Al Pacino: `I Was Nearly Fired From The Godfather`

Monsters and Critics ^ | Dec 7, 2010 | Grant Hodgson

[nickcarraway]

Al Pacino has told how he was nearly fired from his iconic role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather and said he hasn't defeated his alcoholism, but 'just doesn't drink'.

The 70-year-old Oscar winner also told CNN's Larry King how Marlon Brando's support helped keep him in the career-making Godfather film.

Talking about working with Brando and nearly being fired from The Godfather, he said, 'Brando was a source of inspiration.

'It was unnerving playing with him in Godfather. But he was good to me. He was sensitive to me.

'They thought I was wrong for Michael and they were going to let me go.

'Francis said, 'You're not cutting it for me kid'.

'What kept me in was the restaurant scene.

'They kept me after the shooting.'

Talking about his battle with drink, he said, 'I didn't defeat it that's all you can say. I just don't drink.'

[Vendome]

Can’t beat it or pull you from the dinner table if you were chained? /s

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

I agree - I don’t think this is new news. Also Coppola came close to getting fired as well. All of this shows, I think, that most of these decisions are crap shoots at the time. They only look like genius after the fact. Every now and then a movie captures lightening in the bottle and Godfather was one such time. But while it was being shot, it looked like the usual crapola.

[Puppage]

Fredo was weak & stupid.

[truthguy]

I thought the Godfather Series was perhaps the best in the history of film making. This even though Godfather III wasn't really a great movie.

I just never thought James Caan looked very Italian. He just didn't look like he fit in as a family member. He played the role of Sonny very well however. Duval was brilliant. He is perhaps the most underrated actor of his time. The guy is brilliant.

[Vendome]

LOL.... That’s just stoopid. LOL

[Vendome]

I love the Bank Robbery scene in 5.1 and the speakers turned up full blast.

[Mobties]

“...in my bedroom, where my wife sleeps, where my children come to play with their toys...”

[Williams]

Pacino was great in Insomnia. Not bad as Kevorkian, either. Fun in Heat.

[Vaquero]

the man who invented (for non italians) BADABING

or

bada beep bada boop bada bop???

REALLY?

he studied under the tutelage of real NY mobsters to pick up their schtick.

now either Steve Martin (my blue heaven) or Jack Nicholson (Prizzi’s Honor) played terrible guineas....but Caan is next to perfect and I grew up guinea in a wop neighborhood in the Bronx...and yeah there wuz lots of wiseguys you could loin from there....

[dfwgator]

The transformation of Michael is just amazing to watch, going from “That’s my family, Kay, it’s not me.” to “My father is no different than any other powerful man — any man who’s responsible for other people, like a Senator or President.”

[andy58-in-nh]

Jimmy definitely did not look Italian but he tried his best, especially with that bridesmaid upstairs against the door...

[wtc911]

No movie is ever shot “in order”.

[dfwgator]

And frankly, how could Michael handle Kay after being with this?

I cry everytime I see the car blow up.

[mmercier]

The only meaner animal than a dry drunk is a sober liberal.

I have more respect for a man who fires me without cause than a man who does not, with cause I readily demonstrate when allowed opportunity through his inability to manage personnel.

I generally devolve when left to my own devices... If my boss accepts such, so be it. The crap left to me today is nothing compared to what was available to me in the past.

Tonight, we (I, a waiter and buss boy) are going to make pressure devices out of coke bottles/muriatic/tinfoil in the parking lot. You need to bring up the children properly. It is not my fault the boss left the acid in a place where I could find it, is it...? If the boss hid the muriatic, we will just fall back to menthos and diet coke..

I need to change jobs anyhow, unless they let me blow up stuff in the back lot. How much does my new life suck.

[andy58-in-nh]

"Senators and Presidents don't have men killed!"

"Now who's being naive, Kay?"

[dfwgator]

Damn that Fabrizio!

[DollyCali]

HELP! my ping lost is gone

A couple days ago when I last pinged the list I erred in doing cut/paste rather than copy/paste. (that is whay I wanted a back up person)

so will try to remember & check past threads for at least a starter list

Cinema Ping

Post here or FR Mail DollyCali
to be added or dropped from this ping list.

If you are receiving this I put you on my list,
no doubt w/o your permission..
so it is okay if you want to dive out

This is who I have on my newly "throw together from memory" list.

Perdogg; evening star; borges; Mrk; blondie; altura; mylife; mamabear; jackdeth;Dr. Scarpetta;starman417;wtc911; swmobuffalo; rummyfan; tax-chick; ls;JoeProBono; joe6 pack;MHGinTN;re_nortex ;

[NonValueAdded]

Note that in all the discussion, no one ever mentions poor Fredo.

Michael Corleone: That's the way Pop wanted it.

Fredo Corleone: It ain't the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!

John Cazale played Fredo very well.

[FTJM]

Duvall played the adopted consigliere perfectly, the voice of restraint and reason.

I like Robert Duvall, he's a good actor and should have won an Oscar for Apocalypse Now. He was good as a consigliere, but he was also supposed to be a former street kid who was adopted and raised by that family, it didn't seem believable.

[Frantzie]

What is funny is Jack Nicholson is really Italian or half Italian. I kind of always thought Caan over the years was sort of smartass. Over time - I have gained more respect for his portrayal of Sonny and for James.