James Caan

The son of a kosher meat salesman, James Caan was born March 26, 1939, in the Bronx, N.Y., and was raised in Queens. A former lifeguard, he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse and made a 1960 off-Broadway debut in "La Ronde."

Television roles led to a bit part in Irma La Douce (1963), followed by a startling lead role as a young psycho in Lady in a Cage. Several routine films later, Caan scored in the TV movie Brian's Song and as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972), which earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

Now an established screen tough guy, Caan went on to Cinderella Liberty, The Gambler, Rollerball, A Bridge Too Far, Comes a Horseman, Hide in Plain Sight (which he also directed) and many more. He reemerged in the '90s as a character actor in both major and independent films (such as Bottle Rocket and Elf), and in 2003, he headlined his first TV series, "Vegas."

Filmography