Al Pacino has revealed that studio bosses wished the likes of Jack Nicholson and Robert Redford to take the lead function in The Godfather forward of him.
The star mentioned in an extract from his new e-book Sonny Boy (by way of The Guardian), which got here out final week, that Paramount weren’t occupied with him taking the function and the likes of Warren Beatty and Ryan O’Neal had been additionally forward of him on the checklist.
“Paramount didn’t need me to play Michael Corleone. They wished Jack Nicholson. They wished Robert Redford. They wished Warren Beatty or Ryan O’Neal,” he mentioned.
Regardless of that he did get a display take a look at for the function and he was requested to fly out to the west coast, which he didn’t need to do.
Pacino mentioned: “I didn’t care that it was The Godfather. I used to be a bit afraid of flying and I didn’t need to go to California. However my supervisor, Marty Bregman, mentioned to me, ‘You’re getting on that fucking airplane.’ He introduced me a pint of whiskey so I might drink it on the flight, and I bought there.”
He went on to disclose that the studio rejected Francis Ford Coppola’s complete solid together with Marlon Brando.
“They rejected Jimmy Caan and Bob Duvall, who had been nice established actors, properly on their solution to what they’d grow to be. They rejected Brando, for Christ’s sake,” Pacino defined.
“It was fairly clear strolling into the studio that they didn’t need me both. And I knew I wasn’t the one one being thought of. Most of the younger actors of the day had been studying for Michael. That was an disagreeable feeling.”
Regardless of that Caan and Duvall finally went on to safe roles within the movie and Pacino mentioned that it was all the way down to Coppola that he landed his personal function.
“However right here’s the key: Francis wished me. He wished me and I knew that. And there’s nothing like when a director needs you,” he added.
Regardless of that, even when he secured the function, Paramount had been uncertain whether or not he was proper for the half.
He mentioned: “Paramount began to take a look at the movie that Francis had shot, and so they had been as soon as once more questioning whether or not I used to be the proper actor for the half. The hearsay had bought out across the set that I used to be going to be let go from the image.
“You might really feel that lack of momentum after we shot. There was a discomfort amongst folks, even the crew, once I was working. I used to be very aware of that. The phrase was that I used to be going to be fired, and, probably, so was the director. Not that Francis wasn’t slicing it – I wasn’t. However he was the one accountable for me being within the movie.”
In line with Pacino, even Coppola was unconvinced at one level and it wasn’t till filming for the Italian restaurant scene started that he received over Paramount.
He mentioned: “Francis confirmed the restaurant scene to the studio, and after they checked out it, one thing was there. Due to that scene I simply carried out, they saved me within the movie.”
Elsewhere, he lately mentioned in an interview, that he has by no means taken cocaine in his life, regardless that “all people thinks I’ve”.
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