James Caan

Some sources give his birth year as 1939.

Has a daughter with first wife Dee Jay Mathis - Tara A. Caan, born November 5, 1964.

Tested for the role of Ted Henderson in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969).

Turned down plum roles in MASH (1970) & Apocalypse Now (1979).

Briefly lived at the Playboy Mansion in the 1970s.

Was originally tested for the role of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather (1972) (director Francis Ford Coppola had worked with him and Robert Duvall in The Rain People (1969) and wanted them in the movie), but then was slated to play Michael Corleone after Paramount's initial choices (which included Warren Beatty, Robert Redford and Ryan O'Neal) did not pan out. When Al Pacino came on board, Caan was switched back to Sonny.

Two generations of his family and the Coppola family have worked together. He worked with Francis Ford Coppola most memorably in the first two Godfather films (The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974)) and in Gardens of Stone (1987). His son, Scott Caan, appeared in Sonny (2002), which was directed by Nicolas Cage and featured Cage and his brother, Marc Coppola. Sonny was also the name of Caan's "Godfather" character.

Was offered the role of McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).

Was considered by George Lucas for the role of Han Solo in Star Wars (1977).

After being turned down by Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino, Julia Phillips inquired of Caan's agent if he would be interested in taking the lead role of Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Caan's agent responded that he would read the script for a guarantee of $1 million plus 10% of the gross if he accepted the role. Phillips went with the original choice, Richard Dreyfuss.

States that Thief (1981) is one of his favorite films.

One brother, Ronnie Caan, and one sister, Barbara (deceased c. 1981--leukemia).

In the 1990s, he kicked a cocaine habit of some 20 years.

Appears in Misery (1990), which was directed by Rob Reiner. His son, Scott Caan, appeared in Ocean's Eleven (2001) and Ocean's Twelve (2004), opposite Reiner's father, Carl Reiner.

Has a son named Alexander James Caan (b. April 10th 1991) with Ingrid Hajek.

Sons with Linda Stokes: James Arthur Caan (b. 6 November 1995) and Jacob Nicholas Caan (b. September 24th 1998).

During the making of Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), he nicknamed Hugh Grant "Whippy" after the Whippet, an English breed of dog that shivers a lot.

In the Godfather trilogy, Andy Garcia plays the son of Caan's character, Sonny Corleone. In Ocean's Eleven (2001) and Ocean's Twelve (2004), Caan's son, Scott Caan, works with Garcia.

According to the British documentary The Godfather and the Mob (2006) (TV), Caan was regularly seen with Gambino family underboss Carmine Persico (aka "Junior") during the filming of The Godfather (1972). As Persico was under surveillance by the FBI at the time, Caan came under almost equal scrutiny.