Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received
numerous accolades: including an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, two
Tony Awards, and two
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime E ...
, making him one of the few performers to have achieved the
Triple Crown of Acting
The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest accolades recognized in American film, t ...
. He has also been honored with the
AFI Life Achievement Award
The AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the board of directors of the American Film Institute on February 26, 1973, to honor a single individual for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through motion picture ...
, the
Cecil B. DeMille Award
The Cecil B. DeMille Award is an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment". The HFPA board of directors selects the honorees from a variety ...
, and the
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...
.
A
method actor
Method ( grc, μέθοδος, methodos) literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In recent centuries it more often means a prescribed process for completing a task. It may refer to:
* Scie ...
and former student of the
HB Studio and the
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
, where he was taught by Charlie Laughton and
Lee Strasberg, Pacino's film debut came at the age of 29 with a minor role in ''
Me, Natalie
''Me, Natalie'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Fred Coe about a homely young woman from Brooklyn who moves to Greenwich Village and finds romance with an aspiring painter. The screenplay by A. Martin Zweiback is based on an origi ...
'' (1969). He gained favorable notice for his first lead role as a heroin addict in ''
The Panic in Needle Park
''The Panic in Needle Park'' is a 1971 American drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Al Pacino (in his first lead role) and Kitty Winn. The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, adapted from the 1966 novel ...
'' (1971). Wide acclaim and recognition came with his breakthrough role as
Michael Corleone
Michael Corleone is a fictional character and the protagonist of Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather''. In the three ''Godfather'' films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael was portrayed by Al Pacino, for which he was twice-nominated ...
in
Francis Ford Coppola's ''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 The Godfather (novel), novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al ...
'' (1972), for which he received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while work ...
, and he would reprise the role in the sequels ''
The Godfather Part II
''The Godfather Part II'' is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is partially based on the 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. ''Part II'' s ...
'' (1974) and ''
The Godfather Part III
''The Godfather Part III'' is a 1990 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, ...
'' (1990). Pacino received nominations for the
Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a Leading actor, leading role in a film released t ...
for ''
Serpico'' (1973), ''The Godfather Part II'', ''
Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), and ''
...And Justice for All'' (1979). He won for his performance in ''
Scent of a Woman'' (1992). For his performances in ''
Dick Tracy'' (1990), ''
Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1992), and ''
The Irishman'' (2019), he earned additional nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other notable portrayals include
Tony Montana
Antonio Montana is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1983 film ''Scarface''. This character is portrayed by Al Pacino in the film and is voiced by André Sogliuzzo in the 2006 video game '' Scarface: The World Is Yours''. Embod ...
in ''
Scarface'' (1983),
Carlito Brigante
''Carlito's Way'' is a 1975 American crime novel written by Edwin Torres. The novel and its 1979 sequel '' After Hours'' were the basis of the 1993 Brian De Palma film ''Carlito's Way'' as well as the 2005 prequel film '' Carlito's Way: Rise to ...
in ''
Carlito's Way
''Carlito's Way'' is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, based on the novels '' Carlito's Way'' (1975) and '' After Hours'' (1979) by Judge Edwin Torres. The film adaptation was scripted by David Koepp. It stars Al Pac ...
'' (1993),
Benjamin Ruggiero
Lefty Ruggiero (born Benjamin Ruggiero; April 19, 1926 – November 24, 1994) was an American mobster in the Bonanno crime family. He is well known for his friendship and mentorship of FBI undercover agent Joseph D. Pistone. When Pistone's opera ...
in ''
Donnie Brasco
Joseph Dominick Pistone (born September 17, 1939), is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser ...
'' (1997), and
Lowell Bergman
Lowell Bergman (born July 24, 1945) is an American journalist, television producer and professor of journalism. In a career spanning nearly five decades Bergman worked as a producer, a reporter, and then the director of investigative reporting at ...
in ''
The Insider'' (1999). He has also starred in the thrillers ''
Heat'' (1995), ''
The Devil's Advocate'' (1997), ''
Insomnia'' (2002), and appeared in ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' (2019) and ''
House of Gucci
''House of Gucci'' is a 2021 American biographical crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott, based on the 2001 book ''The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed'' by Sara Gay Forden. The film follows Patri ...
'' (2021).
On television, Pacino has acted in several productions for
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
, including ''
Angels in America
''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award for O ...
'' (2003) and the
Jack Kevorkian biopic ''
You Don't Know Jack'' (2010), winning a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for each. Pacino currently stars in the
Amazon Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...
series
''Hunters'' (2020–present). He has also had an extensive career on stage. He is a two-time Tony Award winner, in 1969 and 1977, for his performances in ''
Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?
''Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?'' is a play written in 1969 by Don Petersen. It has three acts, and helped to launch the careers of actors Al Pacino and Ron Thompson.
Title
The title of the play is explained by the character Fullendorf, who sai ...
'' and ''
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
''The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel'' is a play by David Rabe.
Rabe's first play in his Vietnam War trilogy that continued with '' Sticks and Bones'' and '' Streamers'', its story is bracketed by scenes depicting the death of the everyman-like t ...
''.
Pacino made his filmmaking debut with ''
Looking for Richard
''Looking for Richard'' is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Al Pacino, in his directorial debut. It is a hybrid film, including both a filmed performance of selected scenes of William Shakespeare's ''Richard III'' and a documentary ele ...
'' (1996), directing and starring in this documentary about ''
Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
''; Pacino had played the lead role on stage in 1977. He has also acted as
Shylock in a
2004 feature film adaptation and 2010 stage production of ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as a ...
''. Pacino directed and starred in ''
Chinese Coffee
''Chinese Coffee'' is a 2000 independent film drama, starring Al Pacino and Jerry Orbach. The film was directed by Pacino and written by Ira Lewis, adapted from his play of the same name. Two longtime friends in New York City struggle with thei ...
'' (2000), ''
Wilde Salomé
''Wilde Salomé'' is a 2011 American docudrama written, directed by, and starring Al Pacino. An exploration of Oscar Wilde's 1891 play '' Salomé'', the film premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. At the festival, Pacino was pr ...
