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
I didn't turn the script down. It was the title. It didn't sound... right. From The Godfather to Elf? My agents told me: "We're sending you a script called Elf", and I said: "No you're not!
Joseph Russo is a dear friend of mine and I cannot express enough how pleased I am that your office has taken interest and is in pursuit of correcting this problem.
Will is extremely funny. The tights, though, they were a little vulgar. I just looked at the tights and there's nothing funny about them!
I loved 'Funny Lady' for whatever reason. People say they didn't know I could sing and dance. Well, nobody ever asks me - it's always, 'Punch this guy.'
I play a guy who believes he's a king. He's the most common man in the world; in fact his family, like his suits, are just make-up. It's about dysfunctional people and dysfunctional relationships.
People wonder why first-time directors can make a brilliant picture, then suck on the second one. It's because they're a little terrified the first time. So they listen to all the experts around them.
I had my first puff on a joint when I was twenty-four and a half, and I was petrified. I thought I was gonna see elephants.
I'll bump into a guy in a bar, and he'll say, "I'm sorry, Sonny!" It's surreal.
How good a Little League coach was I? I was a little hyper. One thing I learned was that talent comes from everywhere; it doesn't have to come just from the ghetto. But in Beverly Hills, because Daddy has a grocery store, the kids lack a lot of try.
No matter what heights you achieve, even if you're Brad Pitt, the slide is coming, sure as death and taxes.
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 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.
The most talented people are always the nicest.
I never rode a bull - I'm not that stupid.