James Caan
James Caan
James Edmund Caanis an American actor. After early roles in The Glory Guysand El Dorado, he came to prominence in the 1970s with significant roles in films such as Brian's Song, The Gambler, Funny Ladyand A Bridge Too Far. For his signature role in The Godfather, that of hot-tempered Sonny Corleone, Caan was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the corresponding Golden Globe...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth26 March 1940
CityBronx, NY
CountryUnited States of America
Someone's always saying, "It's not whether you win or lose," but if you feel that way, you're as good as dead.
There's a big difference between wanting to work and having to work. And I had to learn that the hard way. Now money is very important to me, because I ain't got it.
There's nothing more boring than actors talking about acting.
You have to be very careful when you let someone win.
Unless I love something or hate it, I don't want to deal with it.
People are always backing up when I'm just going to shake their hands.
Saving a letter from an old friend doesn't exist anymore. Everything is texted or emailed.
I'll see a beautiful girl walking up to me and I'll think, Oh, my God, I can't believe my good luck. But then she'll say, 'Where's your son?' or 'My mother loves you'.
I never saw my dad cry. My son saw me cry. My dad never told me he loved me, and consequently I told Scott I loved him every other minute. The point is, I'll make less mistakes than my dad, my sons hopefully will make less mistakes than me, and their sons will make less mistakes than their dads.
I really believe that you grow up a certain way in New York. There's a New York morality, a sense of loyalty. You know how to win and lose. There's a thousand kids outside, you know who to push and who not to push. There's a sixth sense you develop just because it's New York.
No matter what heights you achieve, even if you're Brad Pitt, the slide is coming, sure as death and taxes.
Some guys say beauty is only skin deep. But when you walk into a party, you don't see somebody's brain. The initial contact has to be the sniffing.
I've never been difficult to anybody or with anybody on a picture. Especially when you're in that nice status of hierarchy of actors and actresses who get to approve directors. Because once you make that choice, it's my belief that the director's boss.
I've been lucky. The critics never went out of their way to single me out for doing bad work.