'' (2011), and ''
Salomé'' (2013). Since 1994, he has been the joint president of the
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
.
Early life
Alfredo James Pacino was born in the
East Harlem neighborhood of
Manhattan, New York City, on April 25, 1940, the only child of
Italian-American parents Rose Gerardi and Salvatore Pacino.
His parents divorced when he was two years old.
He then moved with his mother to the
South Bronx to live with her parents, Kate and James Gerardi, who were Italian emigrants from
Corleone
Corleone (; scn, Cunigghiuni or ) is an Italian town and ''comune'' of roughly 11,158 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, in Sicily.
Several Mafia bosses have come from Corleone, including Tommy Gagliano, Gaetano Reina, Jack Dragn ...
.
Pacino's father was from
San Fratello
San Fratello (Gallo-Italic: San Frareau, Sicilian: ''Santu Frateddu'', Greek and Latin: ''Apollonia'', Medieval Latin ''Castrum S. Philadelphi''), formerly San Filadelfo, is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina in the ...
and moved to work as an insurance salesman and restaurateur in
Covina, California
Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley. The population was 51,268 according to the 2020 census, up from 47,796 at the 2010 census. The city's slogan, ...
.
In his teenage years, Pacino was known as "Sonny" to his friends.
He had ambitions to become a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player and was also nicknamed "The Actor".
He attended
Herman Ridder Junior High School,
but soon dropped out of most of his classes except for English. He subsequently attended the
High School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts (informally known as "PA") was a public alternative high school established in 1947 and located at 120 West 46th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, from 1948 to 1984.
In 1961, the school was ...
, after gaining admission by audition.
His mother disagreed with his decision and, after an argument, he left home. To finance his acting studies, Pacino took low-paying jobs as a messenger, busboy, janitor, and postal clerk,
as well as once working in the mailroom for ''
Commentary
Commentary or commentaries may refer to:
Publications
* ''Commentary'' (magazine), a U.S. public affairs journal, founded in 1945 and formerly published by the American Jewish Committee
* Caesar's Commentaries (disambiguation), a number of works ...
''.
Pacino began smoking and drinking at age nine, and used
marijuana casually at age 13, but he abstained from
hard drugs
Recreational drug use indicates the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime by modifying the perceptions and emotions of the user. When a ...
.
His two closest friends died from
drug abuse at the ages of 19 and 30.
Growing up in the South Bronx, Pacino got into occasional fights and was considered somewhat of a troublemaker at school.
He acted in basement plays in New York's theatrical underground but was rejected as a teenager by the
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
.
Pacino joined the
HB Studio, where he met acting teacher Charlie Laughton, who became his mentor and best friend.
In this period, he was often unemployed and homeless, and sometimes slept on the street, in theaters, or at friends' houses.
In 1962, Pacino's mother died at the age of 43.
The following year, his maternal grandfather also died.
Pacino recalled it as the lowest point of his life and said, "I was 22 and the two most influential people in my life had gone, so that sent me into a tailspin."
After four years at HB Studio, Pacino successfully auditioned for the Actors Studio.
The Actors Studio is a membership organization of professional actors, theater directors, and playwrights in the
Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, 59th Street to the north, Eighth Avenue to the ea ...
neighborhood of Manhattan.
Pacino studied "
method acting
Method acting, informally known as The Method, is a range of training and rehearsal techniques, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners, that seeks to encourage sincere and expressive performances through identifying with, ...
"
under acting coach
Lee Strasberg, who appeared with Pacino in the films ''
The Godfather Part II
''The Godfather Part II'' is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is partially based on the 1969 novel ''The Godfather'' by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. ''Part II'' s ...
'' and in ''
...And Justice for All''.
During later interviews he spoke about Strasberg and the Studio's effect on his career. "The Actors Studio meant so much to me in my life. Lee Strasberg hasn't been given the credit he deserves … Next to Charlie, it sort of launched me. It really did. That was a remarkable turning point in my life. It was directly responsible for getting me to quit all those jobs and just stay acting."
In another interview he added, "It was exciting to work for him
ee Strasbergbecause he was so interesting when he talked about a scene or talked about people. One would just want to hear him talk, because things he would say, you'd never heard before … He had such a great understanding … he loved actors so much."
[Lipton, James. ''Inside Inside'', Dutton (2007)]
In 2000, Pacino was co-president, along with
Ellen Burstyn and
Harvey Keitel, of the Actors Studio.
Stage career
In 1967, Pacino spent a season at the Charles Playhouse in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
, performing in
Clifford Odets
Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. In the mid-1930s, he was widely seen as the potential successor to Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O'Neill, as O'Neill began to withdra ...
' ''
Awake and Sing!
''Awake and Sing!'' is a drama written by American playwright Clifford Odets. The play was initially produced by The Group Theatre in 1935.
Summary and characters
The play is set in The Bronx borough of New York City, New York, in 1933. It co ...
'' (his first major paycheck: US$125 a week); and in
Jean-Claude Van Itallie
Jean-Claude van Itallie (May 25, 1936 – September 9, 2021) was a Belgian-born American playwright, performer, and theatre workshop teacher. He is best known for his 1966 anti-Vietnam War play ''America Hurrah;'' ''The Serpent'', an ensemble pl ...
's ''
America Hurrah
''America Hurrah'' is a satirical play by Jean-Claude van Itallie, which premiered at the Pocket Theatre in New York City on November 7, 1966. Directed by Jacques Levy and Joseph Chaikin, the play was an early expression of the burgeoning 1960s c ...
''. He met actress
Jill Clayburgh on this play. They had a five-year romance and moved back together to New York City.
In 1968, Pacino starred in
Israel Horovitz
Israel Horovitz (March 31, 1939 – November 9, 2020) was an American playwright, director, actor and co-founder of the Gloucester Stage Company in 1979. He served as artistic director until 2006 and later served on the board, ex officio and ...
's ''
The Indian Wants the Bronx
''The Indian Wants the Bronx'' is a one-act play by Israel Horovitz.
Gupta, the Indian of the title, has just arrived in New York City from his native country to visit his son and speaks only a few words of English. While waiting for a bus to Th ...
