Al Pacino's family and photos of his youth
Alfredo James Pacino was born on April 25, 1940 in New York (USA) in the family of insurer Salvatore Pacino and housewife Rose Gerardi. At one time, the maternal grandparents of the future celebrity moved to America from the Sicilian city of Corleone. Alfredo's father was also not a purebred American - he had Italian roots. Rose married twenty-year-old Salvatore when she herself was barely 17 years old.
Soon the couple decided that they were ready to have children. Al Pacino was born a year after his parents' wedding, but this event did not save the family: when the boy was two years old, the marriage broke up, and his mother took him to her parents in the South Bronx, on the outskirts of New York.
Youth and early career
A native of East Harlem New York, Alfredo James Pacino was born to Italian American parents Salvatore Pacino and Rosa Gerardi on April 25, 1940. They got married at a very early age, which led to a crisis in their relationship. The appearance of the baby did not save the family, and at the age of two the child experienced his parents’ divorce, which deprived him of a normal childhood and became a serious loss in Al Pacino’s biography.
His mother took him to the South Bronx to live with Sicilian and Italian relatives, where he was sent to the famous School of the Arts , and his father settled in Covina, California, leading a quiet life as a restaurateur and insurance agent.
As Alfredo grew older, whom his mother took to the local theater every evening, he became interested in acting, football and baseball, receiving the nicknames “Actor” and “Sony” from his friends.
As a teenager, the character of a boy growing up in a criminal area changed dramatically: he began to smoke cigarettes and marijuana, drink alcohol , and participated in numerous fights, often being the instigator. However, he was saved from the fine line leading to hard drugs by tragic events - the death of two close friends from an overdose. Youth and hot blood soon led to mistakes that later strengthened Alfredo’s character.
At the age of seventeen, the rebel ran away from home after a scandal with his mother because he was expelled from high school for poor grades and failed exams. The young man liked freedom, although he had to work hard in the lowest paid and dirtiest jobs, and often spend the night on the street. But to fulfill his dream of becoming an actor, Alfredo was ready to do almost anything.
After some time, he began performing in the theatrical underground, and then joined the Berghoff studio, meeting Laughton, an acting teacher who became his mentor and replaced the boy’s father. 1962 brought two sad dates for Pacino - he experienced the loss of his mother and grandfather James Gerardi.
For four years, Alfredo, inspired by the interesting performance of Ray Miland in the leading role in the film “The Lost Weekend,” tried in every possible way to break into the world of acting, and finally, in 1966, luck smiled on him: he successfully auditioned for an organization for professional directors and playwrights, called the Actors Studio, which he currently runs as co-president.
Working hard, Pacino improved his acting skills and English speech on the course of Strasberg , who would later play with him in the second part of the film “The Godfather” and become his stage partner for a long time. In his interviews, he attributed his successful studies to his mentor’s ability to talk captivatingly about actors and the stage, emphasizing that Strasberg became not only a teacher for him, but also a true friend in life.
Growing up
Even today, the area to which Rose and her son moved is directly associated among New Yorkers with troubles and crime, and in the early 40s the situation was even worse. In those days, local children, and Al Pacino among them, practically did not leave the walls of their home without adult supervision. Not far from where the Pacino family lived there was a small cinema, where his mother took him to evening screenings almost every day in his early childhood. This is how the child developed a passion for cinema.
When the boy went to school, troubles began caused by the behavior of the future star. Children like Al Pacino were called problematic, a characterization he fully justified. It was not easy for teachers to cope with his eccentricity, so relatives often had to visit the school. Already at the age of nine, Pacino began smoking, and by the age of thirteen he began drinking. Perhaps it would have come to drugs, but the guy was saved from this step by the death of friends who died from an overdose.
Julia Maria
In 1988, Al Pacino met Jen Terrant. Before this, the actor usually started affairs with colleagues on the set. This time he fell in love with an acting teacher.
Al Pacino with Jen Tarrant. Source - style.nv.ua
The girl became a very close person to Al Pacino. Their relationship was harmonious and trusting. In 1989, the lovers became the parents of a wonderful girl, Julia Maria. But even the birth of a baby did not save the relationship. Soon, Terrant and Al Pacino broke up.
Al Pacino with his eldest daughter. Source - 7days.ru
It is known that Julia Maria has had problems with the law more than once.
