WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.259 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. We are here to 00:00:02.259 --> 00:00:05.080 take the stack of articles, research, and biographies 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:08.039 you've sent us and transform that firehose of 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:11.179 information into the essential, distilled insight 00:00:11.179 --> 00:00:14.439 you need. And today, we are strapping in for 00:00:14.439 --> 00:00:17.480 a deep examination of an actor whose name is 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:20.660 not just famous, it's practically synonymous 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:23.649 with this coiled, volatile intensity. Alfredo 00:00:23.649 --> 00:00:26.210 James Pacino. That's the one. And that intensity 00:00:26.210 --> 00:00:29.149 is really the key. We have a mountain of sources 00:00:29.149 --> 00:00:32.390 detailing a monumental career spanning over five 00:00:32.390 --> 00:00:36.049 decades, officially starting around 1967 and, 00:00:36.210 --> 00:00:38.409 well, running right up to today. So our mission 00:00:38.409 --> 00:00:40.950 isn't just to, you know, list his movies. No, 00:00:40.990 --> 00:00:43.049 not at all. We want to analyze the relationship 00:00:43.049 --> 00:00:45.530 between his really difficult origins, his unique 00:00:45.530 --> 00:00:48.670 training, and the... the seismic turning points 00:00:48.670 --> 00:00:51.350 that forged his cultural status. We want to understand 00:00:51.350 --> 00:00:53.469 the why behind the Pacino we all see on screen. 00:00:53.710 --> 00:00:55.350 And when we talk status, we're talking about 00:00:55.350 --> 00:00:57.890 an echelon that very few artists ever reach, 00:00:57.990 --> 00:00:59.829 just to set the scale right out of the gate. 00:00:59.969 --> 00:01:01.729 That's important. Pacino is one of those rare 00:01:01.729 --> 00:01:03.469 artists to achieve what they call the triple 00:01:03.469 --> 00:01:06.209 crown of acting. That means he has won an Academy 00:01:06.209 --> 00:01:09.329 Award, two Tony Awards for the stage, and two 00:01:09.329 --> 00:01:12.209 Primetime Emmy Awards for television. It's an 00:01:12.209 --> 00:01:14.849 achievement that bridges the world of, let's 00:01:14.849 --> 00:01:18.590 say, prestigious stage work. with just massive 00:01:18.590 --> 00:01:21.250 blockbuster commercial success. It's incredibly 00:01:21.250 --> 00:01:24.870 rare. And that commercial success is, it's quantifiable 00:01:24.870 --> 00:01:27.750 too. His films have collectively grossed well 00:01:27.750 --> 00:01:30.709 over $3 billion worldwide. He's a proven box 00:01:30.709 --> 00:01:33.390 office draw, but at the same time, he's a dedicated, 00:01:33.629 --> 00:01:36.659 serious artist. And the tension between those 00:01:36.659 --> 00:01:39.159 two identities, the blockbuster star and the 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:42.700 dedicated, often struggling stage actor, that's 00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:44.180 what we really need to unpack. So where do we 00:01:44.180 --> 00:01:46.120 start? We have to start right at the genesis 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:48.739 of that tension, long before Hollywood ever came 00:01:48.739 --> 00:01:50.760 calling. Okay, let's begin at the very start, 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:53.700 tracing the origins of that intense... Almost 00:01:53.700 --> 00:01:56.439 hungry ambition. Pacino was born in East Harlem, 00:01:56.599 --> 00:02:00.319 April 25, 1940. The only child of Sicilian -Italian 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:02.459 -American parents, Rose and Salvatore Pacino. 00:02:02.579 --> 00:02:04.560 And there's this piece of trivia that feels like 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:06.859 it was written for a film script. His father 00:02:06.859 --> 00:02:08.919 emigrated from San Fratello and his maternal 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:11.539 grandparents. They immigrated from the town of 00:02:11.539 --> 00:02:13.860 Corleone. It's the kind of detail that just gives 00:02:13.860 --> 00:02:16.379 you pause, doesn't it? A natural piece of foreshadowing, 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:19.000 you could say. But the reality of his childhood 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:23.620 was... A world away from the lavish, if brutal, 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:27.419 grandeur of the Corleone compound. Very different. 00:02:27.479 --> 00:02:29.580 His parents divorced when he was only two years 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:32.919 old. Just two. And his mother moved them to the 00:02:32.919 --> 00:02:35.400 South Bronx to live with her parents. So his 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:38.039 early environment was marked by, well, instability 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:40.599 and a lot of grit. He was known as Sonny among 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:42.479 his friends, but he also had another nickname. 00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:46.270 The actor. Exactly. He initially dreamed of being 00:02:46.270 --> 00:02:48.370 a baseball player, yet that performance instinct 00:02:48.370 --> 00:02:51.650 was already there. It was already active. Academically, 00:02:51.770 --> 00:02:55.449 though, he was floundering. Completely. Our sources 00:02:55.449 --> 00:02:57.789 note he was considered a troublemaker at Herman 00:02:57.789 --> 00:02:59.969 Ritter Junior High. He's essentially dropped 00:02:59.969 --> 00:03:02.490 out of most of his classes. Except for one. Except 00:03:02.490 --> 00:03:04.770 for English. And that retention for English is 00:03:04.770 --> 00:03:06.669 a really strong signal, right? Yeah. An innate 00:03:06.669 --> 00:03:08.750 connection to narrative, to rhythm, to language, 00:03:08.889 --> 00:03:11.330 which is all essential for the theater. But pursuing 00:03:11.330 --> 00:03:13.610 that natural talent meant a huge upheaval in 00:03:13.610 --> 00:03:16.150 his life. He successfully gained admission to 00:03:16.150 --> 00:03:17.930 the prestigious High School of Performing Arts 00:03:17.930 --> 00:03:21.370 by audition. Which unfortunately put him directly 00:03:21.370 --> 00:03:24.210 at odds with his