The 1972 film, The Godfather, starring the legendary Hollywood star Al Pacino is considered one of the masterpieces in the history of Hollywood. The movie not only became one of the greatest films of the actor’s career but also became the greatest and most influential film ever made. The role of Michael Corleone served as a breakthrough role for the actor, and while it would be hard for fans to even consider another actor for the role, the Serpico star was not the first choice for the role.
However, his co-star and ex-girlfriend Diane Keaton has claimed that nobody was interested in casting him as the youngest son of Vito Corleone, as she talked about the 1972 movie during an interview with ET Online.
Al Pacino Was Not the Original Pick For Michael Corleone
While working on Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film The Godfather, Al Pacino met his ex-girlfriend Diane Keaton, who portrayed his love interest Kay Adams-Corleone in the movie. The Couple had an on and off again relationship throughout the 1980s and eventually broke things off in 1990.
During an interview with ET Online, the actress claimed that she was cast before the 83-year-old actor. She revealed that no one in the production wanted him to be cast as the youngest son of the Corleone family, Michael Corleone. “Nobody wanted Al Pacino. They didn’t want him to play that part, and I had already been cast,” she said.
She claimed that she was surprised to learn that they did not want him as Michael Corleone, the character who led the franchise for its sequel and threequel. “What would ‘The Godfather’ have been without Al Pacino?” she said before adding, “It’s just one of those weird, unusual things in life.”
The Book Club actress shared that Pacino was cast after his second audition. “Do you believe that?” she shared stating that she was instantly cast as Kay Adams-Corleone. “I didn’t know what the hell I was there for. And they cast me in that role!” she recalled. Although he was not the first choice for the role, he still gave an Oscar-worthy performance in the movie.
Why Diane Keaton And Al Pacino Brokeup?
Al Pacino and Diane Keaton met for the first time in 1971 on the set of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, as they starred opposite each other. Keaton has shared that she was madly in love with her ex’s charm. “I was mad for him. Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker,” she shared.
She also stated, “There was an aspect of him that was like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant. And oh, gorgeous!” However, their relationship slowly turned sour, as the Poms star wanted to take a step ahead and started pushing for their marriage.
But the Insomnia star had no such plans, which caused Keaton to put an end to their relationship in 1990. They still have a healthy relationship and are known to be good friends following their breakup.
The Godfather is available on Prime Video.
Source: ET Online
