"He's always been there for me no matter what," Scott said about his dad, James Caan.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on July 8, 2022. It has since been updated.
James Caan, who died on July 6th, 2022, at the age of 82, was a stellar actor and has contributed immensely to the industry.
At the time of his death, Caan's family released a statement, according to CNN. "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6," the statement read. "The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time."
Caan, who was previously married four times, is survived by his five children: Scott, James, Jacob, Alexander, and Tara. He always shared a strong bond with his son Scott Caan, despite their tumultuous past.
"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.“ ~ James Caan pic.twitter.com/axOxIfEuqR
— ScottCaanFanpage (@ScottCaanFP) July 7, 2022
Caan and Scott did not always have it easy. In 2010, Scott, 46, opened up to PEOPLE about their rocky relationship. "To say our relationship wasn't dysfunctional would be a lie."
Referring to his drug addiction in the past for which he had to take time off his career, Caan said in an interview with Los Angeles Times in 2010, "I went through some bad times. I lost my sister and I got a little goofy and I got on drugs — coke — and I went through all of that. He was attached to my hip."
"Now, we're really best buddies. ... I'm proud that he's grown up so well," said Cann about Scott, whom he shares with ex-wife Sheila. "I have a very unique relationship with Scott. He grew up with me," he added.
James Caan, father of Scott Caan, passed away at 82. I'm glad we have a fun memory, of Scott & his dad, on Hawaii Five-0. Glad they were able to work together on the this iconic show. Aloha, James.🙏🌺😇 #AlexOLoughlin pic.twitter.com/oBB6xh1AQR
— Rebel Campbell (@campbell_rebel) July 7, 2022
Back in 2003, Caan told Esquire that his way of parenting was different than his father's. "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 point is, I'll make less mistakes than my dad, my sons hopefully will make less mistakes than me, and their sons will make less mistakes than their dads."
"And one of these days, maybe we'll raise a perfect Caan," he joked.
Scott also shared that he had "no resentment" toward his dad. "He made mistakes that affected him — and me — but he's always been there for me no matter what." In 2009, Scott and Caan also co-starred together in the movie Mercy, which Scott wrote.
"My dad is a good example of someone who digs into life and goes, 'Yeah, that tore my heart out, but I'm going to try again,' " Scott said at the time, adding that "his family was more important" than his work.
I was today years old when I found out that Scott Caan is the son of James Caan. 😃 pic.twitter.com/pbJQWkmZ2J
— Heidi (@HeidiOCanada) July 8, 2022
"The best advice I give to young actors … was what comes first is my family and my friends. No matter what heights you achieve in this business, what is inevitable in every single case is there is a slide backward. Those people who've put all their eggs in the basket where it's everything, those are the people who hurt themselves. They get drugged out, they get really destructive. I'm not saying you shouldn't be the best. But when things go bad, he's got to have his dad, his girlfriend. He's got to have his brothers," added Caan.
References:
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/07/entertainment/james-caan-dies/index.html
https://people.com/movies/inside-james-caan-and-son-scott-caan-bond/
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-may-09-la-ca-conversation-20100509-story.html
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a799/esq0903-sep-wil/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Frederick M. Brown
