Al Pacino reveals he “didn’t have a pulse” in near-death experience
Al Pacino has revealed new details about a case of Covid-19 he contracted in 2020, which resulted in him encountering a frightening near-death experience.
During a new interview ahead of the release of his new memoir, Sonny Boy, the actor spoke about his unfortunate experience with the virus, which occurred in the early stages of the pandemic before the rollout of the vaccines.
Speaking to The New York Times, he recalled needing a nurse to “hydrate” him before things took a turn for the worse. “So, I got someone to get me a nurse to hydrate me. I was sitting there in my house, and I was gone. Like that. I didn’t have a pulse,” he shared.
Recalling the events that followed, he added: “In a matter of minutes they were there — the ambulance in front of my house. I had about six paramedics in that living room, and there were two doctors, and they had these outfits on that looked like they were from outer space or something.”
When he finally came around, the actor was surrounded by a substantial medical team, which was a frightening scene to wake up to. “Everybody was around me, and they said: ‘He’s back. He’s here,'” he said, describing the realisation as “shocking”.
Interestingly, the actor’s experience didn’t open his eyes to any possible spiritual or metaphysical sensation on the other side; instead, he realized, “there’s nothing there”. Describing the sensation, Pacino bleakly reflected, “You’re gone. I’d never thought about it in my life.” The one silver lining was the interesting anecdote he can now carry. “It sounds good to say I died once,” he mused. “What is it when there’s no more?”
The interview centred on the actor’s forthcoming memoir, which was described in an accompanying statement as the “memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide.” The memoir will reportedly provide a full account of Pacino’s life from his childhood, his upbringing with a “fiercely loving but mentally unwell mother and her parents,” the friends he made in the Bronx, and his acting life.
Discussing his reasons for writing Sonny Boy, Pacino previously stated he wanted to share “what I’ve seen and been through,” despite it appearing “incredibly personal” and detailing experiences specific to his acting journey.
Although sometimes challenging to appear so vulnerable, the memoir will also celebrate his many achievements. As he put it: “My whole life has been a moonshot, and I’ve been a pretty lucky guy so far.”
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