Al Pacino biography
Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an Academy Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Golden Globe Award, Emmy Award, & Screen Actors Guild Award Award-Winning United States film theatre actor and Film director, widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of all time.
He is well known for his roles as Michael Corleone in the
The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in
Scarface (1983 film), Carlito Brigante in the 1993 film Carlito's Way, Frank Serpico in
Serpico, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in
Scent of a Woman, and Roy Cohn in
Angels in America. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992 for his role in
Scent of a Woman after being nominated 7 times beforehand for various roles.
Early life & education
Pacino was born in East Harlem, Manhattan, the son of Italian American parents Rose (married and maiden names Gerardi) and Salvatore Alfred Pacino, who divorced when he was two years old. His mother subsequently moved to the South Bronx, to live with her parents, Kate and James Gerardi, who originated from Corleone, Sicily.Al Pacino lost his best friend omar meho when he was very young and he says that is what inspired him to be an actor. His father moved to Covina, California, California, working as an insurance salesman and owner of his own restaurant called
Pacino's Lounge, which closed down in 1992. Pacino attended a school officially named
High School of Performing Arts in New York City, the main school of which was attended by fellow Godfather II actor Robert De Niro.
Career
1960s
In 1966, he studied under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg (alongside whom he would later feature as character Hyman Roth in the 1974 film
The Godfather Part II). Pacino earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role as a Cuban drug dealer. Years later, he told interviewer Barbara Walters that Tony Montana represented the best work of his career.
In 1985, Pacino worked on his most personal project,
The Local Stigmatic, a 1969 Off Broadway play by the English writer Heathcote Williams. He starred in the play, remounting it with director David Wheeler and the Theater Company of Boston in a 50-minute film version. It was later released as part of the
Pacino: An Actor's Vision box set in 2007. Pacino returned to film in 1989's
Sea of Love (film).
Rising director Christopher Nolan worked with Pacino for
Insomnia (2002 film), a remake of the Insomnia (1997 film). The film and Pacino's performance were critically lauded and the film did moderately well at the box office. Pacino next starred as lawyer Roy Cohn in the 2003 HBO miniseries of Tony Kushner's play
Angels in America. On November 22, 2006, the University Philosophical Society of Trinity College, Dublin awarded Pacino the Honorary Patronage of the Society.
With his box office earnings relatively modest of late, Pacino looks to be gearing up with several new projects. He starred in Steven Soderbergh’s
Ocean's Thirteen alongside George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Andy Garcia as the villain Willy Bank, a casino tycoon who is targeted out of revenge by Danny Ocean and his crew. The film received generally favorable reviews.
On June 19, 2007, a boxset titled Pacino: An Actor's Vision was released, containing 3 rare Al Pacino films:
The Local Stigmatic (Disc 1),
Looking For Richard (Disc 2) and
Chinese Coffee (Disc 3), and also a documentary,
Babbleonia (Disc 4). Each piece (Except for Disc 4) also has a Prologue & Epilogue by Al Pacino.
88 Minutes was released on April 18, 2008 in the United States, having already been released in various other countries in 2007. The film was critically panned, although critics found the fault to be in the plot instead of Pacino's acting. In
Righteous Kill, Pacino's next scheduled film, Pacino and Robert De Niro co-star as New York detectives searching for a serial killer. Rapper 50 Cent also stars in it as well as professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek. The film was released to theaters on September 12, 2008. Two promotional trailers have been released so far, as of March 2008. In
Rififi (2007 film), a remake of the 1955 French Rififi based on the novel by Auguste Le Breton, Pacino plays a career thief just out of prison who finds his wife has left him; in his anger, he starts planning a heist. Also Pacino is set to play surrealist Salvador Dalí in the film
Dali & I: The Surreal Story,. Pacino also won several awards during this time including one for being named the greatest actor of all time in Channel 4's poll of the greatest actors.
Personal life
On January 7 1961, Pacino and two others were seen by police circling in their vehicle in a suspicious manner, and wearing black masks and gloves. When police pulled them over, Pacino was found to be carrying a concealed weapon and was arrested. Pacino, who was 21 years old and living in New York City, stayed in the Rhode Island ACI for three days before being released when it was found that the weapons were, in fact, Theatrical property from a movie set.
