The Godfather film trilogy has unquestionably been one of the finest projects from the 1970s to the 1990s when it comes to the crime/mystery genre. Holding immaculate performances of legendary A-listers like Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert de Niro, and James Caan, the movies garnered worldwide critical acclamation along with various accolades including multiple Oscar wins and nominations.
Yet as spectacular as the performance of all the above-listed top-rated actors was, none of them earned the title of being the highest-paid actors of the franchise. And the person who was paid the highest and played one key character ended up getting fired from the franchise when the turn for The Godfather 2 came. This actor was none other than Richard Castellano, who was riding high waves of fame during the time of the first installment of the franchise.
The Godfather 2 Lost A Key Character Due To Actor’s Massive Salary
While The Godfather may have gotten Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, and James Caan some of their first Oscar nods and wins (sixth for Brando) in their respective legendary careers, it didn’t quite serve them the same honors when it came to their salaries for the movie.
As per respectable sources, the highest-paid actor in terms of straight salary of the first installment was instead Richard Castellano, who didn’t even play a major part in the movie: his role was instead that of Peter Clemenza, a supporting character who is one of Don Vito Corleone’s caporegimes and oldest friends.
However, at the time, Castellano was riding high tides of fame and commendation after having won an Oscar nomination as well as a Tony for his remarkable performance in Lovers and Other Strangers. Thus, he was allowed a massive salary for the same (the concise amount of which was not disclosed), earning the title of being the highest-paid actor of The Godfather.
Al Pacino and James Caan, on the other hand, hadn’t spent much time in the entertainment industry and had only just embarked on what would be later referred to as their legendary journeys in Hollywood. Thus, their salaries for the film were comparatively less as compared to Castellano.
Nonetheless, it was only for the better, considering how Richard Castellano’s ginormous salary coupled with his creative control demands for the sequel showed him the exit door when it came to The Godfather 2.
Also Read: The Godfather’s 2nd Best Line Came to Life After Actor’s Wife Suggested to Add the Banger
How Much Were Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, And James Caan Paid For The Godfather?
Because of being relatively unknown, Al Pacino and James Caan weren’t paid as big salaries back when the first Godfather film was in the making as they get paid now. However, it was made up for after the massive success of the first installment, leading to as massive salaries for the A-listers.
While Pacino was paid only $35,000 for his part as Michale Corleone in the first Godfather film, his salary was enormously upped with the second installment from the franchise, landing on a whopping $500,000, as per Celebrity Net Worth. Then came the third film in 1990, and with it, reportedly brought a stunning total of a $5 million paycheck for the top-rated star, as reported by Parade.
Then came James Caan, who earned the same amount as Pacino for the first movie for his role as Sonny Corleone. However, unfortunately for him, he was reportedly paid the same amount, i.e. $35,000 for the 1974 sequel as well, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
As for Marlon Brando: the Vito Corleone portrayer only appeared in the first installment but still made sure to bag at least $250,000 for his role along with an extra percentage of the gross profits earned by the film, netting a total of about $2 million from the movie, as per the numbers reported by the Smithsonian Magazine.
Regardless of their respective salaries, The Godfather film series was still as remarkable as ever, all thanks to the A-listers’ outstanding efforts and hard work.