'' at the
Astor Place Theatre
The Astor Place Theatre is an off-Broadway house located at 434 Lafayette Street in the NoHo section of Manhattan. The theater is located in the historic Colonnade Row, originally constructed in 1831 as a series of nine connected buildings, of ...
, playing Murph, a street punk. The play opened January 17, 1968, and ran for 177 performances; it was staged in a double bill with Horovitz's ''It's Called the Sugar Plum'', starring Clayburgh. Pacino won an
Obie Award for Best Actor for his role, with
John Cazale
John Holland Cazale (; August 12, 1935 – March 13, 1978) was an American actor. He appeared in five films over seven years, all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: ''The Godfather'' (1972), ''The Conversation'' (197 ...
winning for Best Supporting Actor and Horowitz for Best New Play.
Martin Bregman saw the play and became Pacino's manager, a partnership that became fruitful in the years to come, as Bregman encouraged Pacino to do ''The Godfather'', ''Serpico'', and ''Dog Day Afternoon''. About his stage career, Pacino said, "Martin Bregman discovered me ... I was 26, 25 ... he discovered me and became my manager. And that's why I'm here. I owe it to Marty, I really do".
Pacino took the production of ''The Indian Wants the Bronx'' to Italy for a performance at the
Festival dei Due Mondi
The ''Festival dei Due Mondi'' (Festival of the Two Worlds) is an annual summer music and opera festival held each June to early July in Spoleto, Italy, since its founding by composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958. It features a vast array of conc ...
in
Spoleto
Spoleto (, also , , ; la, Spoletum) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.
History
Sp ...
. It was Pacino's first journey to Italy; he later recalled that "performing for an Italian audience was a marvelous experience".
Pacino and Clayburgh were cast in "Deadly Circle of Violence", an episode of the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
television series ''
NYPD'', premiering November 12, 1968. Clayburgh at the time was also appearing on the soap opera ''
Search for Tomorrow
''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986.
Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show focu ...
'', playing the role of Grace Bolton. Her father would send the couple money each month to help with finances.
On February 25, 1969, Pacino made his Broadway debut in
Don Petersen's ''
Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?
''Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?'' is a play written in 1969 by Don Petersen. It has three acts, and helped to launch the careers of actors Al Pacino and Ron Thompson.
Title
The title of the play is explained by the character Fullendorf, who sai ...
'' at the
Belasco Theater
The Belasco Theatre is a Broadway theater at 111 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Sixth Avenue, in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Originally known as the Stuyvesant Theatre, it was built in 1907 and ...
, produced by
A&P Heir
Huntington Hartford. It closed after 39 performances on March 29, 1969, but Pacino received rave reviews and won the
Tony Award on April 20, 1969.
Pacino continued performing onstage in the 1970s, winning a second Tony Award for ''
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel
''The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel'' is a play by David Rabe.
Rabe's first play in his Vietnam War trilogy that continued with '' Sticks and Bones'' and '' Streamers'', its story is bracketed by scenes depicting the death of the everyman-like t ...
'' and performing the
title role in ''
Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
''.
In the 1980s, Pacino again achieved critical success on stage while appearing in
David Mamet's ''
American Buffalo,'' for which Pacino was nominated for a
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fol ...
.
Since 1990, Pacino's stage work has included revivals of
Eugene O'Neill's ''
Hughie
''Hughie'' is a short two-character play by Eugene O'Neill set in the lobby of a small hotel on a West Side street in Midtown Manhattan, New York, during the summer of 1928. The play is essentially a long monologue delivered by a small-time hust ...
'',
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
's ''
Salome'' and in 2005
Lyle Kessler
Lyle Kessler is an American playwright, screenwriter and actor, best known internationally for his 1983 play '' Orphans''.
Career
Actor
Born in Philadelphia, Kessler began his career as an actor. His first professional appearance was in the Ph ...
's ''
Orphans
An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died.
In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...
''.
In 1983, Pacino became a major donor for
The Mirror Theater Ltd
The Mirror Theater was founded by Sabra Jones in 1983, who was also the Founding Artistic Director. The first program of the theater was the Mirror Repertory Company (MRC). Founding members of the company included Eva Le Gallienne, John Stras ...
, alongside
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood
The New Hollywood, also known as American New Wave or Hollywood Renaissance, was a movement in American ...
and
Paul Newman, matching a grant from
Laurence Rockefeller.
The men were inspired to invest by their connection with Lee Strasberg, as Strasberg's daughter-in-law Sabra Jones was the founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Mirror. In 1985, Pacino offered the company his production of ''
Hughie
''Hughie'' is a short two-character play by Eugene O'Neill set in the lobby of a small hotel on a West Side street in Midtown Manhattan, New York, during the summer of 1928. The play is essentially a long monologue delivered by a small-time hust ...
'' by
Eugene O'Neill, but the company was unable to do it at the time due to the small cast.
In October 2002, Pacino starred in
Bertolt Brecht
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...
's ''
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' for the National Actor's Theater and
Complicite. Directed by
Simon McBurney
Simon Montagu McBurney (born 25 August 1957) is an English actor, playwright, and theatrical director. He is the founder and artistic director of the Théâtre de Complicité, London. He has had roles in the films ''The Manchurian Candidate'', ...
, the production starred a host of Hollywood names, including
John Goodman,
Charles Durning
Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...
,
Tony Randall
Anthony Leonard Randall (born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg; February 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Felix Unger in a television adaptation of the 1965 play '' The Odd Couple'' by Neil Si ...
,
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...
,
Chazz Palminteri
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri (born May 15, 1952)
Chazzpalminteri.net. Retrieved on November 19, 2013. is an American ...
,
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (; born June 6, 1967) is an American actor and film producer. He first garnered attention for his breakout role in '' Private Parts'' as Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton, leading to supporting roles in ''Saving Private R ...
,
Jacqueline McKenzie,
Billy Crudup
William Gaither Crudup (; born July 8, 1968) is an American actor. He is a four-time Tony Award nominee, winning once for his performance in Tom Stoppard's play ''The Coast of Utopia'' in 2007. He has starred in numerous high-profile films, in ...
,
Lothaire Bluteau
Lothaire Bluteau (born 14 April 1957) is a Canadian actor.
