James Caan: Working w/ Marlon Brando in 'The Godfather' & Longevity in Hollywood

today I'm Larry King now the legendary James taun The Godfather established you the Jewish kid would all those attached don't say that because I'm good make money being Italian well you just cost me a bundle so it's good to be painted here in the right City I still get the best tables when I walk in people are afraid to say anything to me they say what shot you're gonna wind up in the East River it's a good plus bull can you say buh-bye yeah yeah oh I love Annie's newest co-star Maggie Lawson be so full of crap listen I know first all today on Larry King now I feel like I'm home because my kids grew up playing baseball here they graduated from the Little League's went to the juniors but when Beverly Hills were on the set of ABC's new sitcom back in the game and I'm with the star to show one of Hollywood's most respected names one of the good guys - James Tong he plays Terry the cannon Gannon senior a single dad has welcomed his estranged daughter Terry Jr and her young son back into his life Terry juniors played by Maggie Lawson will meet her in a little while why did you go to tell her you a movie star yeah stop well here's what happened laughs I don't get the girl anymore right you know obviously I can't like fight prehistoric animals with a sword you know giant ones I can't jump from building the building and I get nauseous hanging from a wire so what's left yeah so I did a yeah I did that for a little while you didn't like that right I liked it there was some things I didn't like about it yeah but that was a little executive stuff but well then I was broke and like hard times on my make a monkey eat red peppers right but I've been doing movies and and the truth is it's just not making the movies that you know that I like to do I mean I've done a couple but like all of a sudden you're doing movies like they asked me what was the name of that other movie that I said it was called the rent and what was the movie before that that was also called the rent you know well I get a call and say from my agents and they said to me the Coen brothers they wrote this there's comedy thing I says yeah and they wrote it for you they're not gonna do it unless you do it the Coen brothers really she's there what are things well I got to read that so Rita's pretty funny but I look and it's just it's Coen Brothers it doesn't say the Coen brothers it's the Cullen brothers so I thought that's the way these guys make a living they mispronounce their name and they're very very funny so I make fun of them so I and I met with them and I knew him I know the boat from Vega some other places I mean they're both belong in a home they're great and funny and and then you know I have two young kids still I stay at home and I found it to be really fun and creative it's a great cast and the character I which me a great concept - yeah no he was not a good ball player right no he was he was like the second coming of Sandy Koufax actually this is pretty drag yeah he dragged me out of the league and blew his arm up it sounds like me but I his daughter was a softball star she I called her junior because I raised her like a boy her mom died when she was eight and I raised it's just you know baseball and all these ruffians and I was just not a great dad and she went on to college to become a all-american softball player and then she got married and had a kid they split up now the kids ten years old she hates her dad because she called a junior you know I call it junior and I mean to the point where she goes what are you talking about when I had my first period you told me to walk it off you know so everything was funny so she was raised that way then she's forced to live with me now with the kid because there's nowhere else and I'm playing a pretty horrifying kind of person which you're always probably easy for me how does a horrifying kind of person keep up that's the head of a weekly sitcom well I mean what motivates do I lie so I saw it it's like archieve do I sort of like him yeah you whine Apple like it's not like it's not that he's angry he's like impatience he hasn't got time you know he's not and when he when he feels something that's apologetically or lovingly it's a sign of weakness to him so he does it privately and quietly loud express himself well he does but it's kind of like a second job is here then he has a pension and he's a hustler you know hustlers cough he plays cards how do you view him when you play someone like that do you I think a you Larry what do you look for well the is what it allows me to do is to be very very funny I'd long with you know with Rob and his brother Mark and this great writings they're they're they're they're not I'm seriously Rob belongs not there are saying people walking the streets than this guy okay they're nuts and the humor is is great so we figured out like from anger doesn't there's not a lot of human to come and there's not a lot of room for transition from anger to be a loving but for a guy who hasn't got time from both can you say both yeah I love he has a good time for bull and it's like p.m. got anything to say don't bother talking to me so there's a lot of humor that comes out of sarcastic humor that comes out of impatience that wouldn't come out of anger you don't other baseball too yeah I mean this is certainly a far cry from the Bad News Bears cuz I say hey I'm not doing bad those Bears okay no so you know we see these kids that we have who they're pretty good right Larry is not how can I say this one gene that lettuce is Amman any one of them they will never win that if they score 2 runs we're gonna throw a party so I mean the point is it's not about this team getting any better ever they will never win in the life of this series but they are sterically these kids are like real kids that we interviewed they're not actors except for my grass what was the best griffin he's in it he plays my dad's life we'll be right back with James Caan he stars in back in the game on ABC we'll be right back we're back with James Caan do you like the images the tough guy guy that's who we're the Godfather established you a Jewish kid would all those attached I would say that because