Al Pacino Biography

Al Pacino was born in 1940 in New York City. Long before he became famous for his role as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Pacino spent his formative years on the tough New York streets of the Bronx. His teenage years were tumultuous, and young Al did not excel in school, except for his English classes. Eventually, he left school before graduating, although by then he’d already developed a love of the stage and so he joined the Herbert Berghof Studio to learn the art of acting.

In 1967, Pacino relocated to Boston to perform onstage for a season with the Charles Playhouse, and for the next few years he spent his time on stage in Boston and New York, eventually making his Broadway debut in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? in 1969, earning him a Tony Award. That same year, Al Pacino made his screen debut in the independent film Me, Natalie, alongside Patty Duke. His performers garnered him his first contract with a major agency, but his biggest breakthrough was just around the corner.

Pacino’s film and stage performances brought him to the attention of Francis Ford Coppola in 1971. Coppola cast him in the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather, despite the studio protests at hiring a nearly unknown actor in such a crucial role. Of course, the pivotal role won him an Academy Award nomination and launched a career that has since lasted well into the new millennium. Al Pacino has starred in dozens of films, nearly all of the critically acclaimed and for which is performances are nearly all lauded, including: Scarecrow (1973), Serpico (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Author! Author! (1982), Scarface (1983), Dick Tracy (1990), Frankie and Johnny (1991), Carlito’s Way (1993), Donnie Brasco (1997), Any Given Sunday (1999), Insomnia (2002), Angels in America (2003), You Don’t Know Jack (2010), Phil Spector (2013), Mangelhorn (2014), The Humbling (2014), Danny Collins (2015), and Misconduct (2016.)

 Of course, Al Pacino is still best known for his role in the Godfather trilogy, and for his role in Scent of a Woman (1992), which earned him both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actor. In addition to his work in film, Al Pacino has continued his career on stage, in pivotal Broadway roles such as The Merchant of Venice (2010) and Glengarry Glen Ross (2012.) Between 2015 and 2016, he starred on Broadway in China Doll, which was crafted specifically by David Mamet with the intention of having Pacino play the lead role. Pacino of course does continue to also appear in films; his latest film role was in the film Hangman (2017.)