mother's wishes. She was completely 00:03:24.210 --> 00:03:26.449 against it. And the disagreement was so severe 00:03:26.449 --> 00:03:29.909 that he chose his path over his home. He left 00:03:29.909 --> 00:03:33.210 at a very young age. That choice meant embracing 00:03:33.210 --> 00:03:36.110 extreme poverty. This wasn't a choice made from 00:03:36.110 --> 00:03:38.590 a place of privilege. It was a sacrifice that 00:03:38.590 --> 00:03:41.330 put him right into survival mode. So to finance 00:03:41.330 --> 00:03:43.830 even the most basic acting studies, he took on 00:03:43.830 --> 00:03:46.469 this relentless series of low -paying jobs. Just 00:03:46.469 --> 00:03:49.650 an endless list. Messenger, buzzboy, janitor, 00:03:49.750 --> 00:03:52.250 postal clerk. He was even a mailroom worker for 00:03:52.250 --> 00:03:54.469 Commentary magazine for a bit. He was trying 00:03:54.469 --> 00:03:56.310 to live this creative life while working the 00:03:56.310 --> 00:03:59.300 most tedious, exhausting jobs imaginable. And 00:03:59.300 --> 00:04:01.419 that struggle, it coincided with a terrible period 00:04:01.419 --> 00:04:03.860 of exposure to substance abuse and profound loss. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.280 The sources are very clear on this. He started 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:08.860 smoking and drinking at the age of nine. Nine. 00:04:08.979 --> 00:04:11.939 That's hard to even process. And was using marijuana 00:04:11.939 --> 00:04:15.780 by 13. Now, he always maintained he abstained 00:04:15.780 --> 00:04:18.019 from hard drugs, but the tragedy surrounding 00:04:18.019 --> 00:04:21.259 him was just immense. Two of his closest friends 00:04:21.259 --> 00:04:23.740 died from drug abuse during this period. At what 00:04:23.740 --> 00:04:26.480 ages? One was only 19. The other was 30. That 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:29.879 level of early life trauma, witnessing your friends 00:04:29.879 --> 00:04:32.620 essentially just vanish, it must have left an 00:04:32.620 --> 00:04:34.819 indelible mark on him. Without a doubt. And what 00:04:34.819 --> 00:04:37.060 really stands out to me is the sheer precarity 00:04:37.060 --> 00:04:39.500 of his life then. Our sources mention he was 00:04:39.500 --> 00:04:42.939 often unemployed or functionally homeless. Yeah, 00:04:42.980 --> 00:04:45.800 sometimes sleeping on the street or finding makeshift 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:48.639 shelter in theaters. This was his reality. Not 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:51.920 some dramatic choice, but a daily battle just 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:54.790 for survival. It makes his eventual success in 00:04:54.790 --> 00:04:56.709 formal training even more of a testament to his 00:04:56.709 --> 00:04:59.689 sheer will. It really does. He first tried out 00:04:59.689 --> 00:05:02.149 for the renowned actor's studio and was rejected. 00:05:02.350 --> 00:05:05.149 Right, an initial rejection from the very institution 00:05:05.149 --> 00:05:07.569 that would eventually define his entire career. 00:05:07.850 --> 00:05:10.689 That's a powerful moment of humbling. But instead 00:05:10.689 --> 00:05:13.370 of quitting, he pivoted. He joined the HB studio. 00:05:13.990 --> 00:05:16.250 And there, he met a man named Charlie Lawton. 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:18.779 Who became not just his acting coach, but his 00:05:18.779 --> 00:05:21.759 mentor and closest friend. Exactly. He poured 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.199 four years into that training at HP, just absorbing 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:26.600 the craft, before he went back and successfully 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:28.839 auditioned for the actor's studio again. And 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.639 this time, he was accepted. This acceptance put 00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:34.000 him under the tutelage of the legendary Lee Strasberg, 00:05:34.220 --> 00:05:37.709 a defining figure in American theater. And we 00:05:37.709 --> 00:05:39.589 should probably pause here for a second and define 00:05:39.589 --> 00:05:42.529 the method. Yes, because it's so often misunderstood. 00:05:42.629 --> 00:05:45.529 It's not just intense acting. No, not at all. 00:05:46.110 --> 00:05:47.970 Strasberg's technique was rooted in something 00:05:47.970 --> 00:05:51.329 called emotional recall. It's training the actor 00:05:51.329 --> 00:05:55.139 to use their own deep... often traumatic memories 00:05:55.139 --> 00:05:58.480 and sense memories, to authentically fuel the 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:00.660 character's emotion. So if we connect that definition 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:02.500 back to the trauma we just talked about, the 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:04.759 abandonment, the poverty, the deaths of his friends, 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:07.399 it means Pacino wasn't just performing intensity. 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:10.439 He was drawing on a deep well of lived pain. 00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:13.579 His art became inextricably linked to his own 00:06:13.579 --> 00:06:15.959 suffering. That's the genesis. That's where the 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:18.600 intensity we all recognize comes from. Precisely. 00:06:18.970 --> 00:06:21.930 Pacino himself credited Strasberg and the studio 00:06:21.930 --> 00:06:25.149 with saving his career, allowing him to finally 00:06:25.149 --> 00:06:28.029 quit those soul -crushing, low -paying jobs. 00:06:28.170 --> 00:06:30.970 And the connection was so strong that Strasberg, 00:06:31.089 --> 00:06:33.529 years later, would appear as Hyman Roth in The 00:06:33.529 --> 00:06:35.430 Godfather Part II. The Jewish mob accountant. 00:06:35.670 --> 00:06:38.629 And justice for all, acting right opposite his 00:06:38.629 --> 00:06:41.050 former student. A powerful, full -circle moment. 00:06:41.230 --> 00:06:43.850 But even as his professional path was clarifying, 00:06:44.089 --> 00:06:47.740 the personal tragedy just... It kept coming. 