Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino

Vineet Sharma

I hope the perception is that I`m an actor, I never intended to be a movie star. -Al Pacino It won’t be hyperbole if one was to say that Al Pacino is probably the personification of an actor who embarks humanity on their journey to the greater heavens- an actor who proved his mettle in the golden era of 70’s, when the subtle art of delivering heart wrenching performances was at its best. Sonny, as he is fondly called, carved a niche in the hearts and minds of film aficionados the world over.Never the one to hog the limelight, he fits William Wordsworth’s saying, “The flower that smells the sweetest is shy and lowly.” A New Yorker, born on 25th of April 1940, he picked up acting at an early age as he repeated the performances of characters he saw in the movies while living in his grandparents’ home.

He saw poverty from close quarters and perhaps that helped him induce an element of realism in his performances. The fact that he has movies like Godfather, Scarface, The Devil’s Advocate, Ocean’s Thirteen, Donnie Brasco and Sea of Love to his name, brings forth the fact that he is an artiste par excellence.

He donned the role of real life bank robber Sonny in the 1975 movie Dog Day Afternoon with such natural ease that it made one wonder if he had actually tried to pull off a similar feat in real life! He brought out the angst and ennui of a hard worked and underpaid commoner in a way that nobody else could. There is no doubt that an individual can easily find traces of their own life in his roles.
He donned the role of a director with his 1996 movie ‘Looking for Richard’ and even the critics had to laud him for his brilliance in portraying cinema in a new light. He went on to direct another cinematic gem in the movie ‘Chinese Coffee’, a film that conglomerates the life of two unsuccessful writers who spend a cathartic evening arguing about money, aesthetics, their friendship, and a new manuscript.

He has been nominated for Oscar Award for a whopping eight times and won it in 1993 for his role in Scent of a Woman. His versatility as an actor can be judged from the fact that he won the American Comedy Award for his performance in Dick Tracy, a rare feat for an actor who primarily did serious roles.
His method approach towards acting has inspired a plethora of new artists who have tried to incorporate his style in their roles.
An avid follower of Al Pacino’s works would quote Mark Twain in describing him and say, “Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you”.Trivia October 1997: Ranked #4 in Empire (UK) magazine`s "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.
January 1961: Was arrested, charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
Son of Sal Pacino (insurance agent) and Rose Pacino (she died when Al was 22). He has a daughter, named Julie Marie (b. 1989), with acting teacher Jan Tarrant.
Dropped out of school at the age of 17. Turned down the role of Ted Kramer in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). Turned down Born on the Fourth of July (1989).
Turned down Apocalypse Now (1979). Turned down the role of Han Solo in Star Wars (1977). Turned down Pretty Woman (1990).
Turned down Crimson Tide (1995). Originally asked for USD 7 million for The Godfather: Part III (1990), a figure that so enraged director Francis Ford Coppola that he threatened to write a new script that opened with Michael Corleone`s funeral. Pacino settled for USD 5 million.
Father of twins Anton and Olivia (b. 25 January 2001), with Beverly D`Angelo.
His grandparents originate from Corleone, Sicily. Was frequently referred to as "that midget Pacino" by producers of The Godfather (1972) who didn`t want him for the part of Michael Corleone.
Francis Ford Coppola asked Pacino to play Captain Willard in his film Apocalypse Now (1979). Pacino politely turned down the offer, saying he`d "do anything" for Francis but he "woudn`t go to war with him!" 1994: Stopped a two-pack-a-day smoking habit to protect his voice. In the mid-1980s he had been smoking four packs of cigarettes a day. He now only occasionally smokes herbal cigarettes.
Al was so much into character (playing a plain-clothes NYC cop) while filming Serpico (1973) he actually pulled over and threatened to arrest a truck driver for exhaust pollution.
Is an avid fan of opera.
Once worked as an usher at Carnegie Hall. Larry King considers Pacino`s appearance on his show "Larry King Live" (1985) in November 1996 as one of his personal all-time favorite interviews.
2002: His salary was around USD 10 million a picture. One of the few Hollywood stars who has never married.