Scott Caan: Not Just the Son of a Famous Actor

Just because a parent is a famous actor does not necessarily mean the children will follow in their footsteps. Those who have tried oftentimes were not successful, because of the enormous legacy they had to uphold. It may have been too overwhelming. On the other hand there are the exceptions. Many actors have had their children break into acting with establishing flourishing careers on their own. Scott Caan is one of those who have broken the mold. He is the son of actor James Caan who is best known for his role as Sonny Corleone in the epic film "The Godfather."

Children of famous actors who have a brilliant acting career tend to set themselves apart from their acting parent or parents. It may seem on the surface Scott has followed a similar path like his dad. There are a lot of physical similarities too. Yet, Scott Caan has managed to do it his way. Starting with his breakout role as a hitman in the film "Enemy of the State" to landing himself in a hit television series based on a remake from the 1970s. Here is a look at Scott Caan's early years to breaking into acting to landing a role in paradise.

The Early Years - Life With Father

Born in Los Angeles on August 23, 1976 Scott Andrew Caan's parents split up when he was a year old. However, his father was always present during his upbringing. When Scott began playing baseball in Little League his father took time off from acting for a few years to coach his son and his team. During his school years he attended a number of schools in and around Beverly Hills including the famous Beverly Hills High. Even though he loved baseball he was also interested in the music business. He formed a rap duo called "The Whooliganz." They played the usual nightclubs and toured with rap acts such as House of Pain and Cypress Hill. His rap duo did release one single titled "Put Your Handz Up." Unfortunately their debut album ended up being shelved.

Tough Act to Follow - Breaking Into Acting

After his music career stalled his mother, Sheila Ryan who was a former model and actress, urged him into acting. She was participating in their intensive program at the North Hollywood West Playhouse. As a result Scott Caan began to enjoy acting too. In 1995 his father cast him in the title role of the film "A Boy Called Hate." From there he began acting in a successive series of indie and major film productions. Hs first big role was in the film "Enemy of the State" as a hitman chasing after Will Smith's character. Eventually he was cast in "Ocean's Eleven" as the getaway driver. Subsequently Caan was cast in their other sequels. He made his directorial debut as well as writing the screenplay for "Dallas 362" that starred Jeff Goldblum and Kelly Lynch. In 2009 he landed a recurring role as a talent manager in the hit HBO series "Entourage."

Hawaii Five-0 - "Book 'em Danno"

CBS network had an idea to remake the iconic television series that ran from 1968 to 1980 titled "Hawaii Five-0." It's about a select police force within the Honolulu Police Department initiated by the Governor and led by a former Navy Intelligence Officer. In 2010 Scott Caan was cast as a detective originally from New Jersey now working for the HPD. Many fans and critics of the original show had doubts this new version would succeed. Nevertheless, the 2010 version is one of the few new shows of the fall season to become an enormous hit.

All was not well during August 2010 while filming an episode Scott Caan suffered a recurring knee injury that sent him back to the mainland for ACL surgery. It was cleverly written into the show where his character walked around with a cane for a number of episodes. The bromance chemistry of Danny Williams or Danno played by Caan and his renegade former Navy Seal partner played handsomely by Alex O'Loughlin (swoon) are always at each other's throats for comic relief.

It's interesting to note the late James MacArthur who played Danny Williams or Danno in the original series his mother was the famous actress Helen Hayes. She's best known for her role as a stowaway in the film "Airport" that started all of the disaster films in the 1970s. His mother guest starred in an episode of "Hawaii Five-0" I wonder when Scott's father will do the same?

SOURCES:

Scott Caan Biography, Yahoo! Movies

Meagan Masters, "Scott Caan Injury to Be Written Into Hawaii Five-0", E! Online