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:49.779 He suffered what he called the lowest point of 00:06:49.779 --> 00:06:52.319 his life when his mother died in 1962. She was 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:54.800 only 43. And then the following year, his maternal 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:57.939 grandfather died as well. He was only 22. Losing 00:06:57.939 --> 00:06:59.920 the two most influential figures in his life 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:02.540 at that pivotal moment, just as he was dedicating 00:07:02.540 --> 00:07:04.819 himself fully to his craft, it must have been 00:07:04.819 --> 00:07:06.980 devastating. But for a method actor, that level 00:07:06.980 --> 00:07:10.579 of profound internalized grief, it becomes the 00:07:10.579 --> 00:07:13.180 ultimate resource. It's fuel. The coiled energy 00:07:13.180 --> 00:07:15.420 that defines Michael Corleone, the simmering 00:07:15.420 --> 00:07:18.300 rage of Tony Montana. It all starts in this difficult, 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:21.019 disciplined and deeply mournful period of his 00:07:21.019 --> 00:07:23.839 early life. That profound combination of method, 00:07:23.939 --> 00:07:26.740 discipline and internalized trauma set the stage 00:07:26.740 --> 00:07:28.879 perfectly for his move to professional theater. 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:32.399 By 1967, he was working at the Charles Playhouse 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:35.740 in Boston. Earning about $125 a week, which, 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:39.069 you know. Compared to his mailroom days, must 00:07:39.069 --> 00:07:41.209 have felt like a small fortune. This stage work 00:07:41.209 --> 00:07:44.550 was his proving ground. In 1968, he starred as 00:07:44.550 --> 00:07:47.529 Murph, a volatile street punk in Israel Horowitz's 00:07:47.529 --> 00:07:49.990 play The Indian Wants the Bronx. And that earned 00:07:49.990 --> 00:07:52.709 him his first significant critical recognition, 00:07:52.990 --> 00:07:56.209 the Obie Award for Best Actor. And critically, 00:07:56.389 --> 00:07:58.550 this is where he met Martin Bregman. Who would 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:00.529 become his manager and his greatest advocate. 00:08:00.769 --> 00:08:03.110 Bregman's vision for Pacino was just transformative. 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:06.660 Our sources highlight his crucial role, explicitly 00:08:06.660 --> 00:08:09.160 stating he encouraged Pacino to take on three 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:12.220 career -defining films. Which were? The Godfather, 00:08:12.420 --> 00:08:15.240 Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon. That's a manager 00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:17.120 who understood that Pacino was not meant for 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:19.399 ordinary roles. He saw the genius there. And 00:08:19.399 --> 00:08:22.019 the stage success just continued rapidly. In 00:08:22.019 --> 00:08:25.240 1969, he made his Broadway debut in Does a Tiger 00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:27.500 Wear a Necktie? And despite the play running 00:08:27.500 --> 00:08:29.920 for only 39 performances, which is a commercial 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:33.139 flop, really Pacino's individual brilliance sown 00:08:33.139 --> 00:08:35.950 through. He earned his first Tony Award for Best 00:08:35.950 --> 00:08:39.070 Featured Actor in a Play. He had mastered the 00:08:39.070 --> 00:08:42.269 stage. That mastery gave him the confidence to 00:08:42.269 --> 00:08:45.429 transition to film. After a brief debut in Me, 00:08:45.590 --> 00:08:48.850 Natalie in 69, he had his true feature film arrival 00:08:48.850 --> 00:08:52.570 in 1971. Playing a devastatingly realistic heroin 00:08:52.570 --> 00:08:55.049 addict in The Panic in Needle Park, the film 00:08:55.049 --> 00:08:57.940 wasn't a blockbuster. No. but it showcased that 00:08:57.940 --> 00:09:00.379 gritty authenticity that Francis Ford Coppola 00:09:00.379 --> 00:09:02.519 was desperately looking for. Which brings us 00:09:02.519 --> 00:09:04.980 to the moment that changed everything. The casting 00:09:04.980 --> 00:09:08.379 of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. 1972. The 00:09:08.379 --> 00:09:11.029 studio was adamantly against him. They wanted 00:09:11.029 --> 00:09:13.190 bankable names. Yeah. You know, Jack Nicholson, 00:09:13.210 --> 00:09:15.730 Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, even Robert De 00:09:15.730 --> 00:09:17.750 Niro tried out for the part. And Pacino at the 00:09:17.750 --> 00:09:20.450 time was virtually unknown to mainstream audiences. 00:09:20.690 --> 00:09:22.769 A complete unknown. That sounds like a terrifying 00:09:22.769 --> 00:09:25.710 gamble for a major studio picture. Was Coppola 00:09:25.710 --> 00:09:28.490 just recognizing some untapped star quality or 00:09:28.490 --> 00:09:30.429 was it something deeper? I think it was a blend 00:09:30.429 --> 00:09:33.929 of both, but mostly the latter. Coppola saw in 00:09:33.929 --> 00:09:36.350 Pacino the internal fire that was necessary for 00:09:36.350 --> 00:09:38.669 Michael, a character who is outwardly so contained, 00:09:38.870 --> 00:09:42.549 but whose soul is, well, it's dying on the inside. 00:09:43.210 --> 00:09:45.610 Pacino's method training allowed him to portray 00:09:45.610 --> 00:09:48.169 a character who is constantly suppressing rage 00:09:48.169 --> 00:09:51.740 and ambition. This is a huge contrast to the 00:09:51.740 --> 00:09:54.039 flamboyant acting style popular at the time. 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:56.700 He was doing less, but feeling more. And that 00:09:56.700 --> 00:09:59.139 distinction is what made his performance revolutionary. 00:09:59.139 --> 00:10:02.360 It was. And the performance earned him his first 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:05.320 Academy Award nomination. So the nomination came 00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:07.940 with a huge controversy. He boycotted the 1973 00:10:07.940 --> 00:10:10.460 Academy Awards ceremony. Yeah, and this wasn't 00:10:10.460 --> 00:10:12.940 some petulant reaction. It was a deeply principled 00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:14.860 stand about the integrity of the performance 00:10:14.860 --> 00:10:17.659 and the role itself. He argued he had more screen 00:10:17.659 --> 00:10:19.919 time and a more central narrative role than Marlon 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:21.840 Brando, who won Best Actor for the same film. 