Trivia

Is one of the few Hollywood stars who has never married.

Al Pacino was rejected repeatedly by studio heads and frequently referred to as "that midget Pacino" by producers of Le Parrain (1972) who did not want him for the role of Michael Corleone in Le Parrain (1972), but Francis Ford Coppola fought for him. This film was shot briskly because both the director and the leading actor were in constant fear of being fired. Ironically, this turned out to be a breakthrough for both.

Originally asked for $7 million for Le Parrain, 3e partie (1990), a figure that so enraged director Francis Ford Coppola that he threatened to write a new script that opened with Michael Corleone's funeral. Al Pacino settled for $5 million.

Has suffered from chronic insomnia.

Spoke three of the American Film Institute's 100 Movie Quotes: "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." from Le Parrain, 2ᵉ partie (1974) at #58, "Say 'hello' to my little friend!" from Scarface (1983) at #61 and "Attica! Attica!" from Un après-midi de chien (1975) at #86.

Alec Baldwin, who co-starred with Al Pacino in Glengarry (1992) and Looking for Richard (1996), wrote a 65-page final thesis on Al Pacino and method acting for his degree at New York University.

Francis Ford Coppola asked Al Pacino to play Captain Willard in his film Apocalypse Now (1979). Al Pacino politely turned down the offer, saying he would "do anything" for Francis but he "wouldn't go to war with him!".

Early in his acting career, he considered changing his name to "Sonny Scott" to avoid being typecast by his Italian name. "Sonny" was his childhood nickname.

Turned down Apocalypse Now (1979), Né un 4 juillet (1989), Pretty Woman (1990) and USS Alabama (1995).

Al Pacino was so much into character (playing a plain-clothes New York City policeman) while filming Serpico (1973) he actually pulled over and threatened to arrest a truck driver for exhaust pollution.

The voice of Moe the Bartender from Les Simpson (1989) was based on Al Pacino in Un après-midi de chien (1975).

Had been friends with John Cazale since they were teenagers. They starred together in Un après-midi de chien (1975), Le Parrain, 2ᵉ partie (1974) and Le Parrain (1972).

Stopped a two-pack-a-day smoking habit to protect his voice (1994). In the mid-1980s, he had been smoking four packs of cigarettes a day. He now only occasionally smokes herbal cigarettes.

For a short while, he was the only actor to be in the #1 Best and Worst Movie on IMDb: Le Parrain (1972) and Amours troubles (2003).

Won his first Academy Award 21 years after his first nomination.

Lifetime member of the prestigious Actors Studio. He was accepted into the studio in 1966, studying under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg.

He and Jamie Foxx are two out of the only three actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year. (Barry Fitzgerald did it first in 1945) Al Pacino was nominated in 1993 for Le Temps d'un week-end (1992) and Glengarry (1992) / Foxx in 2005 for Ray (2004) and Collatéral (2004). Both men won the Best Actor award, and they both played blind men in their roles: Al Pacino as Frank Slade and Foxx as Ray Charles.

Became a father for the second and third time at age 60 when his [now ex] partner Beverly D'Angelo gave birth to their twins Anton and Olivia Pacino on January 25, 2001.

Turned down the role of Han Solo in La Guerre des étoiles (1977), which went to Harrison Ford.

Got co-star Kevin Spacey his first major role in a film. Al Pacino saw Spacey performing on Broadway and suggested him to the director of Glengarry (1992) for the role of John Williamson.

Was arrested, charged with carrying a concealed weapon. (January 1961)

Before becoming a professional actor he held a number of jobs including a messenger, shoe salesman, supermarket checker, shoe shiner, furniture mover, office boy, fresh-fruit polisher, and a newsboy. An avid fan of opera, Al Pacino once worked as an usher at Carnegie Hall. In a Playboy magazine interview, he claimed that he was fired from his job as a movie theater usher while walking down the staircase and admiring himself in the mirrored wall.

Al Pacino has been a recovering alcoholic since the start of his career.

