Al Pacino didn’t watch The Godfather until 50 years after its release (Photo Credit – Facebook/Netflix)
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It’s been over 50 years since the legendary masterpiece, The Godfather, was first released. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the classic crime film starred Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, the son of a mafia boss who took over the family business. The role earned Pacino global recognition and established him as a household name in the industry.
The Godfather is considered the best movie ever, earning Pacino an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. While Pacino starred in all three installments of The Godfather, surprisingly, he waited 50 years to watch the masterpiece.
Al Pacino Did Not Watch The Godfather For 50 Years
In Al Pacino’s new memoir, Sonny Boy, the actor revealed how he avoided watching The Godfather for a long time. In the book, he shared that he went to the movie’s premiere but left the theater before the movie began playing.
He said, “I went to The Godfather premiere at the Loew’s State Theatre in Times Square wearing a bow tie the size of my head. I only remember standing on a platform with my costars, being asked questions by the press that I couldn’t answer. Then we got in our seats, but I didn’t watch the movie. I didn’t want to see the finished product. As soon as the lights went out, I went out.”
He continued explaining his feelings about not wanting to watch himself on screen with an audience. Pacino admitted that he cannot see himself on screen when others are watching him, which is a “bit disconcerting” and makes him shy and almost embarrassed.
Did Al Pacino Ever Watch The Godfather?
In his book, Pacino revealed that he saw a few scenes of the movie on television but generally felt he couldn’t truly enjoy it because of his involvement. Reflecting on this, he admitted that he spent his whole life without watching the movie and exclaimed, “I don’t know why.” He said it was probably because he felt he wasn’t a good audience.
Fortunately, Pacino had a chance to watch The Godfather in theaters on its fiftieth anniversary and shared his experience. He wrote, “I recently watched The Godfather at a screening for its fiftieth anniversary at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where a restored print was beautifully projected, with crisp, perfect sound. The whole experience was uplifting. There’s no scene in the film where there aren’t two or three things going on. There’s no dull moment; it’s constantly telling a story. There was so much I was struck by.”
In addition to his iconic role, Pacino almost got fired a week before the movie was filmed because Coppola was not convinced by his performance.