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:24.299 Exactly. Pacino felt he had been relegated to 00:10:24.299 --> 00:10:26.279 supporting actor status purely for political 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:29.379 reasons, to not compete with Brando. It demonstrates 00:10:29.379 --> 00:10:32.659 this fierce dedication to his craft, prioritizing 00:10:32.659 --> 00:10:34.879 the reality of his work over the prestige of 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:37.490 the event. That principled intensity became the 00:10:37.490 --> 00:10:40.909 hallmark of his golden decade in the 1970s. He 00:10:40.909 --> 00:10:44.629 went on an unbelievable run. Four Best Actor 00:10:44.629 --> 00:10:48.889 nominations between 1973 and 1979. It's an incredible 00:10:48.889 --> 00:10:50.889 streak. Let's break that run down because it 00:10:50.889 --> 00:10:53.389 really shows his range within that intense character 00:10:53.389 --> 00:10:57.100 genre. Okay, so in 1973 we had Serpico. Based 00:10:57.100 --> 00:10:59.399 on the true story of Frank Serpico, the incorruptible 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:01.919 cop who risked his life to expose institutional 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:04.799 corruption. Here, Pacino is the isolated outsider, 00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:07.639 the moral man fighting the system. The intensity 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:10.220 is contained. It's defensive, almost paranoid. 00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:14.320 Then came 1974 with The Godfather Part II. And 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:16.080 this sequel did the impossible. It became the 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:18.600 first sequel ever to win Best Picture. And Pacino's 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:20.659 Michael Corleone earned him another Best Actor 00:11:20.659 --> 00:11:23.220 nomination. I still remember the Newsweek quote 00:11:23.220 --> 00:11:26.000 that called it arguably cinema's greatest portrayal 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.340 of the hardening of a heart. That quote is iconic 00:11:28.340 --> 00:11:30.919 because it perfectly describes the arc that Pacino 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:33.860 delivers. He uses the method to show the character's 00:11:33.860 --> 00:11:36.639 internal decay. The hopeful young man from Part 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:40.559 1 is just... he's gone. Replaced by a ruthless, 00:11:40.840 --> 00:11:43.350 emotionally hollow commander. There is virtually 00:11:43.350 --> 00:11:46.549 no visible acting going on. Just this chilling 00:11:46.549 --> 00:11:49.190 demonstration of absence and coldness is all 00:11:49.190 --> 00:11:52.690 in the eyes. Following that, in 1975, he reunited 00:11:52.690 --> 00:11:55.429 with director Sidney Lumet for Dog Day Afternoon. 00:11:55.529 --> 00:11:58.330 Playing John Wojtkiewicz, a desperate, emotionally 00:11:58.330 --> 00:12:01.450 theatrical bank robber, again based on a true, 00:12:01.649 --> 00:12:04.750 very bizarre story. And he secured yet another 00:12:04.750 --> 00:12:07.870 Best Actor nomination. Dog Day Afternoon feels 00:12:07.870 --> 00:12:10.190 like the complete flip side of Michael Corleone. 00:12:10.309 --> 00:12:13.149 It is. Which bit is explosive, he's needy, he's 00:12:13.149 --> 00:12:15.909 utterly exposed emotionally. A total method explosion. 00:12:16.289 --> 00:12:19.230 Attica. Attica. It's all out there. And he closed 00:12:19.230 --> 00:12:21.470 out that phenomenal decade with his nomination 00:12:21.470 --> 00:12:24.309 for the courtroom drama and Justice for All in 00:12:24.309 --> 00:12:27.049 1979. You're out of order. That famous scene, 00:12:27.129 --> 00:12:29.190 yeah. But it's important to acknowledge one key 00:12:29.190 --> 00:12:31.629 role he famously passed on during this time. 00:12:31.809 --> 00:12:33.830 Kramer versus Kramer. Right, which went to Dustin 00:12:33.830 --> 00:12:36.090 Hoffman, who then won the Oscar for it. So even 00:12:36.090 --> 00:12:38.370 at the height of his power, Pacino was making 00:12:38.370 --> 00:12:40.409 choices based on his artistic connection to a 00:12:40.409 --> 00:12:42.590 role, not just guaranteed commercial success. 00:12:42.909 --> 00:12:45.029 Though sometimes that led him a bit astray. Indeed. 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:48.259 The early 1980s proved to be a bit of a hiccup. 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:50.720 He took on some roles that didn't really resonate. 00:12:50.980 --> 00:12:53.360 Like the controversial film Cruising. Which generated 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:55.620 significant protests from New York's gay community 00:12:55.620 --> 00:12:57.779 regarding its depiction of the subject matter. 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:01.000 Then there was the less impactful comedy drama 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:05.899 Author. A momentary derailment, maybe, but it 00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:08.240 was quickly followed by a total fiery course 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:11.980 correction. In 1983, he exploded onto the screen 00:13:11.980 --> 00:13:15.279 as Tony Montana in Brian De Palma's Scarface. 00:13:15.500 --> 00:13:17.700 Hey, hello to my little friend. Scarface is a 00:13:17.700 --> 00:13:20.259 classic study in how critical reception can evolve 00:13:20.259 --> 00:13:22.740 over time. When it was released, it was heavily 00:13:22.740 --> 00:13:25.139 criticized for its graphic violence and explicit 00:13:25.139 --> 00:13:28.019 content. A lot of critics dismissed it as over 00:13:28.019 --> 00:13:30.850 -the -top sensationalism. They did, but... It 00:13:30.850 --> 00:13:34.389 grossed over $45 million domestically, and crucially, 00:13:34.529 --> 00:13:37.409 it found its audience later. It achieved this 00:13:37.409 --> 00:13:40.289 massive critical reappraisal, becoming a classic 00:13:40.289 --> 00:13:43.149 and a cultural touchstone. And Pacino's performance 00:13:43.149 --> 00:13:46.450 as the Cuban drug lord Tony Montana, this creature 00:13:46.450 --> 00:13:50.029 of pure, unbridled theatrical fury, earned him 00:13:50.029 --> 00:13:52.990 a Golden Globe nomination. And unlike the contained 00:13:52.990 --> 00:13:56.289 intensity of Corleone, this was performance completely 00:13:56.289 --> 00:13:59.370 unleashed. He was using the method to achieve 00:13:59.370 --> 00:14:02.870 sheer grand melodrama. That character single 00:14:02.870 --> 00:14:05.350 -handedly pulled him out of that early 80s slump 00:14:05.350 --> 00:14:08.450 and cemented his status as a cinematic icon for 00:14:08.450 --> 00:14:11.649 a whole new generation. The story of Pacino is 00:14:11.649 --> 00:14:13.669 one of these constant artistic pendulum swings. 