After completing Le Parrain (1972), Al Pacino was so broke he actually owed a studio $15,000 so he never saw a paycheck for his work on that film.

Was director Bryan Singer's first choice for the role of Dave Kujan in Usual Suspects (1995). Al Pacino passed on the role and has since stated that that is the role he regrets passing on the most.

Claims to have learned more about acting from friend John Cazale than from anybody else.

His performance as Michael Corleone in Le Parrain, 2ᵉ partie (1974) is ranked #11 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains.

He and Chris Sarandon improvised their scene on the phone in the film Un après-midi de chien (1975).

His performance as Sonny Wortzik in Un après-midi de chien (1975) is ranked #4 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Is one of nine actors to have won the Triple Crown of Acting (an Oscar, Emmy and Tony); the others in chronological order are Thomas Mitchell, Melvyn Douglas, Paul Scofield, Jack Albertson, Jason Robards, Jeremy Irons, Geoffrey Rush and Christopher Plummer.

His Oscar nomination for Le Parrain (1972) marked his first of four consecutive nominations, a feat he shares with Jennifer Jones (1943-1946), Thelma Ritter (1950-1953), Marlon Brando (1951-1954) and Elizabeth Taylor (1957-1960).

Is a huge fan of Dick Van Dyke.

When asked by the AFI, he named L'arbre aux sabots (1978) and Chantons sous la pluie (1952) as his favorite films.

He was homeless for part of his early career and often slept on the street or in theaters.

Is one of the few Razzie Award winners to have won an acting award for playing himself. He won Worst Supporting Actor for Jack et Julie (2011).

During the making of La recrue (2003), he met and became close friends with Colin Farrell. He went on to call Farrell the most talented actor of his generation.

Starred as King Herod in Oscar Wilde's play "Salomé" on Broadway in 1992 opposite Sheryl Lee (directed by Robert Allan Ackerman), and in 2003 opposite Marisa Tomei (directed by Estelle Parsons). He reprised the role opposite Jessica Chastain in 2006 in Los Angeles, and in the documentary-drama film Wilde Salomé (2011) (which Al Pacino also wrote and directed).

Briefly worked as a stand-up comedian early in his career.

He has appeared in three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Le Parrain (1972), Le Parrain, 2ᵉ partie (1974) and Un après-midi de chien (1975).

While Paramount brass dithered over whether to cast him as Michael Corleone in Le Parrain (1972), the role that would make him a star, a frustrated Al Pacino signed up for the role of Mario Trantino in MGM's The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971). When Paramount finally decided to offer him the role in "The Godfather", his binding contract with MGM had to be bought out.

Has been friends with HRH King Charles III, The Prince of Wales, for several years, and has stayed as his guest at Highgrove House.

Turned down the lead role of Roy Neary in Rencontres du troisième type (1977), which went to Richard Dreyfuss.

Stated in an interview that the movie he most wanted to be in but could not get the role was La castagne (1977). Director George Roy Hill opted not to go with Pacino because he could not ice skate.

His performance in the Broadway play "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?" won him a Tony Award for Best Dramatic Supporting Actor, and a Drama Desk Award and Theatre World Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1969.

Turned down the role of Ted Kramer in Kramer contre Kramer (1979), which went to Dustin Hoffman.

His performance as Tony Montana in Scarface (1983) is ranked #74 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

His performance as Frank Serpico in Serpico (1973) is ranked #40 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains.

Larry King considers Al Pacino's appearance on his show Larry King Live (1985) in November 1996 as one of his personal all-time favorite interviews.

Revealed to James Lipton on Actors Studio (1994) for the first time ever that his maternal grandfather was born in Corleone, Sicily.

Son of Sal Pacino (insurance agent) and Rose (nee Gerardi) Pacino; his maternal grandparents originate from Corleone, Sicily. His paternal grandparents originate from San Fratello, Sicily. Aside from his grandparents being from Corleone in Sicily, his real name "Alfredo" and childhood nickname "Sonny" are also indirect references to the names of his siblings in his breakthrough movie "The Godfather" (Fredo and Sonny).