Judia-Maria now. Source - instagram.com
Getting to know the theater
In Al Pacino's biography, acting occupies a special niche, and this hobby, which grew into a profession, began quite early. In his youth, the young American, who at that time took the pseudonym Sonny Scott, was thinking of focusing on baseball, but everything changed when he attended a theater production of “The Seagull.” Al later recalled that the action on stage flew by with lightning speed for him, causing unusual feelings and a desire to immediately get hold of a collection of Chekhov’s works. Subsequently, the guy became a student at the famous Fiorello La Guardia School of Performing Arts, receiving the nickname Actor from his friends. Classes at a regular educational institution did not bother the young man much; as a result, he failed his final exams.
This was followed by expulsion from school and conflict with his mother. Al decided to leave home and did odd jobs as a bellhop, waiter, cleaner, and loader. Thus, he paid for lessons at the acting studio.
Who should you be?
Pacino himself will later remember his first date with the theater: as a child, he watched Chekhov’s “The Seagull.” The whole performance flew by in one minute. When the lights came on, the boy remained sitting in the hall, thinking: “Who do you have to be to come up with this?” Pacino that same day found a collection of stories by this mysterious Russian and read it with rapture, imagining and savoring every scene.
Having penetrated, he found a “School of Performing Arts” not far from home, to which the smart boy was easily accepted. In his semi-bandit gang, he received the nickname Actor, which he took calmly.
Even when Alfredo Pacino was kicked out of a regular high school due to poor performance, he did not quit the theater school. But his mother did not understand his preferences. There was a serious conflict between relatives, after which the future devil's advocate left home.
The way to the theater
At the age of twenty, the actor still managed to become part of the theatrical world: together with a friend, he staged skits in public places, receiving a payment in the hat as a reward. After a short time, he decided to come to Herbert Berghof's studio, where he first met teacher Charlie Layton. A new acquaintance began teaching the guy acting skills, gradually becoming a close friend for him. Around the same period, the aspiring artist began to lose relatives: in 1962, his mother died of leukemia, and a year later, his grandfather, who replaced the future star’s father. Subsequently, Pacino admitted that he was very upset about the death of his relatives. He also lamented that success did not come to him a little earlier, then, in his opinion, he would have had a chance to save his mother’s life.
Interesting facts about Al Pacino
- Al Pacino is now collaborating with a children's foundation fighting AIDS.
- The artist made the film “Branded with Shame” during the time of alcohol abuse, but did not show it to anyone.
- When Alfredo was close to 20 years old, he worked as a prostitute. Moreover, he sold his body not for money, but for food and a rented apartment. And this information is by no means an invention of the yellow press, since the actor himself told this page of his biography to the press. Al Pacino says: “When I was living in Sicily at the age of 20, I traded the only asset I had - my own body. An older woman fed me and provided a roof over my head for intimate services, which made me hate myself with renewed vigor every morning when I woke up.”
- The actor received his first Oscar in 1993 at the age of 53 for his role in the film “Scent of a Woman.”
- The “godfather” has a daughter, Julia Maria, as well as twins, Olivia Rose and Anton James.
- The personal life of the “famous gangster” is seething even in old age, having started an affair with Latin American model Lucy Sola.
- The voice actor for Al Pacino in Russia is the actor Vladimir Eremin, whose voice is so insinuating and languid that it captivates the hearts of Russian women no worse than the original.
- In 2020, the man starred in the thriller by Japanese director Shintaro Shimosawa along with Anthony Hopkins, “Worse Than a Lie.”
- Alfred's long competition for the unofficial title of best actor with Robert De Niro continues to this day. Together the couple played in three films: “The Godfather”, “Heat” and “Right to Kill”. In the near future, Martin Scorsese is planning to film The Irishman, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
During his lifetime, the “godfather” began to be considered a pillar of Hollywood cinema, and Al Pacino’s plastic surgery brought inner satisfaction and gave the man the strength to actively engage in creativity.
First roles in the theater
Not every published short biography of Al Pacino contains information that he did not immediately become a student at the acting studio in Manhattan. This was preceded by many attempts, which were crowned with success only in 1966. He began studying on the course of Lee Strasberg, who practices the Stanislavsky system. A year later, he began to be offered roles in the Commercial Theater. The guy received $125 a week for participating in performances.
During these same years, he took the pseudonym Al Pacino, simply shortening his real name Alfredo a little, and also performed on Broadway for the first time. Having seen the charismatic actor in the production of “Does a Tiger Wear a Tie?”, viewers and critics began to leave a lot of positive reviews, which resulted in the guy receiving the prestigious Tony Award. In 1968, he became an actor at the Astor Place Theater.
Theater and Al Pacino
He has now become co-president of the Actors Studio. And he started working in Boston, at the Charles Playhouse. Then - in New York, at Astor Place. Martin Bergman, perhaps the best producer of that time, drew attention to Pacino, and they began working together. They even invited me to Spoleto, the city in Italy where the festival was held! In 1969 he went to Broadway, at the Belasco Theater. Received a Tony Award and continued to develop his career! By the way, his last role was Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which he played in 2010 on Broadway!
