Al Pacino from ‘The Godfather’ almost missed out on an iconic role: ‘They wanted Jack Nicholson’

In an excerpt from the book shared by The Guardian, Pacino said: “Paramount didn’t want me to play Michael Corleone. They wanted Jack Nicholson. They wanted Robert Redford. They wanted Warren Beatty or Ryan O’Neal.

“In the book, Puzo told Michael to call himself ‘the mastermind of the Corleone family.’ He was supposed to be small, dark-haired, handsome in a delicate way, and pose no visible threat to anyone.

“It didn’t sound like the guys the studio wanted. But that didn’t mean it had to be me.”

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Pacino further explained that he had to pass screen tests for the role and fly to California, which proved difficult due to his fear of flying at the time.

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“My manager Marty Bregman told me, ‘You’re getting on the f***ing plane,’” he explained. “He brought me a pint of whiskey to drink on the plane, and I got there.”

Pacino continued: “Here’s the secret: Francis wanted me. He wanted me and I knew it. There’s nothing like a director who wants you.

“He also gave me a gift in Diane Keaton. He had several actors auditioning for the role of Kay, but the fact that he wanted to pair me with Diane suggested he had the upper hand.

“I knew she was doing well in her career and had appeared on Broadway in shows like Hair and Play It Again, Sam with Woody Allen.

“A few days before the screen test, I met Diane at a bar in Lincoln Center in New York and we just hit it off. She was easy to talk to and funny, and she thought I was funny too. I felt like I had immediately gained a friend and ally.”

After a week and a half of filming, Pacino said that Paramount again questioned his casting, and Coppola then moved on to filming the scene in the Italian restaurant where Michael takes revenge on Sollozzo and McCluskey.

Pacino stated that he did not know if Coppola did this on purpose, but noted that it allowed him to show what he could do.

The Godfather won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Marlon Brando, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Puzo and Coppola, while Pacino was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

In addition, the film received another six nominations.

Coppola’s latest film, Megalopolis, recently hit theaters to mixed reviews and has struggled with ticket sales.

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