I'm good make money being Italian well you just cost me a bundle so it's good to be painting here in the right City know do you like that tough-guy image so I mean but you characterized that way a lot yeah well I mean you know fortunately God follows you know and and unfortunately you know every script I got you know thereafter for few years if there weren't 20 people dead by page 11 I didn't get the you know I didn't get the script but no I mean I went on to sing and dance people go wait they don't relate because they made that great movie or the boys got Adler yeah what could have been a better movie I should have been though it could have been a better most a good movie they think for cocked it a little bit but it was fun enjoy the music good time yeah so you've done a lot of it done very quietly kids who buy tap-dance and you know a lot of that but when they think of you they think you're Jane of course you made such an impression right in the mean most movie everything because I get you know I still get the best tables when I walk in people are afraid to say anything to me they say what shot you're gonna wind up in the East River good moving a little less Sunday at Fordham University Mario Cuomo and I did a seminar for the law students and they showed the Godfather and then a discussion about the Godfather a movie - Mario appreciate it technically thought it was brilliantly done the music and everything and hated the movie really because he's Styrian it stereotyped Italians and theory that Italians have suffered as Americans from that movie reactor really feel sergeant yeah well were you gonna join us parade no you're gonna go to the hall with them what are you talking about the truth of the matter is that if you analyze I mean obviously when you do a picture about the mob it's about the mom and for making entertaining a movie you know you're not gonna have him planting flowers but it's only glorified murder and no III can see where he's coming from kind of I mean the truth on a serious not the truth about the success of the Godfather has to solely do with Francis Coppola I mean I remember I was with Evans and all that when they were talking Augusta gravis and all that Michael Francis and and the reason I say that is Francis is not a Brooklyn Italian Francis is a Mediterranean Italian his father was lead flautist for Toscanini you know they come from music and art and food and wine I mean you know what I mean and the kids were this anyway they weren't cutting when employers they don't know about any wiseguy stuff he's the further but therein lies there in lies the success because everything was done for the sake of family you know the biggest question I got about blue collars was that a real horse eighty people got killed they want to know if the horse was a real horse like nobody cared who died because everything was done you know what I mean it was here was a second family he'd be a showy people he did this to his sister that's okay this guy did this to his brother you know what I mean so of course I argue that success can you see that it affected you know people don't tell you not at all as a matter of fact I'm very friend I mean 90% of my friends are Italian at home 95 problems not 90 let's get this right about 87 okay okay but they I've never heard that this is certainly under Sopranos follower he did well this is a little coarser I mean you know the Godfather was still what was abundant it's a great no I'm not saying I mean The Sopranos is a little coarser in its in its the crimes were petty ER if you look at the petty errs there's such a word are we invented it I just came up with it but but it did their petty thing the Godfather was there was more like you talking about senators and you know they were all involved what was it like for you a young guy great role for you to work with Brando is Pacino's Pacino was scared to death he told me but we wall I mean listen anybody who tells you that that was my age or you know even a little older they say they're pretty that Brando didn't you know didn't mean anything or wasn't the most you know looked up to guy you know when we were working and acting they're lying you know he was he was the guy what was it like to work with it he was a riot I mean I why not with him and anything I said for some reason he started laughing up in the middle of a scene he just started laughing I call him on the phone alone so we had a great time but the first you know when I first met him it was you know I remember we had this Francis for the first reading we took this big restaurant up in the Bronx a big spread wall Italian food was like a dinner and we read you know so I'll myself the wall and and Brenda with the head of the table and all the way down me under the table was Frances and every wall the other characters you know in sterling Abel is all the way down and France you can see we opened the book we started to leave em all in here and you can see Frances starting to lean for he couldn't hear a friggin word for like the first half hour he found that all of a sudden the sterling Hayden out of like one quick thing before we break the death scene of Sonny yeah how long did that take to shoot that scene in the car how long a day I mean one day oh my god you can't do that over again you know how many times I had 147 big scripts not like these scripts they have today I mean they blow a hole in so they I will have a stronger jacket make sure to put 147 on me too with 5,000 all over the place now how many times you think you would shoot that before you sir yeah I mean now I wouldn't have done it at all I mean it kind of scared me because the guy you got to see these squibs they were like like a brass casing do they hurt to blow a hole in your hands like they sold him into a jacket that sort of into the seats they saw them into the car that blew the bondo out of the car see how to be we had a choreograph where your hands were I don't now the only reason I did it was because there were girls on this set otherwise you know what it said and the fighting no no would have made two I could have made money oh this is no screw you Francis I ain't dying right now we'll be right back with the start of back in the game on ABC James Todd we're