Al Pacino is always remembered for his groundbreaking performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed mafia film The Godfather (1972). However, information that has emerged years later indicates that the production company almost considered removing the seasoned actor from the cast at the time.
The Oscar-winning actor recently shared in his new memoir, Sonny Boy, that Paramount questioned whether he was the right choice to portray Michael Corleone in the film adaptation of Mario Puzo’s book. Al Pacino went on to share the inspiring story of how he managed to prove himself to the production company years later.
Al Pacino Could Have Been Fired From His Most Important Project!
The master actor explained Paramount’s sentiments at the time, stating, “They didn’t want me to play Michael Corleone.” He elaborated, “They wanted Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, or Ryan O’Neal. In the book, Puzo describes Michael as ‘the golden boy of the Corleone family.’ He needed to be small, dark, and handsome.”
For Al Pacino, these criteria meant he had to audition for the role. The actor emphasized in the book:
“I had to audition for a role I had never done before. I didn’t want to fly to the West Coast to do that. I didn’t care if it was The Godfather. I was a little afraid of flying, and I didn’t want to go to California. My manager, Marty Bregman, told me, ‘You’re going to get on that damn plane.’ He brought me a liter of whiskey to drink on the plane, and I went.”
Pacino admitted that he thought Coppola “went overboard” while campaigning for him, but he recalled the “unpleasant feeling” of realizing he wasn’t the only one competing for the role in the audition room. He continued:
“But the secret is this: Francis wanted me. He wanted me, and I knew that. There’s nothing better than a director wanting you. He also gave me a gift in the form of Diane Keaton. There were some actresses he brought in for the role of Kay, but he wanted to pair me with Diane.”
Al Pacino wasn’t sure if Coppola did this intentionally, but the director was waiting to film the Italian restaurant scene, where Michael comes to take revenge on Sollozzo and McCluskey, which had not yet been rehearsed. Pacino expressed in the book that this scene needed to be shot a few days later, but without a talent to showcase, there might not be a second chance for him.
Pacino stated that he was confident about why Coppola chose him for the role with this scene:
“Then Francis staged the restaurant scene in the studio, and they saw something. Because of this scene, they kept me in the film. So, I wasn’t fired from The Godfather. I kept doing what I was doing, and I continued to reflect on my thoughts during my walks around Manhattan. I had a plan, and I believed there was a direction that was right for this character, and I was sure Francis felt the same way.”
The Godfather earned Al Pacino his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The successful actor later won the Best Actor award for The Godfather Part II.
So, what do you think about The Godfather?
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