Biography
He was born in Montreal, Quebec, and performs in both French and English. Bluteau has worked in theatre, film and television throughout Canada and internationally. He aban ...
,
Dominic Chianese
Dominic Chianese (; born February 24, 1931) is an American actor, singer, and musician. He is best known for his roles as Corrado "Junior" Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), Johnny Ola in ''The Godfather Part II'' (197 ...
and
Sterling K. Brown
Sterling Kelby Brown (born April 5, 1976) is an American actor. He has portrayed Christopher Darden in the FX limited series '' The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story'' (2016) and stars as Randall Pearson in the NBC drama series '' ...
. The production was a critical success in which "Pacino grabs and holds the attention like a coiled spring about to snap. He is all brooding menace and crocodile grimace, butchering his way to the top with unnervingly sinister glee."
Pacino returned to the stage in the summer of 2010, playing
Shylock in the
Shakespeare in the Park
Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This conc ...
production, ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as a ...
''. The acclaimed production moved to Broadway at the
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers. The Broa ...
in October, earning US$1 million at the box office in its first week. The performance also garnered him a Tony Award nomination for
Best Leading Actor in a Play.
Pacino starred in the 30th-anniversary Broadway revival of
David Mamet's play, ''
Glengarry Glen Ross'', which ran from October 2012 to January 20, 2013.
He starred on Broadway in
''China Doll'', a play written for him by Mamet, which opened on December 5, 2015, and closed on January 21, 2016, after 97 performances. The previews were done in October 2015.
Screen career
Pacino found acting enjoyable and realized he had a gift for it while studying at The Actors Studio. However, his early work was not financially rewarding.
After his success on stage, Pacino made his film debut in 1969 with a brief appearance in ''
Me, Natalie
''Me, Natalie'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Fred Coe about a homely young woman from Brooklyn who moves to Greenwich Village and finds romance with an aspiring painter. The screenplay by A. Martin Zweiback is based on an origi ...
'', an independent film starring
Patty Duke
Anna Marie "Patty" Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016) was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her acting career, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awa ...
. In 1970, Pacino signed with the talent agency Creative Management Associates (CMA).
1970s
His role as a heroin addict in ''
The Panic in Needle Park
''The Panic in Needle Park'' is a 1971 American drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Al Pacino (in his first lead role) and Kitty Winn. The screenplay was written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, adapted from the 1966 novel ...
'' (1971) brought Pacino to the attention of director
Francis Ford Coppola, who cast him as
Michael Corleone
Michael Corleone is a fictional character and the protagonist of Mario Puzo's 1969 novel ''The Godfather''. In the three ''Godfather'' films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael was portrayed by Al Pacino, for which he was twice-nominated ...
in what became a blockbuster
Mafia film, ''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 The Godfather (novel), novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al ...
'' (1972). Although
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
,
Robert Redford,
Warren Beatty
Henry Warren Beatty ( né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director ...
, and the little-known
Robert De Niro were tried out for the part, Coppola selected Pacino, to the dismay of studio executives who wanted someone better known.
Pacino's performance earned him an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination, and offered a prime example of his early acting style, described by ''
Halliwell's Film Guide
Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fil ...
'' as "intense" and "tightly clenched". Pacino boycotted the
Academy Award ceremony, insulted at being nominated for the Supporting Acting award, as he noted that he had more screen time than co-star and
Best Actor
Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play.
The term most often refers to the ...
winner
Marlon Brandowho also boycotted the awards, but for unrelated reasons.
[Grobel; p. xxi]
In 1973, Pacino co-starred in ''
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesle ...
'', with
Gene Hackman, and won the
Palme d'Or at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
. That same year, Pacino was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor after starring in ''
Serpico'', based on the true story of New York City policeman
Frank Serpico, who went undercover to expose the corruption of fellow officers.
In 1974, Pacino reprised his role as Michael Corleone in ''The Godfather Part II'', which was the first sequel to win the
Best Picture Oscar
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
; Pacino was nominated a third time for an Oscar, this second nomination for the Corleone role being in the lead category.
''
Newsweek'' has described his performance in ''The Godfather Part II'' as "arguably cinema's greatest portrayal of the hardening of a heart".
In 1975, he enjoyed further success with the release of ''
Dog Day Afternoon'', based on the true story of bank robber
John Wojtowicz
John Stanley Joseph Wojtowicz (March 9, 1945January 2, 2006) was an American bank robber whose story inspired the 1975 film ''Dog Day Afternoon''.
Early life
Wojtowicz was the son of a Polish father and an Italian-American mother (nee Terry Bass ...
.
It was directed by
Sidney Lumet, who had directed him in ''Serpico'' a few years earlier, and Pacino was again nominated for Best Actor.
[Grobel; p. xxiii]
In 1977, Pacino starred as a race-car driver in ''
Bobby Deerfield
''Bobby Deerfield'' is a 1977 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Al Pacino and Marthe Keller. Based on Erich Maria Remarque's 1961 novel '' Heaven Has No Favorites'', it is about a famous American race car driver ...
'', directed by
Sydney Pollack, and received a
Golden Globe nomination for
Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his portrayal of the title role. His next film was the courtroom drama ''
...And Justice for All''. Pacino was lauded by critics for his wide range of acting abilities, and nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for a fourth time.
He lost out that year to
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood
The New Hollywood, also known as American New Wave or Hollywood Renaissance, was a movement in American ...
in ''
Kramer vs. Kramer
''Kramer vs. Kramer'' is a 1979 American legal drama film written and directed by Robert Benton, based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel of the same name. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, and Justin Henry.
It tells the stor ...
''—a role that Pacino had declined.
During the 1970s, Pacino had four Oscar nominations for Best Actor, for his performances in ''Serpico'', ''The Godfather Part II'', ''Dog Day Afternoon'', and ''...And Justice for All''.
1980s
Pacino's career slumped in the early 1980s; his appearances in the controversial ''
Cruising'', a film that provoked protests from New York's gay community, and the comedy-drama ''
Author! Author!'', were critically panned.
However, his performance in ''
Scarface'' (1983), directed by
Brian De Palma
Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...
, proved to be a career highlight and a defining role.