First film roles
They were sporadic, and he received almost nothing for his work. His debut took place in the TV series NYPD in 1968, and a year later he starred in the film “I, Natalie.” The actor was noticed by producer Martin Bregman, who offered long-term cooperation. Subsequently, this union turned out to be quite fruitful - the partners worked on the projects “Dog Day Afternoon”, “Scarface”, “Serliko”. In 1971, Al portrayed a drug addict in the drama Panic in Needle Park, which became his first big film job.
The beginning of Alfredo's career
- A feeling of dissatisfaction pushed the young man to audition for Lee Strasberg's Studio, but he was able to join only when he tried again in 1966. At this time, his mother died of leukemia, followed by his grandfather, who was very close to Alfred. Fleeing from grief, the guy plunged headlong into work. Due to the features of his face, the role of a loser and a loser was attached to him.
- The beginning of his career was performing with skits in coffee shops, at which time a collection hat was walking around the hall.
- In the same 1966, critics noticed him in one of the small plays, and a couple of years later the guy was awarded an Obie Award as the best actor of the season, and in 1969 his assets were replenished with a Tony Award for his role in the musical “Does a Tiger Wear a Tie.”
Interesting! Al Pacino says: “At this time, I paid for a steak and martini at a bar for the first time with a check received at work. From then on I started having money.”
- This was followed by an invitation to star in the popular film Panic in Needle Park. There the artist played drug addict Bobby.
- The owners of the Paramount studio dubbed the young man “ugly and unpresentable,” but the director of the film “The Godfather” (1971), Francis Ford Coppola, still molded Pacino into a “godfather” - New York mafioso Michael Corleone, refusing the role such masters as Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford. This film became fateful for the man, making him rich and famous. And now young people came to plastic surgery clinics asking for a face like Al Pacino’s.
The success of The Godfather
In 1971, Francis Ford Coppola was actively looking for an actor for his new film “The Godfather”; he needed a guy who could play Michael Corleone. Paramount did not make big bets on the project, believing that they were waiting for an unremarkable gangster film. Nevertheless, the director diligently prepared for filming; after seeing Pacino in Panic in Needle Park, he immediately invited him to audition. Of course, having gotten to know the young artist better, the director gave him the role that seemed to have been created for him. This was confirmed by the actor’s Sicilian roots, his characteristic Italian appearance and difficult character.
It is noteworthy that the surname Corleone sounds exactly the same as the name of the Sicilian town from which Pacino’s grandparents, who raised him, emigrated. Impressed by Alfredo's charm and acting, Francis Ford Coppola rejected all other candidates for the role, including Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, and Robert Redford. This act puzzled the studio management, but the risk paid off: the film became very successful, and the actors who played in it quickly gained popularity. In the authoritative international IMDB rating, “The Godfather” came in second place, losing leadership only to “The Shawshank Redemption.”
AL PACINO - DON QUIXOTE
Based on real events, Sidney Lumet's police drama Serpico was released in 1973, immediately following the first The Godfather. In Pacino’s filmography, this work is almost the complete opposite of what he did with Coppola, although his hero is again Italian.
“Is Don Quixote a clown or a madman?” – this question asked at the beginning of the film perfectly corresponds to the character of the role. Serpico is an undercover cop, that is, already an artist on duty: it turns out that the game within the game is a task of the highest degree of complexity. Here, as probably in no other film, Pacino shows his colossal range of transformations. Here he is a good neighbor, but here he is the life of the party and a born cheerful fellow, and here he is a humane law enforcement officer who understands who needs to be helped and who needs to be severely punished, a principled cop and a domestic tyrant.
Al Pacino proved in Serpico that a good character can be just as interesting as a cinematic villain. This is confirmed by another Oscar nomination.
Other successful roles
After The Godfather, the celebrity had many interesting roles, which proved that he is not an actor of one role, but is capable of demonstrating many memorable images. In the 70s, he played a loser tramp ("Scarecrow"), a self-doubting policeman ("Serpico"), an indecisive robber ("Dog Day Afternoon"), and a race car driver ("Life on Borrow"). In the early 80s, the gay community turned against him for his role in the film “The Wanted,” which coincided with some decline in his career, but already in 1983 he had another hit with Al Pacino, “Scarface.”
In subsequent years, he played in such successful films as:
- “Scent of a Woman” (the film won him an Oscar).
- "Ocean's Thirteen".
- "Money for two."
- "Recruit".
- "Fight."
- "Devil's Advocate".
