Al Pacino ruled the screens from the 70s up to the 90s with many acclaimed works and performances that won him various awards. The 70s were the seminal decade for the actor that established him as a bankable movie star. Films like Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and …And Justice for All proved that Pacino was a force to be reckoned with.
The most popular films that Pacino participated in during the decade were the two Godfather films in 1972 and 1974. However, when the first Godfather was made, Pacino was a young actor and did not know how to execute certain notes from director Francis Ford Coppola. The actor thought that Coppola was extremely disappointed by casting him as Michael Corleone.
Al Pacino’s Incompetence Led Him To Believe He was Ruining The Godfather
Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather is considered one of the greatest films in history, with the Corleone family saga being adored and loved by fans. Al Pacino played Vito Corleone’s son Michael Corleone, and the actor was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his brilliant performance. However, it is surprising to know that Pacino struggled to perform in one of the key scenes in the film.
Pacino claimed that he completely messed up one key sequence during the film due to his incompetence, pointing out the scene where Michael gets married in Sicily. Coppola wanted the actor to improvise in the scene a little, but Pacino did not know how to. Coppola was operating the camera and wanted Pacino to handle the scene in a way that felt natural.
However, the actor was completely lost and kept asking for directions. The thing that Coppola wanted was for him to distribute some candies to the guests, dance for a little bit, and drive off in his car. But Pacino was not able to execute all that on his own, and he thought that Coppola was irritated and regretted casting him. He said (via Instagram),
There was this scene in The Godfather One, if anybody remembers it, when Michael gets married in Sicily and he has to pass around candies, it is a tradition. And then Francis says, ‘Ok Al, you pass around the candies, you take the girl who’s your wife and you waltz and you go off in the car’. I said, ‘Francis, I don’t waltz, I don’t know how to waltz’… ‘It doesn’t matter, get in the car and take off’, I said, ‘Francis, I don’t drive’. Why did I pick him, why him?
The anecdote is funny and reveals the simplicity and naivety that the actor had at the time. Pacino eventually stepped up his game and did a brilliant job on the film standing toe to toe with a heavy hitter like Marlon Brando. In addition to receiving rave reviews, The Godfather was also a monstrous hit, grossing $250 million against a $6 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).
Al Pacino Wouldn’t Be The Celebrated Movie Star He’s Now If Not For The Godfather
Al Pacino was a rising actor in the 70s, and his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather became his breakout performance that opened up his horizons in the industry. However, at the time of signing the film, the actor merely thought of it as just another acting gig. He was Francis Ford Coppola’s first choice for Michael Corleone.
However, looking back at the film, Pacino claims that the film and its success are the reason for having a career in the industry, which he compares to winning the lottery. The actor just went and did the part, but it would become one of his most celebrated roles in his career. Pacino told The New York Times,
At that time in my life, I didn’t have a choice. Francis wanted me. I had made the one film. And I wasn’t as interested in film to the extent that I became interested. My head was in another space. I’m here because I did The Godfather. For an actor, that’s like winning the lottery. When it comes right down to it, I had nothing to do with the film but play the part.
The actor has done several acclaimed films and presented audiences with many award-winning performances in projects like Scent of a Woman, Angels in America, and many others. He has even ventured into theatre winning two Tony Awards for Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. Presently, he is set to star in an exorcism film with Dan Stevens
Fans can watch The Godfather on Paramount+.
