Al Pacino - Movies, Age & the Godfather
Oscar-Winning Actor Al Pacino Has Kept Moviegoers Riveted Since the 1970S, with Roles in Films Like 'The Godfather,' 'Dog Day Afternoon,' 'Dick Tracy' and...
Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino has kept moviegoers riveted since the 1970s, with roles in films like 'The Godfather,' 'Dog Day Afternoon,' 'Dick Tracy' and 'Scent of a Woman.'
Who Is Al Pacino?
Al Pacino began studying acting in his teens and eventually made his way from the stage to the big screen. During his career he has brought a brooding seriousness and explosive rage to gritty roles, including those of gangster Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972) and drug lord Tony Montana in Scarface (1983).
A versatile performer, he has starred in a diverse range of projects during his prolific career, appearing in countless stage productions and directing several films as well. He received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a blind man in Scent of a Woman (1992) and in 2007 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.
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Early Life and Stage Work
Alfredo James Pacino was born in New York City on April 25, 1940. He was the only child of Italian immigrants from Sicily who separated when he was a toddler. After they split, Pacino’s father moved to California and Pacino was raised by his mother and grandparents in the Bronx. Though somewhat shy as a child, in his early teens Pacino developed an interest in acting and was later accepted at the High School of Performing Arts. However, he proved to be a poor student, failing most of his classes before he eventually dropped out at age 17.
After leaving school, Pacino worked a variety of jobs before moving to Greenwich Village in 1959 to pursue his dreams of becoming an actor. He began studying theater at the Herbert Berghof Studio and soon landed parts in off-Broadway productions, including a 1963 role in the William Saroyan play Hello, Out There. In 1966, Pacino made the next step forward in his career when he was accepted at the Actors Studio, where he studied under renowned coach Lee Strasberg. Pacino’s work there led to his involvement in prominent projects like the 1969 Broadway production of Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?—for which he received a Tony Award—and a part in that year's coming-of-age film Me, Natalie.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