00:14:14.029 --> 00:14:16.470 Immediately following the high -octane success 00:14:16.470 --> 00:14:20.490 of Scarface, he chose a period epic. Revolution 00:14:20.490 --> 00:14:24.210 in 1985, a film about the American Revolutionary 00:14:24.210 --> 00:14:27.149 War. And it was. Well, it was a spectacular commercial 00:14:27.149 --> 00:14:29.750 and critical failure. A spectacular failure indeed. 00:14:29.850 --> 00:14:32.389 It was so crushing that it led to a four -year 00:14:32.389 --> 00:14:34.710 film hiatus for him. But this period isn't a 00:14:34.710 --> 00:14:37.470 story of a star licking his wounds. It's a profound 00:14:37.470 --> 00:14:40.110 insight into his dedication. When the commercial 00:14:40.110 --> 00:14:42.950 world fails him, he doesn't chase safe blockbusters. 00:14:43.129 --> 00:14:45.610 He retreats. He retreats entirely to the purity 00:14:45.610 --> 00:14:48.080 and discipline of the stage. That's the key analytical 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:50.799 point, isn't it? He used that failure as a catalyst 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:53.240 for artistic renewal. He wasn't just taking time 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:55.860 off. He was actively mounting workshop productions 00:14:55.860 --> 00:14:58.879 and starring in foundational works. Like Shakespeare's 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.679 Julius Caesar in 1988 for the New York Shakespeare 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:04.000 Festival. And when the press started circulating 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:06.139 the narrative that his film career was waning. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:10.120 He actively refuted it. He did. Because for Pacino, 00:15:10.340 --> 00:15:13.600 the stage was necessary maintenance. It was where 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:16.120 he could reconnect with language, physicality, 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:19.080 and the immediate, honest demands of live performance. 00:15:19.419 --> 00:15:22.539 It was the fuel tank for his cinematic method 00:15:22.539 --> 00:15:24.990 work. His dedication also extended beyond his 00:15:24.990 --> 00:15:27.370 own acting. He became a significant donor, a 00:15:27.370 --> 00:15:29.549 philanthropic supporter. Alongside Paul Newman 00:15:29.549 --> 00:15:31.850 and Dustin Hoffman to the Mirror Theatre LTD. 00:15:32.029 --> 00:15:34.169 And sources state this was directly inspired 00:15:34.169 --> 00:15:37.409 by his loyalty to Lee Strasberg's family, reinforcing 00:15:37.409 --> 00:15:39.610 that commitment to the institutional roots of 00:15:39.610 --> 00:15:42.850 his success. His film return in 1989 was Sea 00:15:42.850 --> 00:15:45.809 of Love, a very thoughtful choice. It was a grounded 00:15:45.809 --> 00:15:47.549 thriller where he played a detective hunting 00:15:47.549 --> 00:15:50.080 a serial killer. It got solid reviews and it 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:52.039 signaled that the hiatus had refreshed his approach 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:54.840 and his focus. The early 90s marked a phenomenal 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:58.120 resurgence for him. In 1990 alone, he got Oscar 00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:01.919 nominations for two colossal films. First, the 00:16:01.919 --> 00:16:05.200 box office hilt Dick Tracy. He played the scene 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:08.820 -stealing gangster Big Boy Caprice, a flamboyant 00:16:08.820 --> 00:16:12.039 caricature that Roger Ebert specifically called 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:13.960 out as being the highlight of the entire film. 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:16.019 He just chews up the scenery. In the best possible 00:16:16.019 --> 00:16:18.860 way. And of course, in that same year, he returned 00:16:18.860 --> 00:16:22.059 as the cold, aging Michael Corleone in The Godfather 00:16:22.059 --> 00:16:25.200 Part III, completing that epic cinematic saga. 00:16:25.460 --> 00:16:28.379 So two major nominations in one year. It set 00:16:28.379 --> 00:16:30.860 the stage for the true historical anomaly that 00:16:30.860 --> 00:16:33.480 happened just two years later. 1992. This is 00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:36.120 where Pacino cemented his place in Oscar history. 00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:38.379 He won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance 00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:42.019 as the blind, difficult, yet charismatic, elting 00:16:42.019 --> 00:16:45.950 Colonel Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman. But 00:16:45.950 --> 00:16:48.190 the win is only half the story. The historical 00:16:48.190 --> 00:16:51.059 feat is almost unbelievable. Pacino became the 00:16:51.059 --> 00:16:53.799 first male actor ever to receive two acting nominations 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:55.720 for two different movies in the same year. He 00:16:55.720 --> 00:16:57.659 won Best Actor for Scent of a Woman, but was 00:16:57.659 --> 00:16:59.899 simultaneously nominated for Best Supporting 00:16:59.899 --> 00:17:02.580 Actor. For his explosive, rapid -fire, unforgettable 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:05.019 portrayal of Ricky Roma in the ensemble piece 00:17:05.019 --> 00:17:07.740 Glengarry Glen Ross. That dual recognition speaks 00:17:07.740 --> 00:17:10.519 volumes about his command over both lead and 00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:13.400 supporting roles, and his ability to generate 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:16.140 awards -caliber work even within an ensemble. 