Actor James Caan has died at age 82. He’s best remembered as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, and roles in films like Thief, Misery and introduced to a new generation as the dad of Will Ferrell‘s character Buddy in the comedy Elf. A message was shared on his official Twitter account.

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.

End of tweet

— James Caan (@James_Caan) July 7, 2022

Caan became a household name in 1971 with “Brian’s Song,” which may be the most well received TV movie of all time. He stars as Brian Piccolo, the Chicago Bears halfback who died of cancer at the age of 26. https://t.co/YjyvqNN98F pic.twitter.com/ROAKKHi3K2

— IndieWire (@IndieWire) July 7, 2022

Caan, the onscreen tough guy appeared in a wide variety of films like Rollerball, Gardens of Stone and the very popular TV movie Brian’s Song.