was a man of many layers and had some heartbreaking setbacks. When he passed away on July 6, 2022, at the age of 82, the industry lost a true legend.
In honor of what would have been his 85th birthday, here are five things you may not have known about him.
1 He coached Little League Baseball
MGM/Everett Collection
During the ’80s, Caan took a step back from Hollywood while struggling with personal issues and the grief of losing his sister, Barbara, to leukemia. Unfortunately, he also began dealing with a drug addiction during that time, but he found some solace in coaching his son’s Little League baseball team. He once said one of his favorite memories was when the team’s weakest player hit a game-winning home run. Caan described it as one of the greatest moments of his life. How sweet!
2 He loved martial arts
Everett Collection
It may surprise you to learn that Caan, who was more famous onscreen for wielding a gun than hand-to-hand combat, was a dedicated martial artist; he earned a sixth-degree black belt in Gosoku Ryu Karate and trained with renowned sensei Takayuki Kubota for nearly 30 years. His love for the discipline was so intense that he ensured his film contracts allowed him to continue training and competing, even as he juggled his Hollywood career.
3 He turned down some major roles
Everett Collection
He was offered the role of Superman in the 1978 blockbuster, but turned it down because he didn’t want to wear the costume. He also passed on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Apocalypse Now, Kramer vs. Kramer, The French Connection, Rocky and Blade Runner. While he missed out on some major films, he later admitted that rejecting One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was his biggest regret.
4 He was fascinated by the rodeo
Bazille/Showtime Networks Inc./Everett Collection
Caan spent nearly a decade competing on the pro rodeo circuit, riding in team roping events. His passion for the sport was so intense that his film contracts had clauses preventing him from competing during filming in case he got injured. He owned several horses and often spoke about the camaraderie of the rodeo community, which he found refreshingly different from the entertainment industry.
5 He had ties to the real-life mob
Everett Collection
Caan’s performance as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather was so convincing that it caught the attention of some real-life mobsters. During the production of the film in 1971, Caan was frequently seen with Carmine “The Snake” Persico, a notorious mafioso who later became the head of the Colombo crime family. At the time, government agents briefly mistook Caan, who was still relatively unknown, for an aspiring mobster himself.
He was also close friends with Andrew Russo, a Colombo family member who became the godfather of Caan’s son, Scott Caan. The FBI allegedly intercepted a conversation between Caan and another mobster, Anthony Fiato, revealing that Caan had ordered Fiato to rough up actor Joe Pesci over an unpaid $8,000 hotel bill. Caan always denied any involvement in organized crime, stating that he was simply fascinated by these figures and their way of life.
Remind 
Classic Hollywood Hunks
September 2019
Cary Grant, Sean Connery, Rock Hudson and Paul Newman, smoldered onscreen and, in addition to being smokin’ hot, they were effortlessly cool.
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