★ LIFeTIMe ACHIeVeMenT ★
JAMeS CAAn
James Caan has a diverse and impressive list of achievements in addition to his esteemed acting career. He played football for Michigan State University while studying economics, holds a black belt in karate and was on the professional rodeo circuit for several years! While studying at Hofstra University, Caan became interested in acting and auditioned and was accepted at the prestigious Sanford Meisner’s neighborhood Playhouse. After gaining roles in off-Broadway productions, Caan began getting parts in some of the leading television programs of the day including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Route 66, The Untouchables, Dr. Kildare and Ben Casey. He made his feature film debut in Billy Wilder’s Irma La Douce and followed that with a gripping performance as a young hoodlum in Lady in a Cage, a thriller starring olivia de Havilland. one of his first starring roles was as a race car driver in Red Line 7000 directed by Howard Hawks. He next co-starred with John Wayne and Robert Mitchum in el Dorado and continued to alternate between television and the big screen. Some of his other films during this time included Countdown, Journey to Shiloh and The Rain People. Caan received an emmy nomination for his portrayal of dying football player Brian Piccolo in the now-classic television movie Brian’s Song. entertainment Weekly has referred to the film as a “timeless tele-pic” and The new York Times has referred to it as
“one of the best known and most enthusiastically reviewed made for television films of the 1970's.” Caan followed this with yet another landmark role, that of Sonny Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, for which he received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Described by Time magazine as containing, “Warmth, violence, nostalgia and the dynastic sweep of an Italian-American Gone With the Wind,” the film was an enormous success and is regarded as one of the best American films ever made. Caan next appeared in such memorable films as Funny Lady opposite Barbra Streisand, Rollerball, Freebie and the Bean, The Gambler and The Killer elite. He also reprised his role as Sonny Corleone for flashback scenes in The Godfather, Part II. He garnered excellent reviews for his work in the heist film, Thief, directed by Michael Mann, and for his work in Francis Ford Coppola’s Garden of Stone. Many fans fondly remember him as the mystery writer trapped by a deranged fan in Misery and for such films as Bottle Rocket, eraser, Honeymoon in Vegas, Dogville, The Gambler and as one of the voices in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. He directed and starred in Hide In Plan Sight, receiving great reviews and James had a starring role on LAS VeGAS. And in 2013, Look for Blood Ties directed by Guillaume Canet.
With Barbra Streisand FUnnY GIRL
With Al Pacino, Marlin Brando and John Cazale THe GoDFATHeR
RoLLeRBALL
With nicolas Cage HoneYMoon In VeGAS
With Billy Dee Williams BRIAn’S SonG
THIeF
Mr. Caan, pending his scheduled availability, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Opening Night Celebration, Fri, Oct 19, 7:30pm at the Sport of Kings in Gulfstream Village. 9