NEW YORK -- One of Italy's favourite sons is not even Italian.

James Caan, who has twice been named Italian of the year, is quick to point out:

"I'm a Jew from the Bronx. I feel guilty about accepting these awards, but they wouldn't let me turn them down.

"I got my first award 15 years ago and my second five years ago. I'm so very proud the Italian- American community has taken me to its bosom."

Caan concedes it was his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather in 1972 that first endeared him to Italian-Americans.

"People in (New York's) Little Italy still call him Sonny. When he walks down the street, they come out of their shops and restaurants to shake his hand. He's an honorary god-father," recalls Joaquin Phoenix, who shot The Yards with Caan in New York this year.

Caan gets a chance to reinforce this wiseguy image tomorrow in the comedy Mickey Blue Eyes.

He plays small-time mobster Frank Vitale, whose daughter (Jeanne Tripplehorn) wants to marry a British art auctioneer (Hugh Grant).

"I've never had to do any research to play characters like Frank. I'm from the neighborhood, so I've always known my share of wiseguys."

Grant produced Mickey Blue Eyes with his girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley.

He recalls that it was fate that saw Caan cast in the mobster role.

"Elizabeth and I were in the middle of developing Mickey Blue Eyes when we met Jimmy outside a Chinese restaurant in Beverly Hills," recalls Grant.

"After he left, Elizabeth and I just looked at each. We instinctively knew we'd found our Frank Vitale. Shortly afterwards, we sent him the script and he signed on straight away."

Caan, 60, has been acting for 38 years.

"I didn't get into acting as much as I got out of the meat business. My other alternative was to be a butcher and there was no appeal in that."

Caan is one of Hollywood's most remarkable survivors. He was a highly respected actor in the 1970s, but in the '80s he received more attention for his extravagant lifestyle than for his performances.

He practically lived at the Playboy mansion, abused both cocaine and alcohol and became a notorious brawler.

Like a phoenix, Caan kept rising from the ashes of his destructive behaviour, getting roles in films such as Eraser, Misery, Honeymoon in Vegas and For the Boys.

No sooner had he announced that he'd cleaned up his act than Caan would be back in the headlines.

"Things really fell apart for me in 1981 when I lost my sister (to cancer). That really messed with my head. I lost my passion for acting. I just wanted to be the dad I'd neglected to be, especially for my son Scott.

"I took seven years off and woke up one morning flat busted. I'd been spending money that wasn't coming in."

Caan vows he's not going to backslide again.

"I can't. I have to clean up my act. I have three kids at home to support."

He has five children from four marriages.

His daughter Tara from his first marriage to Dee Jay Mattis is 34. His son Scott, 23, who starred in Varsity Blues, is from his second marriage to actress Sheila Ryan. Caan's marriage to Ingrid Hajed produced a son, Alex, who is eight.

Sons Jimmy and Jake are sons from his current marriage to Linda Stokes.

"I guess you can say I'm maturing. This is the first time I've had two children with the same woman."


More Artists