- "Carlito's Way" and many others.
Al Pacino's further career
In 1975, Dog Day Afternoon, a crime drama about bank robber John "Sunny" Wojtowitz, was released. Although Sunny also belonged to the criminal world, he was radically different from the domineering Michael: the character’s character was soft, timid and indecisive, but this did not prevent him from being remembered by the audience as one of Al Pacino’s most striking roles.
Dog Day Afternoon: Al Pacino as Unlucky Criminal Sunny
Two years later, Al Pacino got the role of race car driver Bobby Deerfield in the film Borrowed Life. The film was received coolly, in contrast to the next work with Al Pacino - the drama Justice for All, where he appeared in the controversial image of an honest lawyer. The film earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, but the award ultimately went to Dustin Hoffman for his role in Kramer vs. Kramer. By the way, initially Al Pacino was supposed to play alongside Meryl Streep in The Kramers, but he refused.
In 1979, Al Pacino played an honest lawyer
The 80s for Al Pacino began with a downturn in his career: participation in the project “The Wanted” brought upon him the wrath of the gay community, and the next film, the cute family comedy “Author! Author!”, was subjected to severe criticism upon release.
“The Wanted”: Al Pacino’s hero pretended to be homosexual
In 1983, director Brian De Palma invited Al Pacino to play the lead role in the drama Scarface. The film, which told the story of Cuban emigrant Tony Montana, who went from being a criminal "six" to the owner of a cocaine empire, collected good box office and, although after the premiere it was criticized for the topical nature of the topic raised and a large amount of cruelty, over the years it acquired cult status. Al Pacino's partner was Michelle Pffiffer, the sex symbol of the 80s. An excerpt from the film “Scarface” with Al Pacino The next film “Revolution” with the participation of Al Pacino and Donald Sutherland was coldly received by the public, so the film did not justify itself from a commercial point of view. The producers blamed Al Pacino for the failure, and the offended actor left the cinema for 4 years, returning to the theater stage.
Al Pacino in the movie "Revolution"
The actor appeared on the big screen again only in 1989 in the crime melodrama Sea of Love. A year later, he returned to the image of a gangster in the film “Dick Tracy” about the adventures of a brave detective. The role brought Al Pacino a second Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but the statuette went to Joe Pesci for his participation in the film Goodfellas.
"Dick Tracy": Al Pacino as the villain Big Boy Caprice
The same year, Al Pacino appeared as an aged Michael Corleone in the third part of The Godfather. In the story, his controversial character tried to legalize his business and solve the problems of his children, played by Frank D'Ambrossio and Sofia Coppola, the daughter of the legendary director.
"The Godfather III": Michael Corleone 20 years later
After the finale of the gangster saga, Al Pacino filmed the drama “The Local Stigmatist” with his own money, where he also played the main role. However, then he was embarrassed to give the film a go, and only in 2007 Al Pacino’s first directorial work was released on disc along with other, later creations (“Finding Richard” and “Chinese Coffee”).
The Local Stigmatist, Al Pacino's directorial debut
In 1991, he reunited with Michelle Pffiffer in the film Frankie and Johnny. This was followed by the role of genius salesman Ricky Rom in the film Glengarry Glenn Ross (also known as The Americans), which brought Al Pacino a third Oscar nomination.
Al Pacino and Michelle Pffiffer
In 1993, the long-awaited Academy Award was awarded to Al Pacino for the film “Scent of a Woman” in the category “Best Actor”. The heartfelt drama about the relationship between young student Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell) and Frank Slater, a cynical retired colonel completely blind and dreaming of committing suicide, had the effect of a bomb exploding. Al Pacino, tango from the film “Scent of a Woman” In the same year, the actor returned to the image of a drug dealer in the film “Carlito’s Way”, the plot of which seemed to represent an alternative ending to the story of Tony Montana. The main character, a major drug dealer Carlito Brigane, was released from prison and longed to leave the past behind, starting a new, honest life with his beloved. About the film “Carlito’s Way” In 1995, the premiere of the crime drama “Heat” took place, where viewers witnessed the conflict between the characters of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, and also appreciated the acting skills of Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore and Danny Trejo.
Still from the film "Heat", 1995
The audience also remembered the tandem of Al Pacino and Johnny Depp in the film “Donnie Brasco” - young Depp played an undercover FBI agent, and Pacino appeared in the image of an elderly gangster in need of a partner.