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:19.160 And Scent of a Woman is the ultimate method performance. 00:17:19.339 --> 00:17:22.339 for his later career It's loud, it's physically 00:17:22.339 --> 00:17:25.279 demanding, and it required total character immersion. 00:17:25.559 --> 00:17:28.000 That mid -90s period was then marked by a lot 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.579 of high -profile collaborations. He reunited 00:17:30.579 --> 00:17:32.839 with Michelle Pfeiffer in Frankie and Johnny 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:36.619 in 91, where critics praised his uncomplicatedly 00:17:36.619 --> 00:17:39.380 appealing performance. It was a rare moment of 00:17:39.380 --> 00:17:41.799 softness for him. He also returned to Brian De 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:44.599 Palma's hyper -stylized world for the crime drama 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:47.940 Carlito's Way in 1993. But the moment everyone 00:17:47.940 --> 00:17:50.799 was waiting for happened in 1994. The iconic 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:53.380 shared scene with Robert De Niro in Michael Mann's 00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:55.920 Heat. Yes. They were both in The Godfather Part 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:58.259 II, but they famously never shared a frame of 00:17:58.259 --> 00:18:01.019 film. Heat finally delivered that intense coffee 00:18:01.019 --> 00:18:03.400 shop standoff. It's a masterclass in two distinct 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:06.359 acting styles. Pacino's explosive verbalism versus 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:09.079 De Niro's contains silence finally colliding 00:18:09.079 --> 00:18:11.779 on screen. Following Heat, he seemed to embrace 00:18:11.779 --> 00:18:15.619 darker, more theatrical roles. He was magnificent 00:18:15.619 --> 00:18:18.930 as Satan in The Devil's Advocate in 97. a box 00:18:18.930 --> 00:18:21.710 office success. Ebert noted that Pacino played 00:18:21.710 --> 00:18:25.369 the role with a relish bordering on glee. Which 00:18:25.369 --> 00:18:28.869 is perfect. Yeah. Then he played the deeply human, 00:18:29.009 --> 00:18:32.289 aging gangster lefty in the true story Donnie 00:18:32.289 --> 00:18:35.430 Brasco, also in 97, opposite Johnny Depp. He 00:18:35.430 --> 00:18:37.410 wrapped up the millennium with major supporting 00:18:37.410 --> 00:18:40.470 work in Oscar -nominated films, The Insider in 00:18:40.470 --> 00:18:43.329 99, playing the 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman. 00:18:43.470 --> 00:18:45.920 And Oliver Stone's kinetic football drama. Any 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:48.700 given Sunday. This period is also where we find 00:18:48.700 --> 00:18:50.839 the most concrete evidence of his commitment 00:18:50.839 --> 00:18:53.440 to his artistic core, completely outside of commercial 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:55.740 demand. Right. He moved behind the camera, not 00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:58.019 to direct blockbusters, but to fulfill a deeply 00:18:58.019 --> 00:19:00.740 personal, almost academic mission. Let's dedicate 00:19:00.740 --> 00:19:03.140 some serious time to this. He made his directorial 00:19:03.140 --> 00:19:06.759 debut with Looking for Richard in 1996. And this 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:08.759 wasn't a standard narrative film. Not at all. 00:19:08.779 --> 00:19:10.880 It was a docudrama, a hybrid of performance, 00:19:11.140 --> 00:19:14.099 a research project, and an examination of Shakespeare's 00:19:14.099 --> 00:19:16.519 Richard III. It was essentially Pacino teaching 00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:19.819 the audience and himself about the process of 00:19:19.819 --> 00:19:21.819 interpreting Shakespeare for a modern American 00:19:21.819 --> 00:19:24.660 audience. A massive undertaking. It featured 00:19:24.660 --> 00:19:27.900 stars like Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder, and Kevin 00:19:27.900 --> 00:19:31.119 Spacey. And it really demonstrated his lifelong 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:34.319 commitment to demystifying the stage. It was 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:36.900 his way of refueling his own artistic battery. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:40.779 And the dedication was so absolute that he self 00:19:40.779 --> 00:19:44.099 -funded his next directorial work. The low -budget, 00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:46.740 two -person film Chinese Coffee, which came out 00:19:46.740 --> 00:19:49.819 in 2000. Self -funded. Yes. Chinese Coffee took 00:19:49.819 --> 00:19:52.180 three years to complete and was funded entirely 00:19:52.180 --> 00:19:55.440 by Pacino's own money. This is a critical insight 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.660 for you, the listener. A man who can command 00:19:57.660 --> 00:19:59.960 millions for a film role is willing to use his 00:19:59.960 --> 00:20:02.619 own capital and three years of his life, a dialogue 00:20:02.619 --> 00:20:04.539 -driven project that offered zero commercial 00:20:04.539 --> 00:20:07.279 return. It illustrates that the dedication to 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:09.059 the craft he learned in those South Bronx theaters 00:20:09.059 --> 00:20:12.579 never, ever left him. These rare, self -funded, 00:20:12.660 --> 00:20:14.859 self -directed works were later compiled into 00:20:14.859 --> 00:20:16.940 a collection called Pacino, an actor's vision. 00:20:17.099 --> 00:20:19.000 These are the blueprints of the true artist, 00:20:19.180 --> 00:20:21.880 away from the Hollywood machine. So as the new 00:20:21.880 --> 00:20:25.059 century dawned, Pacino made a crucial, strategically 00:20:25.059 --> 00:20:28.839 brilliant move. He embraced prestige television. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:31.900 Right as HBO was defining the golden age of long 00:20:31.900 --> 00:20:33.980 form storytelling. And this move wasn't just 00:20:33.980 --> 00:20:36.019 about getting work. It was about his professional 00:20:36.019 --> 00:20:38.920 legacy. Absolutely. It's through HBO that he 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:41.700 completed that rare and revered triple crown 00:20:41.700 --> 00:20:44.720 of acting. He won his first primetime Emmy for 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:47.599 Outstanding Lead Actor for playing the terrifying 00:20:47.599 --> 00:20:51.079 real -life lawyer Roy Cohn in Angels in America. 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:54.500 That was in 2003. Winning that Emmy, combined 00:20:54.500 --> 00:20:56.799 with his prior Oscar and his two Tony Awards, 00:20:57.140 --> 00:20:59.339 placed him in one of the most elite groups in 00:20:59.339 --> 00:21:01.380 performance history. It's a complete validation 00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:04.200 of his ability to excel across all media platforms, 00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:08.119 stage, film. television. He conquered them all. 00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:10.079 And he proved that wasn't a fluke seven years 00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:12.119 later. He won his second Emmy and his fourth 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:14.859 Golden Globe in 2010 for playing the physician 00:21:14.859 --> 00:21:17.819 -assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian 00:21:17.819 --> 00:21:20.400 in the HBO biopic You Don't Know Jack. These 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:22.740 TV roles provided the high -stakes, dialogue 00:21:22.740 --> 00:21:25.380 -heavy vehicles that he just excelled at. It 00:21:25.380 --> 00:21:27.500 allowed him to maintain that cinematic intensity 00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:30.279 within a limited series format. While the TV 00:21:30.279 --> 00:21:32.819 work was prestigious, his film output during 00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:36.220 this era was a classic Pacino mixed bag. There 00:21:36.220 --> 00:21:38.700 were some high highs. And some surprisingly candid 00:21:38.700 --> 00:21:41.660 lows. On the successful side, he starred in the 00:21:41.660 --> 00:21:45.200 Norwegian remake Insomnia in 2002, directed by 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:47.400 Christopher Nolan, alongside Robin Williams. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:49.660 And critics really appreciated his contained 00:21:49.660 --> 00:21:52.319 performance in that film. They did. Newsweek 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:55.210 praised his work, emphasizing that He can play 00:21:55.210 --> 00:21:57.789 small as rivetingly as he can play big, that 00:21:57.789 --> 00:22:00.349 he can implode as well as explode. He was showing 00:22:00.349 --> 00:22:03.089 audiences that intensity didn't always mean yelling. 00:22:03.309 --> 00:22:05.789 He also seemed to enjoy playing the slick casino 00:22:05.789 --> 00:22:09.309 tycoon Willie Bank in the ensemble caper Ocean's 00:22:09.309 --> 00:22:11.849 13 in 2007. But then you look at the other end 00:22:11.849 --> 00:22:14.630 of the spectrum. He accepted a small role in 00:22:14.630 --> 00:22:17.549 the notorious critical and box office flop Geegly. 00:22:17.630 --> 00:22:20.269 2003. The sources are clear on this. This is 00:22:20.269 --> 00:22:22.490 strictly a favor to the director, Martin Brest. 00:22:22.650 --> 00:22:25.109 It shows that even legendary actors must sometimes 00:22:25.109 --> 00:22:27.829 fulfill personal obligations. And he also starred 00:22:27.829 --> 00:22:30.190 in the moderately successful spy thriller, The 00:22:30.190 --> 00:22:33.329 Recruit, also in 2003, a film which Pacino himself 00:22:33.329 --> 00:22:36.529 admitted he personally couldn't follow. That 00:22:36.529 --> 00:22:39.029 level of frankness about his own work is vintage 00:22:39.029 --> 00:22:41.609 Pacino. He's an actor more concerned with the 00:22:41.609 --> 00:22:44.230 creative process than the final marketing spin. 00:22:44.490 --> 00:22:47.650 Which brings us to... Perhaps the most human 00:22:47.650 --> 00:22:51.529 and ironically comedic low point. The Golden 00:22:51.529 --> 00:22:54.869 Raspberry Award. The Razzie. He took a role in 00:22:54.869 --> 00:22:57.190 the critically reviled comedy Jack and Jill in 00:22:57.190 --> 00:23:00.650 2011 and won the Razzie for Worst Supporting 00:23:00.650 --> 00:23:03.109 Actor. There has to be a story there. There is, 00:23:03.130 --> 00:23:04.930 and it's the anecdote behind it that matters 00:23:04.930 --> 00:23:08.150 most. When asked why he took such a lowbrow comedic 00:23:08.150 --> 00:23:11.430 role, he explained it with pure pragmatism. I 00:23:11.430 --> 00:23:13.130 needed something quickly because his accountant 00:23:13.130 --> 00:23:15.210 had been imprisoned, creating an immediate and 00:23:15.210 --> 00:23:18.349 unexpected financial need. Wow. It just demonstrates 00:23:18.349 --> 00:23:20.789 the harsh reality that even cultural icons are 00:23:20.789 --> 00:23:23.009 subject to the same kind of messy personal business 00:23:23.009 --> 00:23:25.170 problems as the rest of us. In terms of highly 00:23:25.170 --> 00:23:27.650 anticipated collaborations, he shared the screen 00:23:27.650 --> 00:23:29.769 with Robert De Niro again in Righteous Kill in 00:23:29.769 --> 00:23:32.710 2008. Which, despite the massive excitement of 00:23:32.710 --> 00:23:35.269 that reunion, was unfortunately not well received 00:23:35.269 --> 00:23:37.970 by critics or audiences. It wasn't until the 00:23:37.970 --> 00:23:40.829 end of that decade that we saw a major sustained 00:23:40.829 --> 00:23:44.789 late career artistic surge. This really began 00:23:44.789 --> 00:23:48.089 with a great supporting turn in Quentin Tarantino's 00:23:48.089 --> 00:23:50.490 revisionist Hollywood epic Once Upon a Time in 00:23:50.490 --> 00:23:53.390 Hollywood in 2019. And then the definitive late 00:23:53.390 --> 00:23:56.109 career masterwork, Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. 