The Adam Sandler interview James Caan tried to ruin
Working with such celebrated names as Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Mann, Rob Reiner, Lars von Trier and Karel Reisz throughout the course of his 61-year-long career, the late American star James Caan was a legend of the Hollywood screen. Recognised as one of the greatest actors of the late 20th century, Caan, who recently passed away at the age of 82, was an enigmatic performer with overpowering masculine energy.
Proving himself in such films as Thief, Rollerball and the Stephen King thriller Misery, no film was as significant for Caan as the epic gangster movie The Godfather. Weaving together several plots, relationships and imposing hereditary expectations, Francis Ford Coppola and his co-writer Mario Puzo, craft an intricate tapestry of the Corleone crime family that makes up a tangible, rich history in the iconic gangster movie.
Finding great success throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Caan’s significance would wane a little into the new millennium, taking on more commercial comedy roles to gain a pay packet. Whilst some were worthy ventures, appearing alongside Will Ferrell in the iconic Christmas movie Elf, others weren’t quite so successful, including 2008s Get Smart with Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Bill Murray and Steve Carell.
Among the worst of his comedy collaborations was his time spent working with Adam Sandler on the 2012 movie That’s My Boy, in which he elevated a cast that also included Andy Samberg, Susan Sarandon, Leighton Meester and Vanilla Ice.
Not only did he elevate the quality of acting on set, but he also raised the energy levels long after, pulling various pranks at the film’s press junket, including when he attempted to hijack an interview with Sandler. This was revealed to fans in a hilarious Twitter thread from film critic Drew McWeeny which the writer posted shortly after the actor’s death.
Sitting down with Sandler to discuss the new film, McWeeny became aware of his co-star’s next door who were causing vast amounts of noise. “I sit down, we start talking, and less than 30 seconds into the interview, I hear laughter from the other room. My boys. And they’re really making noise. I’m mortified, but I don’t want to stop the interview, so I keep going,” the critic writes.
The noise intensifies, so McWeeny decides to confront the actors next door and tell them to quieten down. “The interview ends, I stomp into the adjoining room where I find them sitting with the actor who played Sandler’s dad in the film [Caan]. He’s been egging them on. Getting them to make noise. He’s been watching me to see what I’ll do, and he’s positively twinkling about it,” he hilariously adds.
Finalising his thoughts, he adds, “I shook his hand and he kept grinning at me, delighted to have ruined the interview…James Caan was a no-joke wild man and a great character actor, and he will be profoundly missed”.
