Al Pacino starred as Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic film, The Godfather, a role that launched him into the spotlight. The actor had some reservations about taking up the role at first as he felt he didn’t have the skill to pull it off due to the slew of actors that auditioned for the role then.
It’s been over five decades since the movie’s release, and Al Pacino recently shared his experience on The Godfather set in his new memoir. The actor admitted that throughout the production, he often grappled with anxiety about his performance and whether he embodied the character well.
Al Pacino almost left ‘The Godfather’ after on-set injury
In his latest book, Sonny Boy, the 84-year-old reflected on the constant pressure he faced and how glad he was when he had an accident on the movie set as he believed that would be an escape route for him.
Al Pacino recalled how he sustained an injury when he was asked to perform a stunt only to end up twisting his ankle. The actor explained that despite the excruciating pain from the injury, he was secretly happy that the mishap would provide the perfect opportunity to drop the highly coveted role. However, instead of that to happen, the actor went on to complete the project.
Al Pacino says Studio executives did not want him to play Michael Corleone
Al Pacino also disclosed that he landed on the radar of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola thanks to his standout performance as Bobby in The Panic In Needle Park. Despite his evident talent, studio executives were skeptical about his suitability for the role of Michael Corleone, believing that more established actors could better embody the character.
However, the Scarface star noted that Coppola supported him in overcoming the initial challenges of the role by pairing him with the talented actress Diane Keaton, who helped him to ease into his character.