James Caan, who portrayed criminal Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather," died at 82, his family announced in a statement on Thursday.

Wednesday evening, Caan's official Twitter account announced that he had passed away. The cause of death and place are unknown.

According to the statement, the family appreciates the outpouring of love and sympathies and requests continued privacy during this difficult time.

In the 1972 film "The Godfather." Caan was nominated for an Academy Award for the best supporting actor portraying the volatile Corleone. In 1974, he repeated the character in "The Godfather: Part II" flashback scenes. In addition, there were nominations for four Golden Globes and one Emmy.

Michael Corleone's brother in "The Godfather," Al Pacino, complimented James Caan as "a great actor, a brilliant director and my dear friend."

"It's hard to believe that he won't be in the world anymore because he was so alive and daring," Pacino stated.

Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Caan in "The Godfather" and "The Rain People" in 1969, stated that Caan's films and the numerous outstanding parts he played would never be forgotten.

Caan's career spanned six decades and included diverse parts in films ranging from the psychological horror "Misery" to the comic "Elf." Last year, he starred alongside Ellen Burstyn in the romantic comedy "Queen Bees."

James Edmund Caan was born on March 26, 1940, in the Bronx borough of New York City to German Jewish immigrants. In 1961, Caan, one of three siblings, began acting on television. The 1971 TV movie "Brian's Song" portrayed the real-life Chicago Bears football star Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer at age 26. This performance earned him widespread acclaim, and the role earned Caan a nomination for an Emmy.