“Godfather” star James Caan claims his acrimonious divorce is bleeding his bank accounts dry and forcing him to take low-rent movie offers he would rather, but can’t, refuse.
The 75-year-old movie tough guy, best known for playing Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather,” said he’s in desperate need of cash because of mounting medical bills and the free spending of estranged wife Linda Caan.
As a result, Caan said, he is taking bad work that threatens to have his great Hollywood rep swimming with the fishes.
But he’s drawing the line now, Caan wrote in court papers: “I am no longer willing to take parts in films and/or television shows which detract from the 50 years I have spent building my reputation.”
The “Godfather” actor was particularly bitter about his role in the campy gangland/horror hybrid “Sicilian Vampire.”
It premiered in November at the Big Apple Film Festival and hasn’t made it into popular release yet.
The film festival described the flick as “Equal parts ‘GoodFellas’ and ‘Dusk till Dawn.’”
If the movie turns out to be a bomb, it’ll take down other big Hollywood names such as Caan’s castmates Daryl Hannah and Paul Sorvino.
The New York City premiere of “Vampire” drew just 50 fans, according to his court filing.
Caan also said he’s in bad health, but didn’t specify his ailments.
“I have suffered from numerous medical ailments over the last 18 months which has added extraordinary financial pressures and have left me in poor health,” according to the actor.
Despite those health challenges, Caan said he would like to increase custody time with his youngest son, Jake, who recently turned 17.
“I would like for Jake to spend at least 50 percent of his time with me, as I will be available to parent him and produce the necessary provisions a teenage boy needs,” according to the acting legend.
Caan claimed he is currently spending about $96,840 a year on the couple’s oldest son, James, a student at Chapman University, and $60,900 a year on Jake.
James and Linda Caan got married in 1995, the start of a rocky union that had him reportedly filing for divorce in 2005 and 2009 before he withdrew those petitions each time.
But Caan filed for divorce again last January and this one appears to be real. They have no prenup. James Caan has been married to four different women and has five children.
Scott Caan, the “Godfather” actor’s kid with wife No. 2, Sheila Ryan, is currently on the CBS drama “Hawaii Five-0.”
A lawyer for Linda Caan could not immediately be reached for comment.
Additional reporting by David K. Li