FOG BLOG ENTERTAINMENT LOG: BREAKING NEWS , ACTOR JAMES CAAN DEAD AT 82!

Actor James Caan, The Godfather's Sonny Corleone, dead at 82 Misery star died Wednesday, according to statement posted on his Twitter account James Caan, the actor best known for his role as Sonny Corleone in the first two Godfather films, has died at age 82.

"It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6," read a statement posted on his official Twitter account Thursday. No cause of death was given.

"The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time." The statement concluded with "End of tweet," a flourish that Caan often used to finish his tweets.

"Jimmy was one of the greatest. Not only was he one of the best actors our business has ever seen, he was funny, loyal, caring and beloved," said Caan's manager Matt DelPiano on Wednesday. "Our relationship was always friendship before business. I will miss him dearly and am proud to have worked with him all these years."

Godfather role brought fame, Oscar nod

A football player at Michigan State University and a practical joker on sets, Caan was a grinning, handsome performer with an athlete's swagger and muscular build. He managed a long career despite drug problems, outbursts of temper and minor brushes with the law.

Caan had been a favourite of Francis Ford Coppola since the 1960s, when Coppola cast him for the lead in Rain People. He was primed for a featured role in The Godfather as Sonny, the No. 1 enforcer and eldest son of Mafia boss Vito Corleone. Caan's Sonny Corleone, a violent and reckless man who conducted many killings, met his demise in one of the most jarring movie scenes in history. Racing to find his sister's husband, Corleone stops at a toll booth that he discovers is unnervingly empty of customers. Before he can escape he is cut down by a seemingly endless fusillade of machine-gun fire.

For decades after, Caan once said, strangers would approach him on the street and jokingly warn him to stay clear of toll roads.

On the set, Caan bonded with Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall and other cast members and made it a point to get everyone laughing during an otherwise tense production, sometimes dropping his pants and "mooning" a fellow actor or crew member.

Despite Coppola's fears he had made a flop, The Godfather's 1972 release was an enormous critical and commercial success and brought supporting actor Oscar nominations for Caan, Robert Duvall and Al Pacino.

Caan was already a star on television, breaking through in the 1971 TV movie Brian's Song, an emotional drama about Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo, who had died of cancer the year before at age 26. It was among the most popular and wrenching TV movies in history. Caan and co-star Billy Dee Williams, who played Piccolo's teammate and best friend Gale Sayers, were nominated for best actor Emmys.