Al Pacino reveals how close he came to being fired from ‘The Godfather’

Al Pacino earned an Oscar nomination for his iconic turn as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, but his path through the production was anything but smooth. From day one, he faced fierce resistance from Paramount, which doubted he was the right choice. Director Francis Ford Coppola and star Marlon Brando had to step in to keep him from being shown the door.

“Paramount didn’t want me to play Michael Corleone,” Pacino recalled in an interview cited by The Guardian. The studio pushed for Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, or Ryan O’Neal.

Mario Puzo’s novel described Michael as “the family weakling” — small, dark‑haired, handsome in a gentle way, and not outwardly threatening. “Those weren’t the guys the studio wanted,” Pacino said. “But that didn’t mean it had to be me.”

Coppola fought for Pacino

According to Pacino, Coppola was the one who truly believed in him. “Francis wanted me, and I knew it. There’s nothing better than a director who wants you. Plus, he gave me a gift in the form of Diane Keaton.”

Still, just a week into filming, Paramount was again questioning whether Pacino was the right fit. “We’d been shooting The Godfather for about a week and a half when Francis told me, ‘Well, you’re not cutting it,’” Pacino remembered. “It felt like a punch to the gut. I realized my job was hanging by a thread.”

Pacino doesn’t know whether Coppola did it intentionally, but the director decided to film the now‑legendary Italian restaurant scene — the moment Michael transforms from reluctant outsider to ruthless heir. That scene changed everything.

The scene that saved his career

“Francis showed the studio the restaurant scene, and when they saw it, something clicked,” Pacino said. “Because of that scene I’d just shot, they kept me in the movie. They didn’t fire me.”

The rest, of course, is Hollywood history.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.