Actor’s Spotlight: Al Pacino

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Al Pacino is arguably one of the greatest actors to have ever lived. His artistic range knows no limits with the numerous successful roles that he has taken on. Pacino’s movies have been very profitable which makes him a well sought after commodity in Hollywood.

Pacino was born on April 25, 1940 in New York City to Sicilian parents Salvotore and Rose Pacino. He did not finish high school and dropped out at the age of 17 to pursue his acting career. He successfully auditioned for the Actor’s Studio and studied under acting coach Lee Strasberg to begin honing his craft. Pacino’s first big break came in a 1969 film entitled Me, Natalie where Pacino had a brief appearance. The film didn’t pay much but it got Pacino recognized by the top brass in Tinsel Town.

In 1971, Pacino was cast as Michael Carleone in arguably the greatest gangster movie of all time, The Godfather. Director Francis Ford Coppola choose Pacino out of other actors saying, “he was perfect for the role.” His performance in the film earned him an Academy Award nomination. That same year, Pacino was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor after starring in the film Serpico which was based on the true story of New York City policeman Frank Serpico who went undercover to expose the corruption of fellow officers. In 1974, Pacino reprised his role as Michael Corleone in the sequel The Godfather Part II which was the first sequel to win the Best Picture Oscar. Pacino, meanwhile, was nominated for his third Oscar.

After being nominated for a third time for Hollywood’s most coveted award, Pacino became sought after for numerous roles which became instant classics such as Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Bobby Deerfield (1977), And Justice for All (1979), upon which he was nominated for a fourth Oscar, Scarface (1983), The Godfather Part III (1990), Frankie and Johnny (1991), Scent of a Woman (1992), upon which Pacino won an Oscar for Best Actor, Carlito’s Way (1993), and The Devil’s Advocate (1997).  Pacino has not received another Academy Award nomination since winning for Scent of a Woman, but has won three Golden Globes since 2000, the first being the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2001 for lifetime achievement in motion pictures.

Pacino never married but has three children, Julie Marie and twins Anton James and Olivia Rose. Pacino resides in Los Angeles, California.