The actor Al Pacino calls “giant on every level”
Some of the greatest characters in the history of cinema have arrived on screen as a result of the sheer intensity and talent of Al Pacino. Widely considered one of the best actors of all time, Pacino has delivered countless memorable performances throughout his career, leading to a reputation as a true Hollywood legend.
Whether he was playing an initially reluctant crime boss in The Godfather, a whistleblowing police officer in Serpico, a desperate criminal in Dog Day Afternoon, or a blind army lieutenant in Scent of a Woman, one could be assured that Pacino would command an audience’s attention to the nth degree.
But despite being one of the most acclaimed actors to ever grace the big screen, Pacino has always displayed a sense of humility when thinking about his co-stars, particularly the ones with whom she shared scenes in the early parts of his career. This is true for none more so than the equally legendary star Marlon Brando.
Brando had, of course, performed alongside Pacino in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film The Godfather, with Brando portraying Don Vito Corleone opposite Pacino’s Michael Corleone, who later becomes the head of the Italian-American crime family. Pacino had spoken of his deep admiration for Brando, who is also widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time.
“Brando’s a giant on every level,” Pacino had once told Interview. “When he acts it’s as if he landed from another planet. A planet where they produce great actors.” Brando was one of the first actors to bring method acting into the limelight, which resulted in some truly mesmerising efforts on both the stage and in the cinema. Pacino had been more than willing to admit to the wide influence that Brando had on many of the actors who arrived in the proceeding generations.
“The whole perception of acting in this country—I think a lot of it was influenced by him,” the actor noted. Initially a theatre actor, Brando used his method acting inspired by the work of Stella Adler and Konstantin Stanislavski to establish himself as a master of his craft, going on to give stunning efforts in the likes of A Streetcar Named Desire, Last Tango in Paris and Apocalypse Now.
In another interview with Phillips, Pacino had spoken of his time working with Brando on The Godfather, admitting, “To work alongside Marlon Brando in a movie was initially a little unnerving to me.” At the time, Pacino was an unknown talent, and the producers of the film had wanted to get him fired from Coppola’s movie, leading to a “very difficult time”.
“I knew how I wanted to play the role, but no one could see what I was doing,” Pacino explained. Thankfully, though, Brando took Pacino “under his wing” and informed the actor that he was doing a great job. Pacino explained, “He said, ‘I want you to know that I really want you for this part.’ He defended me to Francis and the studio, saying, ‘The kid is doing great.'”
What followed was “invaluable” to Pacino’s role as Michael Corleone and to his overall “self-confidence” as a young actor. The actor signed off with his impressions of his iconic co-star, “I am grateful to have known Marlon Brando, not just for his kindness to me during the filming of The Godfather.”
