It is impossible for us to stop talking about Al Pacino, the method actor, who has delivered a number of masterpieces, including Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. The Oscar-winning actor, 83, has had an illustrious career spanning five decades and counting, earning him millions of dollars and making him one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars.
Well, any actor would eventually encounter some level of controversy in the course of their career, and Pacino is by no means an exception. Even though the acclaimed actor has starred in some challenging roles in the past, nothing compares to the 1980 flick Cruising, since the entire movie was controversial.
![Al Pacino in The Godfather II [Credit Paramount Pictures]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/23050012/Al-Pacino-in-The-Godfather-II-Credit-Paramount-Pictures-1024x576.jpeg)
William Friedkin’s Feud with Al Pacino After Cruising
Cruising, for those who do not know, is a 1980 crime thriller flick that centered on Al Pacino’s character, an undercover police officer (Steve Burns), looking into a string of serial killings in the gay community of New York City. Having said that, the film’s depiction of the gay community and graphic content drew criticism during its making and release.
According to the New York Times, in 1979, a march of about a thousand people was held to protest William Friedkin’s film being made in New York. Regardless of the controversy surrounding the movie, Friedkin and Pacino’s relationship deteriorated rapidly following its release.
The late director and Pacino had multiple run-ins during the film’s production. During an interview, Friedkin shared some not-so-sweet words about the Scarface actor’s experience shooting the movie (via Far Out Magazine):
“I don’t give a flying f**k into a rolling donut about what Al Pacino thinks, is that an answer to your question? I mean, I could be sitting here for an hour and try and explain it, but that’s a fact…I cared a lot, for example, about what Tommy Lee Jones thought because this guy was a brilliant professional, prepared actor, and he would think about his character more than the director, more than me, he would come to the set with absolutely brilliant ideas, and I don’t feel the same about Pacino.”
The Exorcist director, who passed away last year at the age of 87 (see Variety), is credited with creating New Hollywood classics like The French Connection, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and Sorcerer.
William Friedkin Reflected on Directing Al Pacino
William Friedkin has spoken out on several occasions about his relationship with Al Pacino. He talked to The Wrap in 2013 about their turbulent Cruising collaboration. The late director mentioned the Dog Day Afternoon actor as follows in an interview with the outlet shortly after the release of his memoir, The Friedkin Connection:
“I have not seen him a lot. We never moved in the same circles. I wanted Richard Gere for the role. Having seen the film at special screenings, I’ve come to realise [Pacino] is still pretty damn effective in it, but he gave me a rough time for reasons other than the normal actor-director relationship. He wasn’t on time and often didn’t know what we were doing on a particular day.”
Anyway, in addition to the controversy the film generated, Cruising performed insufficiently at the box office, taking in $19.8 million against a $11 million budget (Box Office Mojo). Moreover, as of April 2024, the film has a 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
This flick, about a serial killer targeting gay men, challenges conventions to such an extent that it begs the question: Could a movie even find a place in today’s culturally sensitive environment?
Cruising is available to rent on Apple TV.
