Kathy Bates and Michael Mann Pay Tribute to James Caan: ‘What a Terrible and Tragic Loss’

variety.com:

Carson Burton Michael Mann and Kathy Bates have both shared tributes to “The Godfather” and “Misery” star James Caan, who died today at 82 years old.“What a terrible and tragic loss,” Mann wrote in a statement to Variety. “Jimmy was not just a great actor with total commitment and a venturesome spirit, but he had a vitality in the core of his being that drove everything from his art and friendship to athletics and very good times.

There was a core of values within him about how people should be, more or less. It might be variable, the corners could be rounded with urban irony, but there was a line and it was non-fungible.

And it produced many outrageous and hilarious anecdotes. “Mann and Caan worked together on the 1991 crime film “Thief.” Caan starred as Frank, a highly skilled jewel thief and safe cracker.

The movie was Mann’s first feature film, kicking off a long and successful career in Hollywood. “I loved him and I loved working with him,” Mann continued. “He reached into the core of his being during difficult personal times to be the rebellious, half wild child, institutionalized outsider Frank, in my first film, ‘Thief.’ Frank is half Frank, half Jimmy.