Heartbroken James Caan Fans Celebrate Late Actor Following His Death at 82

James Caan left behind an incredible body of work, starring in different classics for each generation. His heartbroken fans rushed to social media to celebrate the Hollywood legend on Thursday after his family announced his death. The actor, who earned an Oscar nomination for The Godfather, was 82.

Caan died on Wednesday evening, his family announced on Twitter. A cause of death was not made available. "The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time," his family said. They added "end of tweet" to the message, referring to Caan's famous tweet sign-off.

Caan began his career on the stage and started appearing in movies during the early 1960s. It was not until the now-legendary TV movie Brian's Song aired in November 1971 that Caan became a household name. This was followed quickly by his casting in The Godfather as the hot-headed Sonny Corleone. Caan's popularity began to wane during the late 1970s, and his sister's death from leukemia led to a struggle with depression and he began using cocaine. After a long break from acting in the 1980s, he returned to popularity during the early 1990s. His performance in Rob Reiner's Misery, opposite Kathy Bates, revived his career. For many younger movie fans, Caan is beloved for his performance as Buddy's father in Elf.

Caan never retired, making his last movie, Queen Bees, in 2021. In recent years, he gave dozens of candid interviews, many of which have resurfaced on social media since his death. Scroll on to see how his fans and colleagues are remembering the screen icon today.