Scott Caan Recalls Final Conversations with Dad James Caan: 'I'm Lucky for That'

Scott Caan is remembering his dad James Caan.

In a new interview with Extra while promoting his new Fox series Alert: Missing Persons Unit, his son Scott, 46, recalled some of the best advice his father ever gave him. The Godfather actor died in July at age 82.

"We've always been close. … I'm not gonna get into the specifics, but there was nothing that needed to be said that wasn't said," Scott said about his final conversations with James.

"I'm lucky for that," Scott added, "and as you said, he's one of the greatest human beings of all time, forget actors, which he was one of the best at that too. ... If you knew him, you knew that you'd never meet anyone like him ever again. Special dude, man."

Asked about the best advice James ever gave Scott, the actor turned to sports analogies: "'Keep your head down when you're fielding a ground ball,' you know what I mean? It was always sports with him."

"Starting when I was 3 or 4 years old, he said, 'If someone does something that you don't like, you ask them once not to do it, and if they do it again, then you can hit him.' That was his advice," he added.

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In 2010, the Hawaii Five-0 star and his dad spoke to PEOPLE about their relationship. Scott, who called his father "the greatest actor of all time," said his dad was a huge inspiration throughout his career.

Despite his admiration, though, Scott was clear: "To say our relationship wasn't dysfunctional would be a lie." Raised by his mother, model Sheila Ryan, after his parents split when he was a baby, Scott "witnessed a lot of things I wish I didn't do," James confessed. "He saw me when I was a little rough around the edges," including periods when James was battling drugs.

"Now," James said at the time, "we're really best buddies."

Scott agreed, saying: "I have no resentment. He made mistakes that affected him — and me — but he's always been there for me no matter what." Added James: "I'm proud that he's grown up so well."

James' death was announced in a social media post from the actor's official account on July 7, and a death certificate indicated that James died from a heart attack and coronary artery disease. The actor also suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as congestive heart failure.

A titan in the film industry, Caan's movie and TV career stretched over 60 years, with some of his most notable roles being in The Godfather (1972), Misery (1990) and Elf (2003).

Among Caan's numerous accolades are four Golden Globe nominations, along with nods from both the Academy Awards and the Emmy Awards. He was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.