The Godfather casting campaign was utter chaos for the director Francis Ford Coppola. Be it the title character or other cast members, it was never a smooth ride rather bumped into several disagreements. Fortunately, all turned out to be great and Coppola made a masterful trilogy that has been celebrated by film enthusiasts since the release of The Godfather.
In the mayhem of casting, Robert De Niro found himself amidst the debacle, while at some point the legendary director rejected the legendary star, Niro turned down another role in the film. However, the actor got the role he was destined to play in the sequel and perfected it to get undivided attention and accolades.
Francis Ford Coppola Originally Rejected Robert De Niro In The Godfather
Robert De Niro with his newfound fame and success as an emerging star in Hollywood at the time of casting for The Godfather went on to have a shot at the gangster film. Who wouldn’t want to join Francis Ford Coppola? Initially, De Niro was keen on playing Sonny Corleone— the oldest son of Don Vito Corleone and his wife, Carmela Corleone— as he appeared in an audition for the role. However, De Niro was far from galvanizing Coppola’s immaculate vision for the character. James Caan who previously appeared in El Dorado was the next best choice for the director. Coppola was not wrong, Caan went on to earn an Oscar nomination for his performance.
Movie enthusiasts can never forget Paulie Gatto— the button man of Peter Clemenza. The role was offered to De Niro, however, the actor decided to move on from the role. Of course, it would have been far from an impressive feat to place the actor in a minor role but it would be criminal to disagree with the fact that De Niro’s decision was best for what was coming ahead.
Robert De Niro Played Young Vito Corleone
The Godfather was an instant hit after its release in 1972. Despite the initial differences, Paramount Pictures agreed to cast the Late Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as his youngest son Michael Corleone. As the movie came to be a mass hit there the studio was keen on making room for more sequels. Coppola did not think twice about bringing back De Niro as he cast him as the younger version of Vito Corleone. “That was uh Marty was uh friends with Francis Coppola and I knew Francis a little bit,” De Niro said of landing on the role in The Godfather Part 2 while appearing on An Experience With panel.
“I think Marty had, we never really spoke about this but I don’t remember but I think Marty showed him some the movie [Mean Streets] was not coming out had not come out yet. Marty was editing and he showed him some Mean Streets and Francis said he wanted me to go to San Francisco where he was living to work with him uh for Godfather 2 and then and then one day he called me he said, ‘don’t even don’t bother you have the part’ and, uh, so, that was great.”
Following the legacy of its predecessor, the movie did wonders at the 47th Academy Awards with nine Oscar nods winning six including De Niro’s Best Supporting Actor. In its essence, the movie elevated De Niro’s prowess as an actor inspiring his later roles in his career spanning over decades. The Godfather Part II is available to stream on Paramount Plus.