While Pacino has never married, he has three children. The first, Julie Marie, (b. 1989) is his daughter with acting coach Jan Tarrant. He also has twins, Anton James and Olivia Rose (b. January 25, 2001), with ex-girlfriend Beverly D'Angelo, whom he dated from 1997 until 2001.
Al Pacino in the news
Ricky Gervais admits he misses Extras - BBC News
New Zealand HeraldRicky Gervais admits he misses ExtrasBBC News, UK - 22 hours agoHe added there were a few famous names he wanted to approach for the new show, including Hollywood actor Al Pacino. "I've got my sights set on a few people. ...Gervais penning 'Extras' special Times of the InternetRICKY GERVAIS - GERVAIS PLANS EXTRAS SPECIAL Contactmusic.comGervais reveals new Extras draft InTheNews.co.ukall 17 news articles
read moreRaging bores - The National
Raging boresThe National, United Arab Emirates - 16 hours agoRobert De Niro and Al Pacino play New York City detectives on the trail of a serial killer in Jon Avnet's Righteous Kill. Courtesy Rex Features Film fans ...
read moreA tension-free 'American Buffalo' arrives on B&...
VarietyA tension-free 'American Buffalo' arrives on B'waySan Francisco Chronicle, USA - Nov 17, 2008Al Pacino followed — off-Broadway and on — in the early 1980s. More recently, William H. Macy portrayed Teach off-Broadway in 2000. ...'American Buffalo': It's the show celebs swear by New York Daily NewsTHEATER REVIEW | 'AMERICAN BUFFALO' New York TimesA snappy Mamet revival Philadelphia InquirerNewsday - Playbill.comall 77 news articles
read moreClinton, De Niro and Al Pacino asked to come to Konya - Sabah
SabahClinton, De Niro and Al Pacino asked to come to KonyaSabah, Turkey - Nov 18, 2008... Chelsea's French striker Nicolas Anelka, famous actors Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Andy Garcia, Mel Gibson, and famous German designer Karl Lagerfeld, ...
read moreNicole Kidman to retire from acting? Good! And five other actors .....
Nicole Kidman to retire from acting? Good! And five other actors ...National Post, Canada - Nov 18, 2008Al Pacino. Righteous Kill was probably the worst movie of the year. In it, Pacino re-teamed with his 88 Minutes director and thus made the year's worst ...
read moreRighteous Kill - BalkanInsight.com
Righteous KillBalkanInsight.com, Serbia - Nov 19, 200819 November 2008 Can you put Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the same film and make it bad? By Andrej Klemencic If you say no, then please ask director Jon ...
read moreLeguizamo back on Broadway with `American Buffalo" - The A...
The Associated PressLeguizamo back on Broadway with `American Buffalo"The Associated Press - Nov 7, 2008... after appearing with his one-man show "Sexaholix," John Leguizamo is back on Broadway — this time in the role he watched Al Pacino perform in the '80s. ...
read moreWill winning 'Sexiest Man Alive' lose 'Aust...
RediffWill winning 'Sexiest Man Alive' lose 'Australia' hunk Hugh ...Los Angeles Times, CA - 11 hours agoAl Pacino was 52 when nomination No. 7 for "Scent of a Woman" in 1992 turned out to be the lucky one. And still-handsome Paul Newman was 62 when he also won ...Hugh Jackman titled ‘ Sexiest Man Alive’ Thaindian.comall 582 news articles
read moreBest Movies About Sports Gambling - Doc's Sports Service
Best Movies About Sports GamblingDoc's Sports Service, NV - Nov 17, 2008DJ Caruso directed this star-studded cast that featured Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Jeremy Piven and Rene Russo. McConaughey plays Brandon Lang, ...
read moreFITNESS Q&A: Holiday eating and exercising - Lancaster News...
FITNESS Q&A: Holiday eating and exercisingLancaster Newspapers (registration), PA - Nov 18, 2008By LINDA BUCH, Correspondent "Nothing exceeds like excess," observed Al Pacino's character, in the movie "Scarface." When it comes to healthy eating, ...
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