James Caan

Born: March 26 1939
Where: Bronx, New York, USA

The troubled actor is probably best known for his hot-tempered son in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy - a role said to reflect his personal life.

After some stage experience, Caan began his film career with an uncredited bit part in Irma La Douce in 1963.

He gained prominence in the early 1970s after The Godfather and went on to appear in Karel Reisz's The Gambler.

He also co-starred with Alan Arkin in Freebie and the Bean before moving on to play a sailor who falls for Marsha Mason in Cinderella Liberty.

He oozed charm (and displayed a passable singing voice) as Billy Rose opposite Barbra Streisand's redux as Fanny Brice in Funny Lady.

He had a good turn, again opposite Mason, in the film version of Neil Simon's autobiographical play Chapter Two and went on to star in Kiss Me Goodbye in 1982.

After a five-year absence from features, Caan reteamed with Coppola to play a hard-bitten career officer in Gardens of Stone. After this came Alien Nation and he scored a huge success with Misery as a writer help captive by a deranged fan (Kathy Bates). For the Boys, despite finding some admirers, mostly failed to win public or critical approval. Caan starred as a football coach in David S Ward's controversial sports drama The Program and won critical plaudits for his turn as Dennis Quaid's cranky father in Flesh and Blood. He took a featured role in 1995's A Boy Called Hate, which marked the film acting debut of his son Scott in the title role.

Caan co-starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the actioner Eraser and appeared opposite Adam Sandler and Damon Wayans in the comedy Bulletproof.

Like many actors, Caan is also noted for the many film roles which he turned down as much as for those he did choose.

His rejections have included One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Kramer vs. Kramer, Love Story, M*A*S*H and Apocalypse Now.

Often surrounded by controversy, in 1980, he was charged with beating his ex-wife Sheila Ryan after she told him she planned to remarry.

The actor admitted to a "platonic" friendship with Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss in 1993.

In 1994, Caan was arrested for flashing a gun at rapper Derek Lee in public, although the charges were dropped for insufficient evidence.

Also in 1994, Caan was charged with battering a woman named Leesa Anne Roland, though the matter was dismissed without trial.

In August 1995, Caan checked into the Exodus Recovery Center in Marina Del Rey.

His reputation tarnished, he did land a co-starring role with John Cusack and Stephen Rea in the period drama This Is My Father.

Caan continued to turn in a number of fine, jouneyman performances in a series of films including the Hugh Grant Mafia comedy Mickey Blue Eyes, The Yards and City of Ghosts.

Recent work includes playing the birth father of a man raised by North Pole elves (Will Ferrell) in the holiday pleaser Elf.