American screen actor in tough guy roles whose career spanned six decades, he was nominated for several awards, including four Golden Globes, an Emmy, and an Oscar. His films include El Dorado (1966), The Godfather (1972), Rollerball (1975), Misery (1990), Dick Tracy (1990) and Elf (2003). He played Montecito Hotel/Casino president “Big Ed” Deline in comedy-drama TV series Las Vegas (2003-2007).
Born into a Bronx family of German Jews, Caan became an actor to escape going to work in the family meat market. A star athlete in high school, he aimed for a career in pro football but proved too small to make the team at Michigan State. He dabbled in various majors before settling on drama. He began to cop roles off-Broadway and in such TV series as “Route 66” and “Wagon Train.” His first stage role paid $37.50 a week. He made his major film debut as the hoodlum who menaced Olivia DeHavilland in Lady in a Cage (1964).
An avowed male chauvinist with a legendary temper and partying ways, he was noted for braggadocio macho, he made it as far as drug rehab but did not reach the point of maintaining a relationship.
In his youth Caan’s hobby was riding in the rodeo circuit for nine years, and he held a black belt in karate. He also did some ocean motorboat racing, but a series of accidents – a car that lost its brakes, and a plate glass window – sidelined him from his more aggressive pursuits.
After 1982, Caan was ready to leave show biz for good if he had not run into money problems. He said that money he had entrusted to business associates had somehow disappeared and instead of being set for life, he was “flat-ass broke.” He almost lost his house on Stone Canyon Road until he was cast by Francis Ford Coppola in Gardens of Stone. In 1988, he first saw the script of Misery. He made the winning film in 1990, followed immediately with For The Boys.
On 25 July 1998, his TV movie Poodle Springs cast him as a somewhat tired and seedy detective. Still boisterous and engaging, he admitted to bad times, drugs and other adventures. (He completed rehab in 1994 and stayed clean since.)
Caan was married and divorced four times and had five children. He wed at 21 for six years (1960-1966), and had one daughter Tara in 1964. He had one son in 1977 with a second marriage (1976-1977) and retained custody of the boy, Scott, (who became an actor). He made a third marriage to 29-year-old Ingrid Hajek on 9 September 1990, having met two years before. Their son Alexander was born on 10 April 1991 in Los Angeles. He filed for divorce on 28 March 1994 and it was finalized in 1995. Another baby, James Arthur, was born on 6 November 1995, with his girlfriend of the prior year, Aspen socialite Linda L’Gara. He and L’Gara married in 1995, with a second son, Jacob, born on 24 September 1998. On 18 April 2005, the actor filed for divorce. Just a few weeks later he reportedly moved back in with his wife. Caan filed for divorce in 2017, citing irreconcilable differences.
Caan died in Los Angeles on 6 July 2022 at the age of 82.
Link to Wikipedia biography