Al Pacino almost didn’t play Michael Corleone in ‘The Godfather’

On By Yukito


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Al Pacino published his memoir titled “Sonny Boy”

What’s the story?

In his newly published memoirs entitled SonnyBoyHollywood legend Al Pacino revealed he was almost replaced in Francis Ford Coppola’s cult mafia drama Godfather (1972).

The actor revealed that Paramount Pictures had doubts about whether he was the right choice for the memorable role of Michael Corleone.

“Paramount didn’t want me to play Michael Corleone,” Pacino wrote in an excerpt shared by Guardian.

Paramount wanted these actors instead of Pacino

Pacino also revealed that Paramount was considering other actors.

“They wanted Jack Nicholson. They wanted Robert Redford. They wanted Warren Beatty or Ryan O’Neal.”

“In (Mario) Puzo’s book, Michael called himself the ‘sissy of the Corleone family.’

“He was supposed to be small, dark-haired, handsome in a delicate way, posing 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.”

Pacino’s journey to auditions and the initial challenges of filming

Despite being hesitant to fly to the West Coast for a screen test, Pacino was convinced by his manager.

“I didn’t care that it was Godfather. I was kind of scared to fly and I didn’t want to go to California, but my manager Marty Bregman told me, ‘You’re getting on the fucking plane.’

“He brought me a pint of whiskey to drink on the plane and I got there.”

“Well, you won’t stop”: Coppola to Pacino

A few days after filming began, Paramount “was once again wondering if I was the right actor for the role.”

Pacino also recalled the moment when Coppola told him, “Well, you can’t top this.” That’s when he realized his job was at risk.

However, in a strategic move, Coppola decided to film the Italian restaurant scene earlier than planned. This scene gave Pacino a chance to showcase his acting skills and ultimately earned him a spot in the film.

Pacino’s performance in “The Godfather” resulted in an Oscar nomination

An iconic performance by Pacino Godfather gave him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

He later received a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in the sequel titled Part of The Godfather II (1974).

These nominations were the first of many in Pacino’s illustrious acting career.

He started playing the main role The scent of a woman AND A face with a scaramong others.