Al Pacino Was Almost Fired Two Weeks Into Filming The Godfather
Before I actually saw "The Godfather," all of my knowledge of this classic film came from other movies and television shows. "You've Got Mail" taught me that the Godfather is the sum of all wisdom, and "Gilmore Girls" informed me to always "leave the gun" and "take the cannoli." That is the magic of director Francis Ford Coppola's tragic trilogy about a young son who, despite all of his attempts to avoid getting mixed up in the mob life of his father, ends up becoming one of the most powerful dons — maybe even the most powerful don — in the Mafia.
"The Godfather" is so influential in film history that it is impossible to avoid it, even if you have never seen the feature. It is an impeccable story based on Mario Puzo's book of the same name, and the movie's performances are iconic and oh-so-memorable. Al Pacino is forever synonymous with his character, Michael Corleone — the former marine and youngest son who eventually ends up taking over his father's place in the mob. Pacino was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "The Godfather," as well as a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (which he won), but fans of the film might be surprised to find out that his part in the film almost didn't happen. In fact, Pacino was almost fired after only a couple of weeks on set.
More of a Fredo than a main character?
In a 2019 interview with GQ, Al Pacino revealed that he was not favored for the role of Michael Corleone. "Once Francis [Coppola] wanted me in the film, nobody else did," he recalled. "Paramount didn't want me. So that was a very difficult time." He explained that Coppola "always took an interest in [him]," but Pacino had to jump through a series of hoops to eventually convince everyone else he was right for the part.
He told GQ, "[Paramount] accepted [me] because Jerry Schatzberg, my great friend and director, gave them eight minutes from 'The Panic in Needle Park,' and when they saw the footage, they hired me." However, even though they were convinced by Pacino's other work, they still had their doubts once filming began. "Then when I got on the [set,] they were going to fire me," Pacino explained. Filming had only been going on for two weeks, but Pacino said that "they didn't care for what they were seeing."
Pacino, however, had very specific reasons for choosing to portray Micheal Corleone the way that he did.
A man on his way to becoming a monster
Michael Corleone is iconic. He is a merciless mob boss whose biggest tragedy is that he never wanted or asked for the life he eventually ends up being forced to live. The layers of the character are vast and complex, and to portray him successfully, Al Pacino had to tap into the heart of Michael's personal story. To do this, he chose to look at Michael as an ever-evolving man. He told GQ, "I had given a lot of thought to this part because you had to. It's a certain kind of role. I thought the power of the role was in the transition from this kid you don't quite know who he is, where he's going. And then before you know it, he becomes this leader without tracking it."
But when he set out to portray his vision of Michael on-screen, Paramount was unhappy with what they were seeing. This ultimately led to Francis Ford Coppola asking Pacino to review the footage that had been shot. What Pacino saw, however, didn't sway him from his vision of Michael. "I watched the footage, which I didn't think was good or great or anything, but it wasn't really bad," he said.
Thankfully, Pacino wasn't fired from the role, and he was able to portray Michael in a way that both terrifies and evokes sympathy from the audience to this day. "I liked that I would help create a kind of enigmatic person," he told GQ. Today, Michael Corleone is perhaps one of the most complex and nuanced characters ever committed to film, and all of those who had their doubts about whether Pacino was right for the role, most likely have conceded that he was the made man they were looking for.