Upon its initial release, the film was critically panned due to violent content, but later received critical acclaim. The film did well at the box office, grossing over US$45 million domestically. Pacino earned a
Golden Globe nomination for his role as Cuban drug lord
Tony Montana
Antonio Montana is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1983 film ''Scarface''. This character is portrayed by Al Pacino in the film and is voiced by André Sogliuzzo in the 2006 video game '' Scarface: The World Is Yours''. Embod ...
.
In 1985, Pacino worked on his personal project, ''
The Local Stigmatic
''The Local Stigmatic'' is a 1990 film directed by David Wheeler and produced by and starring Al Pacino. It was filmed and edited during the late 1980s. It had a showing at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in March 1990, but was never re ...
'', a 1969
off-Broadway play by the English writer
Heathcote Williams. He starred in the play, remounting it with director David Wheeler and the Theater Company of Boston in a 50-minute film version. The film was not released theatrically, but was later released as part of the ''Pacino: An Actor's Vision'' box set in 2007.
His 1985 film ''
Revolution'' about a fur trapper during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, was a commercial and critical failure, which Pacino blamed on a rushed production, resulting in a four-year hiatus from films. At this time Pacino returned to the stage. He mounted workshop productions of ''Crystal Clear'', ''National Anthems'' and other plays; he appeared in ''
Julius Caesar'' in 1988 in producer
Joseph Papp
Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. He established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in Lower Manhattan. There Papp created a ...
's
New York Shakespeare Festival
Shakespeare in the Park (or Free Shakespeare in the Park) is a theatrical program that stages productions of Shakespearean plays at the Delacorte Theater, an open-air theater in New York City's Central Park. The theater and the productions are ...
. Pacino remarked on his hiatus from film: "I remember back when everything was happening, '74, '75, doing ''
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' on stage and reading that the reason I'd gone back to the stage was that my movie career was waning! That's been the kind of ethos, the way in which theater's perceived, unfortunately." Pacino returned to film in 1989's ''
Sea of Love'',
when he portrayed a detective hunting a
serial killer who finds victims through the singles column in a newspaper. The film earned solid reviews.
1990s
Pacino received an Academy Award nomination for playing
Big Boy Caprice in the box office hit ''
Dick Tracy'' in 1990, of which critic
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
described Pacino as "the scene-stealer". Later in the year he followed this up in a return to one of his most famous characters, Michael Corleone, in ''
The Godfather Part III
''The Godfather Part III'' is a 1990 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from the screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy García, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, ...
'' (1990).
The film received mixed reviews, and had problems in pre-production due to script rewrites and the withdrawal of actors shortly before production.
In 1991, Pacino starred in ''
Frankie and Johnny'' with
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and popular sex symbols during the 1980s a ...
, who co-starred with Pacino in ''Scarface''. Pacino portrays a recently paroled cook who begins a relationship with a waitress (Pfeiffer) in the diner where they work. It was adapted by
Terrence McNally from his own off-Broadway play ''
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
''Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune'' is a two-character play by Terrence McNally that was first performed off-Broadway in 1987.
Plot
The play focuses on two lonely, middle-aged people whose first date ends with their tumbling into bed. The ...
'' (1987), that featured
Kenneth Welsh
Kenneth Welsh, (March 30, 1942 – May 5, 2022) was a Canadian film and television actor. He was best known as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle in ''Twin Peaks'', for his roles in the films ''The Day After Tomorrow'', ''Adoration'', '' S ...
and
Kathy Bates. The film received mixed reviews, although Pacino later said he enjoyed playing the part.
[Grobel; p. xxvii] Janet Maslin in ''
The New York Times'' wrote, "Mr. Pacino has not been this uncomplicatedly appealing since his ''Dog Day Afternoon'' days, and he makes Johnny's endless enterprise in wooing Frankie a delight. His scenes alone with Ms. Pfeiffer have a precision and honesty that keep the film's maudlin aspects at bay."
For his portrayal of the irascible,
blind U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in
Martin Brest's ''
Scent of a Woman'' (1992).
Pacino won the
Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a Leading actor, leading role in a film released t ...
next year. Following year, he was also nominated for
Best Supporting Actor for ''
Glengarry Glen Ross'', making Pacino the
first male actor ever to receive two acting nominations for two movies in the same year, and to win for the lead role.
Pacino starred alongside
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008).
Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
in the crime drama ''
Carlito's Way
''Carlito's Way'' is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, based on the novels '' Carlito's Way'' (1975) and '' After Hours'' (1979) by Judge Edwin Torres. The film adaptation was scripted by David Koepp. It stars Al Pac ...
'' in 1993, in which he portrayed
Carlito Brigante
''Carlito's Way'' is a 1975 American crime novel written by Edwin Torres. The novel and its 1979 sequel '' After Hours'' were the basis of the 1993 Brian De Palma film ''Carlito's Way'' as well as the 2005 prequel film '' Carlito's Way: Rise to ...
, a gangster released from prison with the help of his corrupt lawyer (Penn) and vows to go straight. Pacino starred in
Michael Mann's ''
Heat'' (1995), in which he and Robert De Niro appeared on-screen together for the first time (though both Pacino and De Niro starred in ''The Godfather Part II'', they did not share any scenes).
In 1996, Pacino starred in his theatrical docudrama ''
Looking for Richard
''Looking for Richard'' is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Al Pacino, in his directorial debut. It is a hybrid film, including both a filmed performance of selected scenes of William Shakespeare's ''Richard III'' and a documentary ele ...
'', a performance of selected scenes of
William Shakespeare's ''
Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
'' and a broader examination of Shakespeare's continuing role and relevance in popular culture. The cast brought together for the performance included
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...
,
Kevin Spacey, and
Winona Ryder. Pacino played
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. ...
in the supernatural thriller ''
The Devil's Advocate'' (1997) which co-starred
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...
. The film was a success at the box office, taking US$150 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
wrote in the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicag ...
'', "The satanic character is played by Pacino with relish bordering on glee."
In 1997's ''
Donnie Brasco
Joseph Dominick Pistone (born September 17, 1939), is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser ...