back with James Caan he stars in back in a game on ABC in the next segment we'll meet his co-star Maggie Lawson we have some social media questions for you aha social media yes explain that to me for kjm 1016 on twitter kjm is that a lubricant what is that the question is are you a conservative or do you think actors should keep their political views to themselves yes to both yes to both you all my separative but no I think they should keep yeah there's nothing worse than an actor like talk I mean unless they have political science they were political science majors and they know it's something but most everybody talks about it I've tested a couple of put their heads on a scale and the needle doesn't move okay since the present time horses for courses conservative Kathy d45 on Twitter wants to know when did you first know that your son had Talent he stars in Hawaii five-o when he was born no I I didn't I mean he was a great ballplayer I was getting them ready to play he was baseball that was yeah he was unbelievable he was like the number one pick me a lost art guy named Andy Lopez was coach at Pepperdine give a scholarship like when he was 13 14 so I thought I had forgotten Yankee Stadium and then he decided to become a lesbian I mean it became a lesbian but he went off and wrapped when he was 16 he was lost terrific honor he pushed me very proud I'm very proud he said he's a great writer till he writes plays doctor dunk on Twitter wants to know what was your most challenging role to date and why I think it was a Kaiser and it was 40 days old it's a role for those not my talk to it it was exhausting I wrote Iser was my favorite role look you want Debbie Kelly on Facebook what was the best part about filming Las Vegas was there a best part oh sure I mean the cast was great the girls were beautiful sorry I mean oh listen to huh there's like get bit better than getting up looking at Brando every day you know I mean oh alright Joe and Kathy you don't mean oh I love it he's a little quick thing what advice what advice do you have for young and upcoming actors to maintain a long lasting career in the toughest business of them all acting on a serious note yeah but I told my kid my kids you know I used to say like acting isn't my life you know and people would think I don't care that's not true I want to be the best in the world if I was about there one of you but your family and your friends have to be a the most important thing because no matter what success you just achieve no matter what Heights you achieve inevitably and this happened everybody there's a slide backwards the degree of which changes from person to person but the people who put all their eggs so to speak in that one best who live and die and breathe that crap with is that's what it is inevitably those people when they have they hit that slide they're the ones that hurt themselves they drugged-out they die they the press they commit stupid crimes because there's too much there's too much important self important it's meaningless it's not meaningless I mean you try you can only do what you can do right you never let it go to your head well I guess that's one way of putting it but don't don't make it your life I mean you got to look at what you have you know and not what you don't have let's play a game of if you only know little quick things sure everybody first girl you have a kiss oh boy remember who what actually I will have seen as this where were you I was Jesus you getting personal where were you oh you'd be just melee and kiss like that kids don't know that had it happen like in the kiss oh that's probably I don't know that was in camp so well who was my team as dance she was Mac sadnesses from no lease she was my girlfriend I was 13 first one that I had a little you know biggest we were that little thing biggest regret yet it turned down anything you regret it all many yeah yeah are you kidding like I was gonna start a business with the students I almost had it done if Jimmy likes it don't put a dime in it if he turns it down put everything he got it's like I'm made a fortune but I turn down a lot of movies I you know I mean but I turn down some bad ones too but they you know it was I had but having Snares Your Honor has there been a movie when you said why did I turn that down no I mean I felt it but I wouldn't say you know what schmuck they have a hidden talent we don't know about I have so many Larry you haven't got time favorite role of all-time I love doing thief what thief thief good yeah that was fun to do and then those fun movies like you know like this music I love doing that thing with Barbara that was a lot of fun to play that character Billy Rose worst audition the worst one was what I told the guy to screw up the law walked out oh yeah he said to me the first thing he says what's the best thing you've ever done what kind of question is that I just walked in and say hello you didn't say hello first he said be always wear your hair like that I said hello what he said what's the best thing you've ever done Marvin Laroy you love him sure and this poor little castigates it was sitting next to me says Jimmy you know don't you know because I found out of an early age if you say no one of them people who play God then they can't take that who's that Punk to say no to me get him I'll show him I'll make him do this movie so I had that going and he said what's the best thing about the done I said I once went 90 yards for a touchdown the auditions over goodbye worst favorite coffee back to do it favorite co-star oh I can't I mean Brando I I mean Bobby Duvall liar we've done five together and we're he's my closest friend and it was your first impression of Los Angeles cow pasture that's four years ago biggest regret my biggest regret is probably this interview you have a favorite scene in The Godfather one was actually cut in half the one but you know that whole bada-bing thing was a scene with Bobby and I but I don't know I like to see what Mike thought of my sister but I came to see you I don't know although when you beat up the brother I like that very much best advice you ever got I think for Mel Brooks you told me that not to run after a bus to always be another and finally something no one