Who were James Caan's wives? 'The Godfather' star blamed fourth wife Linda Stokes of 'blowing his savings'
James Caan, whose career spanned decades in Hollywood passed away on Wednesday, July 6. A prominent face in the industry, Caan was known for movies like 'The Godfather', 'Misery, 'Thief', 'Brian's Song', 'Rollerball', 'Hide in Plain Sight', 'The Gambler', 'El Dorado', 'Funny Lady', 'Elf.' The news was announced by Caan's family on his verified Twitter account but the cause of his death was not disclosed.
The Twitter post read, "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6. The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time." The 82-year-old actor's latest movie was 'Queen Bees' alongside Ellen Burstyn, Loretta Devine, and more. Despite appearing in many hit films, his most outstanding role as Sonny Corleone in the Francis Ford Coppola gem, helped put his name in the A-listers of Hollywood. The actor reflected on the movie that went on to become an epic trilogy and told The New York Post, "One of the things that made ‘The Godfather’ successful, besides brilliant directing and writing and wonderful actors … was that everyone really enjoyed making it, and that comes off on the screen, and I think the audience can tell that we were having a good time doing what we were doing up there.”
ALSO READ
Robert Crimo's racism and Holocaust denial to DISTURBING relationship with 'sex doll' revealed
Before 'The Godfather', Caan starred in 'Brian's Song' playing the Chicago halfback Brian Piccolo which was a widely successful 1971 movie. Next year, the year 1972 put Caan on different levels of fame. Talking about the character of Sonny, he told the publication, "I really believe that you grow up a certain way in New York. There’s a New York morality, a sense of loyalty. You know how to win and lose." Rightfully so, the actor to his Oscar nomination. What about Caan's personal life?
Who were James Caan's wives?
Caan was married 4 times! In 1961, he married Dee Jay Mattis but they soon separated in 1966. They had a daughter, Tara A Caan. Caan then married Sheila Marie Ryan, a former Elvis Presley's girlfriend, in 1976 but they separated the following year. The ex-couple had a son whom they named Scott and was born on August 23, 1976. Fast forward to 1990, the actor married Ingrid Hajek in September and welcomed their son Alexander James Caan in 1991.
While Hajek and Caan were married, Heidi Fleiss, referred to as the 'Hollywood Madam', did an interview with Vanity Fair in 1994 claiming that she was dating Caan in 1992. While the actor denied these claims, his marriage with Ingrid Hajek ended in 1994.
James Caan's time in the Playboy Mansion amid divorce
Caan also spent some time in the Playboy mansion. In the 1970s, at the invitation of Hugh Hefner he moved in there after a divorce left the actor homeless. “There were tons of girls over there and well, I'm sorry, but I liked 'em,” he told The Guardian in 1999. He left after the place after only a year. Caan moved out fearing his stay at te mansion would mar his outlook of the “real world” and he would not be able to cope. “Hef didn't want me to leave because I guess I brought a lot of levity to the place,” Tired of the constant nightlife, the actor said he even contemplated suicide while living in the mansion because he figured his life wasn’t “getting any better than this.”
TOP STORIES
Who is John Bigrigg? Ex-LAPD cop's testimony could make Johnny Depp's Gregg Brooks problem go away
'This is disturbing!': Denise Richards TROLLED for creepy OnlyFans collab with daughter Sami Sheen
James Caan and Linda Stokes
His most notable marriage was with Linda Stokes. He married the actress and costume designer in 1995 and had two sons - James Arthur Caan, born in 1995, and Jacob Nicholas Caan born in 1998. While the couple had some issues somewhere around 2009 they tried to make it work. Their marriage eventually blew through the roof after their divorce in 2017, essentially when Caan opened up about how Linda was "blowing through his savings" in a 2016 interview with TMZ. He said, "I am no longer willing to take parts in films and/or television shows which detract from the 50 years I have spent building my reputation," explaining that he has to take crappy roles to serve Linda. He then clarified that "Linda is a beautiful woman who gave me 2 beautiful sons which helped enrich my life tremendously, and I'll always be indebted to her for that."