'', Pacino played gangster "
Lefty" in the true story of undercover FBI agent
Donnie Brasco
Joseph Dominick Pistone (born September 17, 1939), is an American former FBI agent who worked undercover as Donnie Brasco between September 1976 and July 1981, as part of an infiltration primarily into the Bonanno crime family, and to a lesser ...
(
Johnny Depp) and his work in bringing down the
Mafia from the inside. In 1999, Pacino starred as ''
60 Minutes
''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique sty ...
'' producer
Lowell Bergman
Lowell Bergman (born July 24, 1945) is an American journalist, television producer and professor of journalism. In a career spanning nearly five decades Bergman worked as a producer, a reporter, and then the director of investigative reporting at ...
in the multi-Oscar nominated ''
The Insider'' opposite
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
, and in
Oliver Stone's ''
Any Given Sunday
''Any Given Sunday'' is a 1999 American sports drama film directed by Oliver Stone depicting a fictional professional American football team. The film features an ensemble cast, including Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, J ...
''.
2000s
Pacino won three Golden Globes since 2000; the first being the
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinem ...
Award in 2001 for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.
In 2000, Pacino starred alongside
Jerry Orbach in a low-budget film adaptation of
Ira Lewis
Ira Lewis Metsky (27 August 1932 – 4 April 2015) was an American actor, writer, and playwright. Lewis was best known for his one-act play, ''Chinese Coffee'', which opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre in 1992, starring Al Pacino. A fi ...
' play ''
Chinese Coffee
''Chinese Coffee'' is a 2000 independent film drama, starring Al Pacino and Jerry Orbach. The film was directed by Pacino and written by Ira Lewis, adapted from his play of the same name. Two longtime friends in New York City struggle with thei ...
'', which was released to film festivals.
Shot almost exclusively as a one-on-one conversation between two main characters, the project took nearly three years to complete and was funded entirely by Pacino.
''Chinese Coffee'' was included with Pacino's two other rare films he was involved in producing, ''The Local Stigmatic'' and ''Looking for Richard'', on a special DVD box set titled ''Pacino: An Actor's Vision'', which was released in 2007. Pacino produced prologues and epilogues for the discs containing the films.
[Grobel; p. xxxviii]
Pacino turned down an offer to reprise his role as Michael Corleone in the computer game version of ''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 The Godfather (novel), novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al ...
''. As a result,
Electronic Arts was not permitted to use Pacino's likeness or voice in the game, although his character does appear in it. He did allow his likeness to appear in the video game adaptation of 1983's ''Scarface'', the quasi-sequel ''
Scarface: The World is Yours''.
Director
Christopher Nolan worked with Pacino on ''
Insomnia'', a remake of the
Norwegian film of the same name, co-starring
Robin Williams. ''
Newsweek'' stated that "he
acinocan play small as rivetingly as he can play big, that he can implode as well as explode". The film and Pacino's performance were well received, gaining a favorable rating of 93 percent on the review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes. The film did moderately well at the box office, taking in $113 million worldwide. His next film, ''
S1m0ne
''Simone'' (stylized as ''S1M0̸NE'') is a 2002 American satirical science fiction film written, produced, and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Evan Rachel Wood, Rachel Roberts, Jay Mohr, and Winona Ryder. The s ...
'', however, did not receive much critical praise or box office success.
He played a publicist in ''
People I Know'', a small film that received little attention despite Pacino's well-received performance.
[Grobel; p. xxxv] Rarely taking a supporting role since his commercial breakthrough, he accepted a small part in the critical and box office flop ''
Gigli'', in 2003, as a favor to director
Martin Brest.
''
The Recruit __NOTOC__
Recruit can refer to:
Military
* Military recruitment
* Recruit training, in the military
* ''Rekrut'' (English: Recruit), a military recruit or low rank in German-speaking countries
* Seaman recruit Books
*''Le Réquisitionnaire'' (En ...
'', released in 2003, featured Pacino as a CIA recruiter and co-stars
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell (; born 31 May 1976) is an Irish actor. A leading man in projects across various genres in both blockbuster and independent films since the 2000s, he has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award. ''The ...
. The film received mixed reviews, and has been described by Pacino as something he "personally couldn't follow".
Pacino next starred as lawyer
Roy Cohn
Roy Marcus Cohn (; February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American lawyer and prosecutor who came to prominence for his role as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954, when he assisted McCarth ...
in the 2003
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
miniseries ''
Angels in America
''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award for O ...
'', an adaptation of
Tony Kushner
Anthony Robert Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American author, playwright, and screenwriter. Lauded for his work on stage he's most known for his seminal work ''Angels in America'' which earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award. At the turn ...
's
Pulitzer Prize winning
play of the same name.
For this performance, Pacino won his third Golden Globe, for
Best Performance by an Actor, in 2004.
Pacino starred as Shylock in
Michael Radford
Michael James Radford (born 24 February 1946) is an English film director and screenwriter. He began his career as a documentary director and television comedy writer before transitioning into features in the early 1980s. His best-known credits ...
's 2004 film adaptation of ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as a ...
''. Critcs praised him for bringing compassion and depth to a character traditionally played as a villainous caricature. In
''Two for the Money'', Pacino portrays a sports gambling agent and mentor for
Matthew McConaughey, alongside
Rene Russo. The film was released on October 8, 2005, to mixed reviews. Desson Thomson wrote in ''
The Washington Post'', "Al Pacino has played the mentor so many times, he ought to get a kingmaker's award … the fight between good and evil feels fixed in favor of Hollywood redemption."
On October 20, 2006, the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
named Pacino the recipient of the 35th
AFI Life Achievement Award
The AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the board of directors of the American Film Institute on February 26, 1973, to honor a single individual for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through motion picture ...
.
On November 22, 2006, the
University Philosophical Society
The University Philosophical Society (UPS; ), commonly known as The Phil, is a student paper-reading and debating society in Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1683 it is the oldest student, collegial and paper-reading society in ...
of
Trinity College Dublin awarded Pacino the Honorary Patronage of the Society.
Pacino starred in
Steven Soderbergh's ''
Ocean's Thirteen
''Ocean's Thirteen'' (stylized as ''Ocean's 13'') is a 2007 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien. It is the final installment in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy and the sequel t ...
