See Al Pacino Godfather Audition Tape Released By Director
Al Pacino’s audition for The Godfather is the stuff of Hollywood legend. It turned out to be one of the most iconic casting decisions in film history. A recently released clip of the actor reading for the role of Michael Corleone gives fans some insight into what went on behind the scenes of the iconic 1972 gangster film.
Al Pacino was not the first choice to play Michael Corleone in The Godfather…Paramount executives wanted a popular actor for the role, with Warren Beatty or Robert Redford mentioned as options.
In the 50-second clip, Al Pacino discusses a scene in The Godfather with director Francis Ford Coppola. The filmmaker explains that Michael Corleone’s tone when discussing his father with another individual should be light with serious undertones. Pacino then proceeds with the line, “My father told him that either his signature or his brains would be on the contract.”
Interestingly, Al Pacino was not the first choice to play Michael Corleone in The Godfather. Studio executives initially doubted Pacino’s ability to play an important role in a major film, as he was relatively unknown at the time. Paramount executives wanted a popular actor for the role, with Warren Beatty or Robert Redford mentioned as options.
Other actors who auditioned for the role of Michael Corleone include Dustin Hoffman, Martin Sheen, Dean Stockwell, and James Caan.
But Francis Ford Coppola favored Al Pacino. The filmmaker said he could easily see Pacino as an Italian-American with a Sicilian background. Paramount then stated that Al Pacino was too short and scruffy to play Michael Corleone in The Godfather. Coppola decided to refine Pacino’s appearance to better fit the character.
His wife, Ellie, gave Al Pacino a haircut and dressed him in a more “collegiate” style for The Godfather. However, this change was met with more criticism from the studio, who argued that Pacino had lost some of his natural appeal. For the second haircut, Coppola took Pacino to a local barber. Meanwhile, other actors who auditioned were Dustin Hoffman, Martin Sheen, Dean Stockwell, and James Caan.
The Godfather premiered on March 14, 1972 and is often cited as one of the greatest films ever made.
Diane Keaton read scenes with both Caan and Sheen. Burt Reynolds was offered the role, but Marlon Brando threatened to quit if Reynolds was cast, so Reynolds declined. Jack Nicholson also declined, believing an Italian-American should play Michael Corleone. James Caan was eventually cast as Michael Corleone, and Carmine Caridi as Sonny.
However, Coppola continued to push for Al Pacino to portray Michael Corleone in The Godfather. The cast was shuffled and reshuffled, and although Pacino was initially committed to another film, The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight, he landed the role and signed a deal with Paramount three weeks before filming started.
The Godfather premiered on March 14, 1972 and is often cited as one of the greatest films ever made. Dubbed as a defining work of American cinema, the film was hailed for its visual style, which included darkly lit interiors and stunning exterior shots of New York City. This use of shadow and light is particularly notable in creating a powerful and immersive cinematic experience.
Based on the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, The Godfather follows the transformation of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), the youngest son of the powerful and dangerous Italian-American mafia family led by Vito Corleone, from a reluctant outsider to a ruthless mafia boss.