Al Pacino and Johnny Depp starred together in Donnie Brasco
In 1997, one of the best, according to many critics, films by Al Pacino, “The Devil's Advocate,” was released. In the story, an unusually successful young lawyer (Keanu Reeves) received an excellent offer from a large legal corporation. Together with his wife Mary Anne (Charlize Theron), he moves to a luxury apartment in New York and meets the head of the company, the impressive John Milton, whose role earned Al Pacino the title of “Best Villain” according to MTV. “Al Pacino played the Devil with pleasure bordering on glee,” critics wrote about the film. “The Devil’s Advocate”: a dialogue between Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves Two years later, the thriller “The Insider” premiered. This time, Al Pacino went far beyond his usual crime films and played TV show producer Lowell Bergman, who helps Russell Crowe's character, Dr. Wigand, reveal the secrets of tobacco corporations.
In 2002, the actor appeared on the set of the thriller Insomnia by Christopher Nolan in the role of detective Will Dormer. In the same year, Al Pacino performed one of his most beloved characters in the science-fiction film “Simone,” which, however, could not boast of a phenomenal number of tickets sold. Here he played a director who was given artificial intelligence to masterfully imitate any actor.
Al Pacino in the movie "Insomnia"
This was followed by roles in the low-budget films “The Recruit” with Colin Farrell, “Gigli” with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, The Merchant of Venice with Jeremy Irons, as well as in the TV series “Angels in America.”
“Angels in America”: the first series starring Al Pacino
2007 was a year for Al Pacino under the auspices of Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Thirteen,” where the actor played the role of “bad guy” Willie Bank, a casino owner who crossed the path of George Clooney and his loyal team.
In 2007, Al Pacino crossed Danny Ocean's path
In 2010, Al Pacino starred in the biographical film You Don't Know Jack, playing Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who defended the human right to euthanasia. The role added to the actor’s collection of awards with Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Kevorkian, who was present at the premiere, highly praised Al Pacino's performance.
The real Jack Kevorkian and Al Pacino in his image
In 2011, Al Pacino performed in an unusual comedy genre with a cameo in the film “Twins So Different” with Adam Sandler. The experience was unsuccessful - the actor received the Golden Raspberry anti-award in the category “Worst Supporting Actor”.
Cameo by Al Pacino and Johnny Depp (“Such Different Twins”)
Al Pacino's personal life and immediate plans
The celebrity’s life was filled not only with interesting film work, but also with intriguing novels. For more than ten years, the filmmaker has lived in the same house with an actress named Lucila Sola, who is 36 years younger than him.
The public has long known general facts from his biography. Al Pacino's family has always had a special position, but he never entered into an official marriage. Before his current life partner, he had many long-term and short-term romances, two of which led to the birth of children. Al Pacino became a father for the first time in 1989, when acting teacher Jen Tarrant gave birth to his daughter Julia Maria.
From 1996 to 2003, he was in a relationship with actress Beverly D'Angelo; in 2001, they became the parents of twins, Olivia Rose and Anton James. In the media you can see many photos of Al Pacino with his children; he tries to devote as much free time to them as possible.
At the beginning of his career, the actor began a romantic relationship with actress Jill Clayburgh. While filming The Godfather, he dated co-star Diane Keaton. In 1977, he had a close relationship with his co-star Martha Keller. Undoubtedly, the list of his love victories does not end with these names.
In 2020, it became known that Pacino was starring in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood project, as well as Trapped and The Irishman, so soon all fans of the extraordinary actor’s talent will be able to see him on screen in new images.
Personal life
The actor prefers to hide his personal life, although journalists have always managed to track down his girlfriends. Most often, he started relationships with his filming partners. Pacino has never been officially married, but he has several children from different women. The man adores his daughters and strives to spend all his free time with them, even though they live separately.
Even at the beginning of his career, Al fell in love with his colleague Jill Clayburgh, a partner in the play “America, Hurray.” They dated for almost five years, but on the set of The Godfather, Pacino fell in love with another woman. Diane Keaton became his chosen one, the romance lasted three years.
In 1977, Alfred began dating Martha Keller. The lovers played together in the film “Life on Borrow.” Their relationship did not last long, but after the breakup the couple managed to maintain a friendly relationship.
In 1989, Pacino was in a relationship with acting teacher Jen Tarrant. She bore him a daughter, Julia Maria. Despite this, Al had no intention of legitimizing the relationship. Already in 1996, he met a new passion. This time the man began dating actress Beverly D'Angelo. She gave birth to twins - Anton James and Olivia Rose. This romance was the longest in Pacino's life, but in 2003 he and Beverly broke up.
Despite his advanced age, Al continues to be popular with women. In 2011, it became known about his affair with Lucy Sola, who is only 38 years old. Photos from their vacation together regularly appeared in the press, but there was no talk of a wedding. The lovers often separated and got back together; the fate of their relationship is currently unknown.
