James Caan loved watching his son, Scott Caan, grow up so much that he made a big sacrifice in his career. His perspective changed after losing his best friend and manager.
On July 7, 2022, James Caan’s family shared the sad news of his death on his Twitter account. The famous actor was 82 when he passed away the night before. The family expressed gratitude for the heartfelt messages from fans and asked for privacy as they grieved.
James Caan really loved seeing his son, Scott Caan, grow up. He even made a big sacrifice in his career because of it. His feelings changed after losing his best friend and manager.
On July 7, 2022, James Caan’s family used his Twitter account to tell everyone the sad news of his death. The family shared that the actor passed away the night before.
James Caan, the actor from “The Godfather,” was 82 when he died. His family said thank you to his fans for the caring messages and asked everyone to please give them privacy as they dealt with their sadness.
When James Caan got the chance to star in “Apocalypse Now,” he turned it down because his wife Ryan was pregnant with their son Scott, whom he called his “dream child.”
Even though the role offered him a fancy house and helicopter rides, James chose to be with his pregnant wife instead. He didn’t want to be away from her for six months. His life took a big turn when his sister Barbara, who was his manager and best friend, passed away at 38 after a long battle with leukemia.
Devastated by her death, James realized the importance of passion and decided his main passion was to grow up with his son. He stopped working in movies for fifteen years to spend time with Scott.
Scott, growing up, didn’t see his father as an actor. Instead, James was just his parent, giving him all his attention. Despite James being described as “rebellious” and having ups and downs, to Scott, he was simply his father.
Scott Caan, James Caan’s son, didn’t know his father as the famous star everyone else knew. He didn’t watch James’ movies when he was a kid because they were meant for adults. Scott only saw “The Godfather” when he turned 11.
There’s a part in the movie where James’ character gets shot, and it made Scott upset. He found it strange and turned off the film. Scott didn’t like seeing his father in that way, but as he grew older, he came to appreciate James’ work and thought he was great!
But their relationship wasn’t always perfect. Scott went through some tough times in his childhood. In 2010, he told People magazine that saying their relationship wasn’t difficult would be untrue.
James was open about overcoming addiction, and during that time, he admitted that his son saw him when he was going through a “rough” period.
Scott didn’t hold any resentment toward James, his father. He recognized that James made mistakes that affected both of them, but no matter what, James was always there for him.
As a kid, Scott was into sports like basketball, football, soccer, and baseball. His father liked sports too, but around age 11 or 12, Scott wanted to stop playing and started using illegal substances while hanging out with the wrong crowd.
Scott wanted to be a bit rebellious, so he got into surfing and skateboarding, which his father didn’t like. James preferred team sports, but Scott was drawn to the individuality of skateboarding and surfing.
At that time, people saw skating and surfing as things that troubled kids did, and Scott liked that because he didn’t want to fit in. Engaging in these sports gave him a sense of freedom from judgment.
James, the star of “Misery,” was strict about being excellent at whatever he did. He wanted Scott to be the best or not bother at all. James thought it was a shame when people had talent but didn’t use it.
Even when Scott was a child, James expected him to work harder than others. He believed that you should do things right and with passion because there was always someone out there who wanted success more.
Although the actor wasn’t always a perfect parent, he tried to do things differently from how his father raised him. In the September 2003 issue of Esquire, James admitted this:
“I never saw my dad cry. My son saw me cry. My dad never told me he loved me, and consequently, I told Scott I loved him every other minute.”
The “Elf” star was determined to make fewer mistakes than his father so his sons could hopefully make fewer ones than him, and so forth. He hoped one day they’d raise “a perfect Caan.”
On July 9, 2014, Scott and his longtime girlfriend, Kacy Byxbee, welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Josie James Caan. According to a source, James’ son took time off from work so he could be present for his child’s birth.
Speaking about siblings, Tara [Caan] appears to have chosen a life out of Hollywood but was seen with her father [James Caan] on several occasions.
Scott also followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming an actor. He studied the craft in Los Angeles in Playhouse West and rose to fame in the 2001 “Ocean’s Eleven” remake.
Scott has featured in several films and shows, including “Hawaii Five-0,” “Into the Blue,” “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “Varsity Blues,” and more. James didn’t want him to get into the industry, with his look-a-like son stating:
“He knew it would be hard to do this job over and over again, and it’s creatively hard to get excited about playing the same dude for seven years.”
According to Scott, James believed “his family was more important” than his work. When advising young actors, the late star said family and friends came first no matter how famous you become because eventually, things would slide backward.
He thought people who put all their eggs in one basket hurt themselves. James thought those people became destructive but explained he wasn’t saying people shouldn’t be the best they could, but it was good to have more.
The actor, James Caan, who is no longer with us, gave advice to his son and others. He said it’s important to have support from fathers, girlfriends, and brothers in case things go wrong. Talking about siblings, Tara seems to have chosen a life away from Hollywood but was seen with her father on several occasions.
Another son, Alexander, is also an actor but hasn’t been in anything major. He’s also a musician who goes by “Audio Medic” when making electronic music. James Jr. stays away from the spotlight.
Jacob used to attend events with his father but stepped back as he got older. One rare sighting was in February 2020 when the youngest Caan was seen pushing James in a wheelchair after they had dinner in Los Angeles.