knows about you James is this some I'm a romantic I my sweet little cookie cupcake when we come back Maggie Lawson will join us don't chase of us there'll always be another from the 2000 year old man go away don't ever eat fried providers away from it don't touch I know it's hanging cause we're back with James Caan and now joined by Maggie Lawson his co-star she plays Terry Jr in back in the game how did you get the part well I had I had to read with this one a couple times right didn't we do a couple times I think I read once or twice and then I read with you I had this sort of normal audition process and hehe ready you were already cast and then they had to test our chemistry did you like her right away yeah you did that's it yeah very much yeah well I came in I didn't have to audition you know what I mean no you had to audition there was two girls left I came in when they were two left and she was one of the two what is it like it's been wonderful I feel like I've learned so much from him you know TV is is so fast sometimes you you get into like this it almost feels like a machine get it done and get it done right we got time we got these locations we gotta go we gotta go and sometimes you forget to just pause and think about a scene and the characters and where they're coming from and who they are and Jimmy is so great in that I call him Jimmy he's so usually you all winners but today go ahead but he we pause we actually take he he comes on set and we sit down and we talk about the scene and it's really nice because you usually don't get the time to do that and I love I love how he works and I feel like I've learned so much from them and I feel like so much about our relationship sort of came out of what I was gonna ask him to run away with me but she would grab my hands I love you what a music what had you done before Matt I just well a psyche is still running but I just came off of a show that's on USA I did for the last eight seasons what show it's called psych and we still this lastly the season eight still has to air out but um that's sort of what I feel riding a pretty good high gun it's not bad it's not bad it's been busy but it's wonderful I feel how would you describe her talent how yeah I mean what does she very into the screen she's very down she's she's got what we call in her life which is the most important product at General Electric seriously I mean you have to have something going on it's not about words or anything it's about behavior and I like her behavior where'd you grow up Maggie City with the prettiest women in the world wow thank you go to any Kentucky Derby you see the women alone oh that's what you went that's Kentucky to Utica the Derby people they have covered with their hats and theirs how would you know that look at the blood was you watched so much julep and now he knows you go into downtown Louisville and gorgeous you never went away from the Derby so full of crap listen I know you went to the Derby and that's exactly right the boy at 1890 back to you why are you enjoying this so much boys other than Jimmy why do you like it I like that we're making a show that I feel like I feel like we're trying to find I think I feel like we're trying to find the comedy in real moments versus a show that's based just around jokes I feel like we have we have relationship like real relationship stuff going on I love baseball and and so I feel I feel like we're trying to do something you know a little more real and authentic and and let the comedy come from that did you play softball baseball isn't a so far yeah yeah I play until I was like 16 so in this you play a former star so called yeah yeah I had to train a little bit cuz baseball's different I mean I was I'm a pitcher so I had to it's rolling underhand and overhead and I was a pitcher when I play softball but it's a whole different animal you get to play on the show at all um I have a little bit not as much as I would like to we do have a batting cage on set which is really fun and all all the scenes all the baseball scenes shot here this is our field yeah we built we built this field with Jimmy and I Jimmy and really the size of a softball at night yeah it's not a baseball no but we irrigator this whole thing everything this is basically seriously though this was a field and charge of the 20th yeah but everybody thank charlie well you did a great great for the community are you leaving this field now for the community gotta tear it all up Jim well that's a funny thing you should ask why that's why last I got why it was funny below because we had we we had to get a permit I don't doesn't make sense to to relate all the pipes in the sprinkler and they city said okay you can build it but what you believe you gotta take that stuff out you'll figure it out but you've been doing the door like this for a long time you can't give them the field we can't no no the field is theirs I mean we built it but the whole system underneath here you know this whole sprinkler system to keep it green yeah they said when when when the show is dead which we don't know when that will happen as a matter of fact right in the middle of this in the music but they want the will HUD sprays and stuff out there's a wonderful show James I'm so happy for you happy feel how are you - and you suspend this Thank You Jimmy Jimmy Caan and Maggie Lawson she's Terry Jr he's Terry senior the show is back in the game on ABC we're in Beverly Hills on a beautiful field where they have to tear it up after they're only in Beverly Hills could they think this oh they need a permit now to tear it up you find me on Twitter at Kings things thanks for joining us this is Evan say that's true that's

Channel: Larry King

Views: 234,471

Keywords: Larry King, Larry King Now, Ora TV, Entertainment, Celebrity, back in the game, james caan, baseball, baseball diamond, maggie lawson, movie star, bad news bears, pitcher, god father, marlon brando, jewish, bette midler, barbara streisand, for the boys, mario cuomo, fordham university, murder, francis coppola, brooklyn, horse head, conservative, scott caan, pepperdine, yankees stadium, hawaii five 0

Id: Zf54bBDWIZM

Length: 26min 43sec (1603 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 13 2013