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James Caan dead at 82: The Godfather & Elf actor passes away as family thanks fans for ‘heartfelt condolences’
ACTOR James Caan has died at the age of 82.
The Hollywood star is famed for his roles in The Godfather, Elf, and Brian's Song.
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Caan passed away on Wednesday, according to , after over 50 years in the limelight.
The news was shared via Tweet on his official page, reading: "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."
TALENTED ACTOR
Caan's career began when he played Brian Piccolo in Brian's Song.
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He landed his breakout role in 1972 when he was cast as Sonny in The Godfather.
The film star received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor as well as a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.
He later reprised the role when he returned for Godfather II.
Caan acted for decades in numerous blockbuster movies, including "Misery," "Dick Tracy" and most endearingly alongside Will Ferrell in "Elf."
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FAMILY LIFE
The long-time actor was born in 1940 in the Bronx of New York to Jewish immigrant parents from Germany.
His father supported his family as a butcher in the city, and James later played football at Michigan State University.
The Oscar-nominee has been married four times, the first to Dee Jay Mathis with whom he shares a daughter named Tara.
After their divorce in 1966, Caan married a former girlfriend of Elvis Presley, Sheila Marie Ryan, but their relationship was short-lived and only lasted a year.
Their son, however, Scott Caan, later followed in his father's acting footsteps and earned a starring role on Hawaii 5-0.
In the early 90s, Caan married Ingrid Hajek and they had a son together, Alexander James Caan.
The Hollywood star tied the knot for the final time in 1995 to a woman named Linda Stokes, and the couple welcomed two sons of their own, James Arthur Caan and Jacob Nicholas Caan.
After 22 years of marriage, the pair divorced citing irreconcilable differences.
HEALTH CONCERNS
Caan struggled with various mental and physical health complications over the years, including depression, severe chest pain, and back problems.
The talented star was diagnosed with clinical depression in 1981 after his sister died of Leukemia.
He also admitted to fighting a cocaine addiction for nearly a decade and recalled feeling hopeless while on the set of several films.
He once told the New York Times in an interview: "There are pictures I made that I still haven't seen.
"I was depressed when I was making them. In the middle of some of these pictures, I kept thinking, 'What am I doing here?' It's like you're in a hallway and you can't get out."
"I had a bad bout with cocaine for a little while. I lost my sister when it happened.
“And she was like, I don't know, when I lost her, I couldn't, I couldn't handle it, I didn't know what to do," he told Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz last July.
In 2015, Caan was rushed to the hospital with extreme chest pain, and despite concerns of a heart attack, medics attributed it to infection.
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The actor has been seen in a wheelchair in more recent years as his health has declined since the incident.
Family and friends have shared photos of remembrance for the lost talent.
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