'', alongside
George Clooney,
Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
,
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Americ ...
,
Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s.
Elliott's breakthrough role was in the ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination f ...
and
Andy García
Andrés Arturo García Menéndez (born April 12, 1956), known professionally as Andy García, is a Cuban-born American actor, director and musician. He first rose to prominence acting in Brian De Palma's ''The Untouchables'' (1987) alongside ...
, as the villain Willy Bank, a casino tycoon targeted by
Danny Ocean and his crew. The film received generally favorable reviews.
''
88 Minutes
''88 Minutes'' is a 2007 thriller film directed by Jon Avnet and starring Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, William Forsythe, Deborah Kara Unger, Amy Brenneman, Neal McDonough and Benjamin McKenzie. In the film, famed forensic psychiatris ...
'' was released on April 18, 2008, in the United States, after having been released in various other countries in 2007. The film co-starred
Alicia Witt
Alicia Roanne Witt (born August 21, 1975) is an American actress, singer and pianist. She first came to fame as a child actress after being discovered by David Lynch, who cast her in ''Dune'' (1984) and ''Twin Peaks'' (1990). Witt had a critica ...
and was critically panned, although critics found fault with the plot, and not Pacino's acting. In ''
Righteous Kill
''Righteous Kill'' is a 2008 American action thriller film directed by Jon Avnet and written by Russell Gewirtz. The film stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as New York City Police Department detectives on the hunt for a serial killer. It is the ...
'', Pacino and Robert De Niro co-star as New York detectives searching for a serial killer. The film was released to theaters on September 12, 2008. While it was an anticipated return for the two stars, it was not well received by critics.
Lou Lumenick
Louis J. Lumenick (born September 11, 1949) is an American film critic. He was the chief film critic and film editor for the '' New York Post'' where he reviewed films from 1999 until his retirement in 2016. He is currently researching the histo ...
of the ''
New York Post'' gave ''Righteous Kill'' one star out of four, saying: "Al Pacino and Robert De Niro collect bloated paychecks with intent to bore in ''Righteous Kill'', a slow-moving, ridiculous police thriller that would have been shipped straight to the remainder bin at
Blockbuster if it starred anyone else."
2010s
Pacino played
Jack Kevorkian in an
HBO Films
HBO Films (formerly called HBO Premiere Films and HBO Pictures) is an American production and distribution company, a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. The division produces fiction and non- ...
biopic titled ''
You Don't Know Jack'', which premiered April 2010. The film is about the life and work of the
physician-assisted suicide advocate. The performance earned Pacino his second
Emmy Award for lead actor
and his fourth
Golden Globe award. He co-starred as himself in the 2011 comedy film ''
Jack and Jill
"Jack and Jill" (sometimes "Jack and Gill", particularly in earlier versions) is a traditional English nursery rhyme. The Roud Folk Song Index classifies the commonest tune and its variations as number 10266, although it has been set to severa ...
''. The film was panned by critics, and Pacino "won" the
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor
The Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst supporting actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film(s) f ...
at the
32nd ceremony.
He was presented with
Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award on September 4, 2011, prior to the premiere of ''
Wilde Salomé
''Wilde Salomé'' is a 2011 American docudrama written, directed by, and starring Al Pacino. An exploration of Oscar Wilde's 1891 play '' Salomé'', the film premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. At the festival, Pacino was pr ...
'', a 2011 American documentary-drama film written, directed by and starring Pacino.
Its US premiere on the evening of March 21, 2012, before a full house at the 1,400-seat
Castro Theatre
The Castro Theatre is a historic movie palace in San Francisco that became San Francisco Historic Landmark #100 in September 1976. Located at 429 Castro Street in the Castro District, it was built in 1922 with a California Churrigueresque faç ...
in San Francisco's
Castro District
The Castro District, commonly referred to as the Castro, is a neighborhood in Eureka Valley in San Francisco. The Castro was one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States. Having transformed from a working-class neighborhood throug ...
, marked the 130th anniversary of Oscar Wilde's visit to San Francisco, the event was a benefit for the
GLBT Historical Society
The GLBT Historical Society (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society) (formerly Gay and Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California; San Francisco Bay Area Gay and Lesbian Historical Society) maintains an extensive collection ...
. Pacino, who plays the role of
Herod in the film, describes it as his "most personal project ever".
In February 2012, President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
awarded Pacino the
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...
.
Pacino starred in a 2013 HBO biographical picture about record producer
Phil Spector's murder trial, titled ''
Phil Spector''. He took the title role in the comedy-drama ''
Danny Collins
Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to:
People
*Danny Altmann, British immunologist
*Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer
*Danny Baker (born 1957), English journalis ...
'' (2015). His performance as an aging rock star garnered him a
nomination. In 2016, Pacino received the
Kennedy Center Honor. The tribute included remarks by his former costars
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008).
Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
,
Kevin Spacey,
Bobby Cannavale
Roberto Michael Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for various television roles, including leading roles in '' Third Watch'', '' Vinyl'', and ''Mr. Robot'', as well as recurring roles in ''Will & Grace'', which ...
and
Chris O'Donnell
Christopher Eugene O'Donnell (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He played Charlie Sims in '' Scent of a Woman'', Chris Reece in '' School Ties'', D'Artagnan in ''The Three Musketeers'', Jack Foley in the drama film '' ...
.
In September 2012, ''
Deadline Hollywood'' reported that Pacino would play the former
Penn State University football coach Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent Paterno (; December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012), sometimes referred to as JoePa, was an American college football player, athletic director, and coach. He was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 20 ...
in the television film ''
Paterno'' based on a 2012 biography by sportswriter
Joe Posnanski
Joe Posnanski (; nicknamed "Poz" and "Joe Po"; born January 8, 1967) is an American sports journalist. A former senior columnist for ''Sports Illustrated'' (where he wrote the blog Curiously Long Posts) and columnist for ''The Kansas City Star'', ...
. ''Paterno'' premiered on
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
on April 7, 2018.
Pacino starred alongside
Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
and
Leonardo DiCaprio in
Quentin Tarantino's comedy-drama ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'', which was released on July 26, 2019. Later in 2019, Pacino played
Teamsters chief
Jimmy Hoffa
James Riddle Hoffa (born February 14, 1913 – disappeared July 30, 1975; declared dead July 30, 1982) was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) from 1957 until 1971.
