Aging Al Pacino Reflects On Life, Says He Hates ‘Turning Grey’

At 84 years of age, All Al Pacino, the legendary Godfather actor, can think of is his legacy and mortality. One might wonder, it’s normal for older people to reflect on their past. However, Pacino’s reflection is not spurred by age but by the birth of his son, Roman, whom he fathered at 83. 

Not only that, he took a step further and put pen to paper to write his autobiography, Sonny Boy, so Roman can connect with him through his words, in case the inevitable happens before the 16-month-old boy’s grown. 

Al Pacino on aging

The memoir, which he titled the nickname his mother gave him, details his alcohol addiction during the peak of his career and his brief brush with death after he contracted COVID-19. Pacino’s history with alcohol started at the beginning of his career when he used alcohol as his companion to navigate the trying times of being a rising star. 

When Pacino finally became a household name in 1972 for his role in The Godfather, his troubles became dealing with the unexpected spotlight, and alcohol was his crutch during this period as well. 

The break in the camel’s back came in 1983 when he acted in Scarface; the psychological impact of the role made him face reality, and he decided to have a turnaround. He revealed that at that point, he’d always black out and miss events, and he already had a bad reputation in Hollywood.  Four decades later, he’s sober, and whenever he’d discuss the dark time, “It really was terrible,” he’d say. “But then, eventually, thank God, it got there.”

Aging Al Pacino cheated death 

Another significant moment for him was when he suddenly became unconscious, and his assistant had to call the paramedics. “I was sitting there at my house, and I was gone,” Pacino recalled. “Like that. I didn’t have a pulse.”

Thankfully, the paramedics revived the star to continue the six movies he’s currently working on. When asked to describe what he saw during his brief encounter with death, he claimed, “he didn’t see any lights,” and he merely ceased to exist.