Actor. He played a wide range of characters, from tough guy roles to romantic comedies. He hit his peak during the 1970s in such films as "Brian's Song" (1971), "The Godfather" (1972), and "Cinderella Liberty" (1973). He will be remembered by television audiences for playing "Ed Deline" in the series "Las Vegas" (2003 to 2007). Born James Edmund Caan (some sources state year of birth as 1939) to Jewish parents, his family fled Europe during the Nazi uprising. An athlete during his youth, he graduated from Manhattan's Rhodes School at the age of sixteen and enrolled at Michigan State University. After a failed attempt to make their football squad, he transferred to Hofstra University; however, he dropped out not long after. Finding his interest in acting, he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse and later was mentored by drama coach Wynn Handman. He made his professional debut in 1960 in the Broadway production "La Ronde," and, following this experience, he relocated to Hollywood where he made his initial mark in TV on such programs as "Route 66" and "Ben Casey." After making his film debut in the picture "Lady in a Cage" (1964), he spent the later part of the 1960s co-starring in the motion pictures "El Dorado" (1967, with John Wayne), "Games" (1967), "Countdown" (1968, with Robert Duvall), "Journey to Shiloh"(1968), and "The Rain People" (1969). His sensitive and heartwarming portrayal of doomed football player Brian Piccolo in the TV-movie "Brian's Song" (1971) earned him an Emmy Award nomination. His role as "Sonny" in "The Godfather" (1972) earned him an Academy Award nomination. Other pictures include: "Freebie and the Bean" (1974), "The Gambler"(1974), "Funny Lady" (1975), "Rollerball" (1975), "Harry and Walter Go to New York" (1976), "A Bridge Too Far" (1977), "Comes A Horseman (1978), "Thief" (1981), "Kiss Me Goodbye" (1982), "Misery" (1990), "Flesh and Bone" (1993), "Elf" (2003), and the animated classic "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (2009). For his work in motion pictures, Caan received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978, located at 6648 Hollywood Blvd. He remained active in television and films until his death. He was the father of actor Scott Caan.