F ...
, alongside
Robert De Niro and
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank Pesci ( , ; born February 9, 1943) is an American actor and musician. He is known for portraying tough, volatile characters in a variety of genres and for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in the films ''Rag ...
, in
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...
's
Netflix film ''
The Irishman'', based on the 2004 book ''
I Heard You Paint Houses
''I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa'' is a 2004 work of narrative nonfiction written by former homicide prosecutor, investigator and defense attorney Charles Brandt that chronicles the ...
'' by
Charles Brandt
Charles Brandt is an American former investigator, writer, and speaker. He wrote Frank Sheeran's memoir '' I Heard You Paint Houses'', the basis for the 2019 film ''The Irishman'', directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Al P ...
; this was the first time Pacino was directed by Scorsese, and he received an
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while work ...
nomination. Pacino's performance received positive reviews.
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire''.
Early life and education
Bradshaw was educated at Haberdashers ...
described it as "glorious" in ''
The Guardian''.
Justin Chang
Justin Choigee Chang (born January 3, 1983) is an American film critic and columnist for the ''Los Angeles Times''. He previously worked for ''Variety''.
Early life
Justin Chang graduated from the University of Southern California in 2004. Chan ...
wrote, "De Niro, Pesci and Pacino are at the top of their game, in part because they aren't simply rehashing the iconic gangster types they've played before."
2020s
In February 2020, Pacino starred as Meyer Offerman, a fictional
Nazi hunter, in the
Amazon Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...
series ''
Hunters
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
''. This is Pacino's first television series since ''Angels in America'' (2003). ''Hunters'' was renewed for a second season in August 2020.
In 2021, Pacino played
Aldo Gucci
Aldo Gucci (26 May 1905 – 19 January 1990) was an Italian personality and the chairman of Gucci from 1953 to 1986. He was the eldest son of Guccio Gucci, who founded the company bearing the family name in 1921.
Early life and family
Aldo G ...
in
Ridley Scott's ''
House of Gucci
''House of Gucci'' is a 2021 American biographical crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott, based on the 2001 book ''The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed'' by Sara Gay Forden. The film follows Patri ...
''. The film received mixed to positive reviews, with Pacino's performance being highlighted as a standout, along with
Lady Gaga's and
Jared Leto's. That same year, he played the lead defense attorney in ''
American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally''.
In August 2022, Pacino was set to produce a film about
Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (, ; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by a surreal elongation of faces, necks, an ...
, which he will co-produce alongside
Johnny Depp and Barry Navidi.
The film is based on a play by Dennis McIntyre, which was previously adapted for the
2004 film of the same name.
Principal photography will commence in 2023.
Personal life
Pacino has three children. The eldest, Julie Marie (born 1989), is his daughter with acting coach Jan Tarrant. He has twins, son Anton James and daughter Olivia Rose (born January 25, 2001), with actress
Beverly D'Angelo
Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for h ...
, with whom he had a relationship from 1997 until 2003. He has never been married.
Pacino had a relationship with his ''
The Godfather Trilogy
''The Godfather'' is a trilogy of American crime films directed by Francis Ford Coppola inspired by the 1969 novel of the same name by Italian American author Mario Puzo. The films follow the trials of the fictional Italian American mafia Cor ...
'' co-star
Diane Keaton. Their on-again, off-again relationship ended after the filming of ''The Godfather Part III''. Keaton said of Pacino, "Al was simply the most entertaining man... To me, that's, that is the most beautiful face. I think Warren
eattywas gorgeous, very pretty, but Al's face is like whoa. Killer, killer face." He has had relationships with
Tuesday Weld
Tuesday Weld (born Susan Ker Weld; August 27, 1943) is an American actress and model. She began acting as a child and progressed to mature roles in the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer in 1960. Over t ...
,
Jill Clayburgh,
Marthe Keller
Marthe Keller (born 28 January 1945) is a Swiss actress and opera director. She is perhaps best known for her role in the film '' Marathon Man'' (1976), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Career
Early years
Keller studied ba ...
,
Kathleen Quinlan
Kathleen Denise Quinlan Abbott (born November 19, 1954) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her Golden Globe-nominated performance in the 1977 film of the novel '' I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,'' and her Golde ...
, and
Lyndall Hobbs
Lyndall Hobbs (born 1952) is an Australian film director and producer.
Life and career
Hobbs was born in Australia in 1952. She spent many years in the United Kingdom, during which time she directed the documentary film ''Steppin' Out'' (1979) ...
.
Pacino had a ten-year relationship with Argentine actress Lucila Polak from 2008 to 2018.
Pacino has admitted to abusing drugs and alcohol early in his career, partly because he found his sudden fame after ''The Godfather'' difficult to cope with.
He achieved sobriety in 1977.
Awards and nominations
Pacino has won and been nominated for many awards during his acting career, including nine
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
nominations (winning one), 18 Golden Globe nominations (winning four), five
BAFTA nominations (winning one), two
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime E ...
for his work on television, and two Tony Awards for his stage work. In 2007, the American Film Institute awarded Pacino with a lifetime achievement award and, in 2003, British television viewers voted Pacino as the greatest film star of all time in a poll for
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in ...
.
Filmography
Explanatory notes
References
Citations
General and cited references
*
External links
*
*
*
Al Pacinoat the
University of Wisconsin'
Actors Studio audio collection*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pacino, Al
1940 births
Living people
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American screenwriters
AFI Life Achievement Award recipients
American film directors of Italian descent
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American male Shakespearean actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American writers of Italian descent
Best Actor Academy Award winners
Best Actor BAFTA Award winners
Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners
Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners
David di Donatello winners
Directors Guild of America Award winners
Drama Desk Award winners
Entertainers from the Bronx
Film directors from New York City
Film producers from New York (state)
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
Kennedy Center honorees
Male actors from New York City
Method actors
Obie Award recipients
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
People from East Harlem
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Tony Award winners
United States National Medal of Arts recipients
Writers from Manhattan
Writers from the Bronx