James Caan warned son Scott Caan about Hollywood: A 'goofy' business

Scott Caan was warned about Hollywood by his father, James Caan, before he pursued a career in show business.

Scott, 47, spoke to Fox News Digital at the 2024 FOX Spring Preview for the second season of FOX's "Alert: Missing Persons Unit" about his relationship with his late Academy Award-winning dad.

Scott says he didn't always know he'd become an actor. 

"Not until I was a late teen, like 18 or 19 years old," he shared. "I was always an athlete, and my old man told me that this business was goofy and [to] stay away from it. "

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Scott Caan, right, said his father, James Caan, discouraged him from following in his acting footsteps. (Getty Images)

Scott did not always dream of being an actor.

"I would do anything to not go to school, so I had all these different creative ideas. Anything to not finish high school and go to college," he recalled. "I sort of got lucky and met a director and ended up on a set somehow."

As for his famous dad's professional advice, Scott said, "It's funny because he was pretty contradictory. He would say, ‘Don’t take it too seriously,' but then he also took it very seriously. He always just said, ‘Look, work’s not your life,' and I think it's a good lesson.

"You gotta be passionate about what you do and love what you do, but, at the same time, it can't be the most important thing. You'll die in it."

James became a household name after his breakout role as Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather." He earned an Academy Award and a Golden Globe nomination for the role. James died in 2022 from a heart attack at the age of 82.

James Caan starred as Santino "Sonny" Corleone in "The Godfather" (1972). (CBS via Getty Images)

Scott is one of James' five children. The late actor was also a father to James, Jacob, Alexander and Tara.

WATCH: Scott Caan shares advice from his late father James Caan 

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Scott Caan is one of James Caan's five children. (Denise Truscello/WireImage)

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Scott stars as Jason Grant on the second season of FOX's "Alert: Missing Persons Unit," which premiered Tuesday.

"Each episode features a heart-pounding, life-or-death search for a missing person headed by detectives Jason Grant and Nikki Batista," according to the show's summary. "Jason and Nikki, once married, have a very personal connection to these cases as their own young son went missing and was never found. 

"The emotional toll of their son's disappearance blew up their marriage, but even though they've moved on, their bond remains."

WATCH: Scott Caan reveals when he knew he wanted to follow in dad James Caan's footsteps

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The show is set within the missing persons unit of the Philadelphia Police Department, showcasing how every moment is crucial when searching for a missing person. 

Scott told Fox News Digital this "whole season was rough" to film.

"Trying to figure out if the kid is yours or not, the kid that you have adopted, and you don't know if it's actually your kid. I mean, to play that over and over again for 10 episodes — it was brutal," he said of the new season. "It was like non-stop, emotionally draining and kind of screwed with your head at times.

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"That whole season was rough. I think it was great, I think we did a good job with it, but I'm glad that section of this show is behind us because it's crazy to relive that for 10 episodes."

Scott Caan stars as Jason Grant on FOX's "Alert: Missing Persons Unit." (Gregg DeGuire/Variety via Getty Images)

The "Hawaii Five-O" actor is a father himself. Scott and his partner, Kacy Byxbee, welcomed their daughter, Josie, in 2014. Playing the role of James Grant on "Alert: Missing Persons Unit" allowed Scott to reflect on his own approach to parenting. 

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"You can't hover over your kids. You gotta let them figure it out," he said. "I mean, I feel like I learned the most being on my own. You just try to teach them to be smart and good humans and avoid trouble if they can, but they're gonna get into trouble. You can't, like, hover over your kids."

Season 2 of "Alert: Missing Persons Unit" is airing now on FOX.