Hailed as one of the most prestigious actors of the 20th century, Al Pacino has done copious blockbuster films throughout his career spanning over five decades. But who would’ve thought we’d get to see him go from playing chilling gangster roles to a comical coffee connoisseur? That’s right, nobody could’ve foreseen that plot twist.
Even industry juggernauts like The Godfather star aren’t immune to a few bad days at the cinemas (that’s code for flops), and his movie with Adam Sandler was one such out-of-the-pan-and-into-the-fire kind of collaboration. Save for the epic commercial that perhaps echos one of the greatest moments in cinema history.
Al Pacino’s Dunkin’ Donuts Commercial Was Peak Cinema
Adam Sandler might be a comedic genius but Jack and Jill certainly didn’t make it to the list of ‘most hilarious movies of all time.’ If anything, the 2011 film was dubbed as one of the worst outings to have recorded in Hollywood. Can you imagine an Al Pacino feature with a 3% rating on Rotten Tomatoes? Yikes.
But if there’s one thing that the Dennis Dugan-helmed disaster did right, it was turning Pacino into a coffee enthusiast as the Scarface star danced to a ‘Dunkaccino’ beat at a Dunkin’ Donuts outlet. That’s probably the film’s only redeeming quality and what saved it from absolute ruin.
“Seriously? They must have paid him a fortune to do this,” one user wrote under the clip posted on Instagram. Meanwhile, a heap of comments praised the scene with someone even deeming it an “Oscar-worthy” performance.
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Set up as a marketing ploy in the film, Pacino can be seen rapping in a Dunkaccino commercial – which was an actual blend of hot chocolate and coffee served at Dunkin’ Donuts until 2023 – clad in a three-piece suit with a donut-packed vest. Dedication 100.
“Burn this,” the Academy Award-winning actor tells Sandler who plays an advertising exec named Jack in the movie that landed 10 Razzies. “This must never be seen by anyone,” Pacino says of the ad in the film.
Jack and Jill Writer Sang High Praise of Al Pacino
While the film may have bellyflopped at the box office, the director along with the screenwriters had a gala time working with Al Pacino, especially behind the scenes of the famous Dunkaccino commercial.
The Jack and Triumph Show star Robert Smigel, who served as a co-screenwriter on Jack and Jill, gushed about Pacino, 84, and how he transformed the atmosphere with his infectious “joy” (via Cracked).
I just loved how much Pacino cared. He just emanated joy because he was so excited and committed to making his part as funny as it could be.
Smigel also revealed how the original idea involved a Starbucks commercial with Pacino advertising for a Frappuccino before they tweaked the script and incorporated the Dunkin’ Donuts idea. But the coffeehouse chain wasn’t up for “cornifying their product” but the final product did turn out to be much “funnier.” “That way there’s no pretense that he ever thought this was a classy gig,” Smigel admitted.
