My Role Model- Al Pacino
 |
| Al Pacino on the way to receive oscar |
Lawrence Grobel's intensely personal conversations with Al Pacino
reveals insights into the life of one of the most accomplished and private
artists in the world. He was pivotal character in The Godfather trilogy and the
cult classic Scarface. Pacino has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and
won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in “Scent of a Woman”. Raised by his
grandparents and mother, Pacino grew up sharing a small apartment in the Bronx
with nine people. Having made it to The Herbert Bergh of Studio, and acting
school, he forged an enduring friendship with his mentor, renowned acting coach
Charlie Laughton. It was Laughton who first recognized Pacino's potential, and
prophetically informed the nineteen-year-old youth, 'You're going to be a
star...'
Known for his forceful dramatic presentation, Al Pacino is most closely
associated with the roles of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972) trilogy, as well
as Tony Montana of the legendary gangster film Scarface (1983). But it was his
performance as Frank Slade, a blind, retired Lt. Colonel, in Scent of a Woman (1992) that won him
the Academy award for Best Actor
in 1993. This came after seven previous Oscar nominations, including a
supporting actor nomination in the same year for Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). Before becoming a professional
actor he held a number of jobs including a messenger, shoe salesman,
supermarket checker, shoe shiner, furniture mover, office boy, fresh-fruit
polisher, and a newsboy.
One of the greatest actors in all of film history, Al Pacino established
himself during one of film's greatest decades, the 1970s, and has become an
enduring and iconic figure in the world of American movies. Born on April 25,
1940, in the Bronx, New York, Pacino's parents (Salvatore and Rose) divorced
when he was young. His mother moved them into his grandparents' house. Pacino
found himself often repeating the plots and voices of characters he had seen in
the movies, one of his favourite activities. Bored and unmotivated in school,
the young Al Pacino found a haven in school plays, and his interest soon
blossomed into a full-time career. Starting on the stage, he went through a
lengthy period of depression and poverty, sometimes having to borrow bus fare to
make it to auditions. He made it into the prestigious Actors Studio in 1966,
studying under legendary acting coach Lee
Strasberg, creator of the Method Approach that would become the
trademark of many '70s-era actors. After appearing in a string of plays in
supporting roles, he finally hit it big with "The Indian Wants the
Bronx", winning an Obie award for
the 1966-67 season. That was followed by a Tony award for "Does the Tiger Wear a
Necktie?".
He was rejected repeatedly by studio heads while auditioning for the
role of Michael in The Godfather (1972) but Francis Ford Coppola fought for him. This film was shot briskly
because both the director and the leading actor were in constant fear of being
fired. Ironically, it turned out to be a breakthrough for both. In a
"Playboy" magazine interview, he claimed that he was fired from his
job as a movie theatre usher while walking down the staircase and admiring
himself in the mirrored wall.
He and Jamie Fox are
two out of the only three actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for both
Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the same year. Pacino was nominated in
1993 for Scent of a Woman (1992)
and Glengarry Glen Gloss (1992),
and Foxx was nominated in 2005 for Ray (2004/I)
and Collateral (2004). Both men won the Best Actor
award, and they both played blind men in their roles: Pacino as Frank Slade and
Foxx as Ray Charles.
