- - James Caan's 5 Children: All About Tara, Scott, Alexander, James Jr. and Jacob

Avalon HesterJanuary 3, 2026 at 4:00 AM

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James Caan and Scott Caan during Fernando Vargas vs Fitz Vanderpool Ringside in Los Angeles, California ; James Caan Jr and James Caan at 'The Godfather' 50th Anniversary premiere on February 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

In The Godfather, James Caan's character, Sonny Corleone, lived and died by his family. In real life, his children are honoring his legacy.

The actor was married four times. He wed actress Dee Jay Mathis in 1961, and they welcomed their daughter, Tara, in 1964 before divorcing two years later. A decade on, Caan married Playboy model and Road House actress Sheila Ryan in 1976. That same year, they had a son, Scott, but their marriage was short-lived, ending in divorce the following year.

In 1990, Caan married Ingrid Hajek, and they had a son, Alexander James Caan, in 1991. Their marriage lasted four years before ending in 1994.

The following year, Caan wed his fourth wife, Linda Stokes, and the couple had two sons together: James Arthur, born in 1995, and Jacob Nicholas, born in 1998. The actor died on July 6, 2022, due to a “combination of heart problems,” at the age of 82.

Scott, Caan’s eldest son, who has followed in his father’s acting footsteps, told PEOPLE in 2010 that while Caan wasn’t perfect, he was a great dad. “He made mistakes that affected him — and me — but he's always been there for me no matter what,” Scott said.

Here’s everything to know about James Caan’s kids.

He took a break from acting to coach Scott's little league team

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James Caan and son Scott Caan in April 1981 in Miami, Florida.

Caan took a five-year hiatus from acting in the ‘80s following a period of intense substance abuse in order to coach his son’s Little League Team. The actor described coaching his son’s team as “the high point of my low point,” telling Cigar Aficionado in 2004 that he realized he wanted to stop his drug use when he realized it had affected his son, Scott.

"I thought I was fooling my son. I was so stupid. I mean, you're never consciously hurting people, but when you look back, you go, 'Oh my God.' I didn't think he knew what was going on, you know; you think that kids aren't bright enough," Caan said. "That was like the rude awakening. It was over."

The actor spoke more about his time as a baseball coach to Esquire in 2003, saying how the positive nature of it helped him after the deepest point of his addiction.

"I had great, great times as a Little League coach," he said at the time. "People were talking about me quitting acting, and they would say, 'What about your creative juices?' Coaching is creative, because you could take a kid who thought he wasn't any good and, within four minutes, change his mind. And I didn't have to wait six months for them to put music to it."

His son Scott followed in his footsteps

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James Caan and his son Scott Caan at the premiere of "Mercy" at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California on May 3, 2010.

Caan’s eldest son, Scott, has followed in his father’s footsteps.

Following a brief stint as a rapper, Scott carved his own path as an actor in Hollywood. He most notably starred in the Ocean’s trilogy as Turk Malloy, getaway driver and automotive expert.

Scott also starred in the CBS show Hawaii Five-0 as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams for the series' 10-season run until the show’s conclusion in 2020.

Scott named his daughter in honor of his father

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Scott Caan and James Caan during Movieline's Hollywood Life 9th Annual Young Hollywood Awards in Los Angeles, California.

Scott and his partner, Kacy Byxbee, likely met on the set of Hawaii Five-0, where she worked as a costumer early in the show’s run, according to IMDb.

Scott and Byxbee welcomed their first child, a daughter named Josie James Caan, on July 9, 2014. Her name may be a tribute to her late grandfather, according to E! News.

His family showed up to support him at premieres

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James Caan and family arrive at the premiere of "Bee Movie" held at Mann Village Theater in Westwood, California.

Many of Caan’s children have led a life away from the spotlight, but they still showed up to industry events in support of their father. Scott attended several red carpet events with his father, including the 2010 premiere of the film they made together, Mercy.

James Jr. made an appearance with his father at the celebration for the 50th anniversary of The Godfather, and both him and Jacob attended the October 2007 premiere of The Bee Movie.

Scott was on good terms with Caan when he died

Scott Andrew Caan/ Instagram

James Caan smiles with his son Scott Andrew Caan.

Scott proudly described his dad as “good at everything” on the Inside of You podcast in 2023.

“My dad wasn’t a normal acting guy, he was good at everything. He was an amazing athlete, he was good on a motorcycle, he was a cowboy, he could play any instrument," he said.

Scott also opened up about the highs and lows of their relationship, though, telling PEOPLE in 2010, “To say our relationship wasn't dysfunctional would be a lie.” Caan was open about his struggles with cocaine and other substances when Scott was a child and admitted, “He saw me when I was a little rough around the edges.”

Scott forgave his father, and the two went on to act alongside each other. Caan played Scott’s father in the movie Mercy, which Scott wrote. The experience stuck with the younger Caan, and he told PEOPLE in 2010 that his dream was to continue to write scripts for his father.

“If I can see him happy, working, and be responsible for it, that will make me happy for the rest of my life,” Scott said.

While promoting his show Alert: Missing Persons Unit, Scott told Extra that in his final conversation with his dad before Caan's death in 2022, “there was nothing that needed to be said that wasn’t said.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”