Actor James Caan Has Died

The Godfather and Elf star James Caan has passed away at the age of 82.

News of the American actor's passing was announced by his family on Twitter, with a post explaining Caan passed away on Wednesday (6 July).

A cause of death has not yet been confirmed to the public.

The family wrote: "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time."

The tweet concluded with the phrase 'end of tweet' - a nod to the words Caan would previously use to end his posts on the platform.

Caan was born in the Bronx, New York in 1940 and became interested in acting after going to university at Hofstra University, where he met his future collaborator Francis Ford Coppola.

Though he starred in numerous films throughout the 1970s and 1980s, one of his most memorable roles came as he appeared in The Godfather as Sonny; brother to the character Michael Corleone, who was played by Al Pacino.

His performance earned him his first and only Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, with many fans remembering his character's brutal death scene.

Later in life Caan starred in films such as Get Smart, That's My Boy and of course Elf, in which he starred alongside Will Ferrell as Buddy the elf's biological father, Walter.

Tributes have been pouring in for Caan since his family announced the news of his death, with fans saying he would always be remembered.

"RIP James Caan, who channeled tough-guy vulnerability like no other actor in his generation. I *loved* watching him explode and fall apart in movies," one fan wrote.

Another commented: "RIP James Caan. Shocked. Was lucky enough, after a lifetime of loving his work, to get to work with him and I loved him as a person even more. Funny, warm, self-deprecating, and effortlessly talented. They say never meet your heroes, but he proved that to be very very wrong."

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn also paid tribute to Caan, writing: "Rest In Peace James Caan. There are so many movies of his I love, The Godfather films of course being at the very top, but here are a few more I adore (Thief in particular was a Gunn family classic - I had the poster on my wall in high school)."

Caan was married four times throughout his life and welcomed five children into the world.