Al Pacino Was Such a Hot Mess on Godfather Set He Almost Got Fired
One of the most charismatic characters in The Godfather could be a very different person.
The Godfather has become a cinematic classic. This movie is not in vain considered one of the best, and, according to more than one major publication, the best movie at all.
The future Hollywood star Al Pacino was noticed in the 70s by director Francis Ford Coppola, who offered him the role of Michael Corleone.
Among the candidates for the role of the heir of the Mafia clan were Robert de Niro and Martin Sheen, but the latter was rejected by the director and de Niro got the role of the young Vito Corleone, the Godfather himself.
However, it turned out that Al Pacino was constantly on the verge of being fired during the filming of The Godfather.
Pacino was not as famous as the studio would have liked, and for a long time the producers tried to persuade Francis to fire the actor.
He stayed in the project thanks to director who saved Al Pacino's career by changing the order of the shooting to move up the iconic restaurant scene.
The studio and the producers liked the scene so much that any doubts about Pacino's credibility immediately disappeared, which was what Coppola was counting on.
Al Pacino proved to everyone that he was worthy of playing the lead role in The Godfather, but he did not believe in himself just before. When Francis Coppola offered him the role of Michael Corleone, Pacino did not believe it.
The actor also once shared that the filming process was a bit chaotic due to funding issues. He and Diane Keaton even got drunk after the first day of shooting because they thought it would be their last.
Italian roots, combined with the power of talent, made Al Pacino a temperamental actor with a unique game and immeasurable charm.
The Godfather glorified the young actor. The role of Michael Corleone earned the actor an Academy Award nomination. The movie also won Oscars for the Best Picture, Actor and Adapted Screenplay categories.
The Godfather subsequently inspired several directors to create similar movies.
Once Upon a Time in America by Sergio Leone was filmed by the director only because he regretted his refusal to take the director's chair of The Godfather after the movie collected a huge box office and almost everyone admired it.
Source: Far Out Magazine