00:23:56.230 --> 00:23:59.589 2019, he played the infamous Teamsters boss Jimmy 00:23:59.589 --> 00:24:02.549 Hoffa alongside De Niro and Joe Pesci, earning 00:24:02.549 --> 00:24:05.500 his ninth Academy Award nomination overall. What's 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:07.940 fascinating about this performance and what the 00:24:07.940 --> 00:24:11.079 critics universally lauded is that Pacino wasn't 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:13.980 just rehashing his iconic gangster types. No, 00:24:13.980 --> 00:24:16.220 he wasn't. Justin Chang noted that the stars 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:18.240 were at the top of their game, in part because 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:20.259 they aren't simply rehashing the iconic gangster 00:24:20.259 --> 00:24:22.900 types they played before. His Hoffa was a performance 00:24:22.900 --> 00:24:25.880 defined by political rage and bureaucratic authority, 00:24:26.180 --> 00:24:29.359 less the theatrical fury of Tony Montana. And 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:31.319 more the simmering power of Michael Corleone, 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:33.380 but with the volume turned up just enough to 00:24:33.380 --> 00:24:36.180 be terrifying. This period also saw him embrace 00:24:36.180 --> 00:24:38.579 a recurring television role, starring as Meyer 00:24:38.579 --> 00:24:40.839 Offerman, a fictional Nazi hunter in the Amazon 00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:45.119 Prime series Hunters. From 2020 to 2023, this 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:48.220 was his first ongoing TV series role since his 00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:51.420 big success on HBO. And he is clearly not slowing 00:24:51.420 --> 00:24:54.160 down. He played the scene stealing Aldo Gucci 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:57.539 in Ridley Scott's House of Gucci in 2021. And 00:24:57.539 --> 00:24:59.619 looking ahead, he's co -producing and starring 00:24:59.619 --> 00:25:03.099 in the upcoming film Modi, about the artist Emilio 00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:05.369 Modigliani. which is being directed by Johnny 00:25:05.369 --> 00:25:08.190 Depp. So he remains an active, relevant presence. 00:25:08.269 --> 00:25:10.490 He even made a major public appearance presenting 00:25:10.490 --> 00:25:13.049 the Academy Award for Best Picture in March of 00:25:13.049 --> 00:25:16.210 2024. This immense body of work, spanning theater, 00:25:16.430 --> 00:25:19.230 cinema, and television, has naturally accumulated 00:25:19.230 --> 00:25:21.809 a vast array of lifetime honors that recognize 00:25:21.809 --> 00:25:23.950 his contribution to American culture. The list 00:25:23.950 --> 00:25:26.069 is just definitive proof of his stature. The 00:25:26.069 --> 00:25:28.970 Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2001. The AFI Life 00:25:28.970 --> 00:25:31.309 Achievement Award in 2007. The National Medal 00:25:31.309 --> 00:25:33.890 of Arts in 2012. And the Kennedy Center Honors 00:25:33.890 --> 00:25:36.599 in 2016. These awards confirm that his influence 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:38.519 is recognized across the arts and government. 00:25:38.700 --> 00:25:41.140 And just to circle back to the stage, the artistic 00:25:41.140 --> 00:25:43.660 bedrock of his entire career, we have to remember 00:25:43.660 --> 00:25:46.000 his second Tony Award. Which he won way back 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:49.039 in 1977 for Best Actor in a play for the basic 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:51.619 training of Pavlo Homo. And he was still returning 00:25:51.619 --> 00:25:54.559 to the stage, even in the 21st century. He was 00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:57.380 nominated again in 2010 for playing Shylock in 00:25:57.380 --> 00:25:59.079 the stage production of The Merchant of Venice, 00:25:59.339 --> 00:26:02.420 a role he'd also played in the 2004 film adaptation. 00:26:03.339 --> 00:26:05.759 And critics at the time praised him for bringing 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:08.859 immense compassion and depth to Shylock, transforming 00:26:08.859 --> 00:26:11.660 a character often portrayed as a villainous caricature 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:14.480 into something far more nuanced and tragic. It 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:16.500 just shows his continuous dedication to artistic 00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:19.849 reinterpretation. So we've tracked the public 00:26:19.849 --> 00:26:22.430 artist of relentless intensity, but now we have 00:26:22.430 --> 00:26:24.890 to look at the private life, which is surprisingly 00:26:24.890 --> 00:26:27.410 distinct from his explosive screen persona. For 00:26:27.410 --> 00:26:30.849 one thing, despite numerous long -term high -profile 00:26:30.849 --> 00:26:34.130 relationships, Pacino has famously never been 00:26:34.130 --> 00:26:36.450 married. That's a crucial detail that seems to 00:26:36.450 --> 00:26:38.710 inform his character. He has four children with 00:26:38.710 --> 00:26:40.630 three different women. He has an eldest daughter, 00:26:40.769 --> 00:26:43.410 Julie Marie, who was born in 1989 with acting 00:26:43.410 --> 00:26:46.089 coach Jan Tarrant. Later, he had twins, Anton 00:26:46.089 --> 00:26:49.089 James and Olivia Rose, born in 2001 with the 00:26:49.089 --> 00:26:52.009 actress Beverly D 'Angelo. And then the massive 00:26:52.009 --> 00:26:54.289 headline -grabbing milestone that occurred just 00:26:54.289 --> 00:26:58.250 last year. In 2023, he had a son named Roman 00:26:58.250 --> 00:27:02.009 with his partner Noor Alfala. Pacino was 83 years 00:27:02.009 --> 00:27:04.009 old at the time. It made him one of the oldest 00:27:04.009 --> 00:27:06.430 recorded fathers in history. It speaks to a man 00:27:06.430 --> 00:27:09.190 who, despite a lifetime of success, is constantly 00:27:09.190 --> 00:27:12.130 adding new profound dimensions to his personal 00:27:12.130 --> 00:27:14.450 life. His love life has always been interwoven 00:27:14.450 --> 00:27:17.069 with his career. He maintained a long on again 00:27:17.069 --> 00:27:19.829 off again relationship with his godfather co 00:27:19.829 --> 00:27:22.859 -star. Diane Keaton. A relationship that only 00:27:22.859 --> 00:27:25.279 finally ended after the filming of The Godfather 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:28.519 Part 3. And Keaton had wondrously specific insights 00:27:28.519 --> 00:27:30.960 into his magnetic personality. She called him 00:27:30.960 --> 00:27:33.660 the most entertaining man and described his face 00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:37.480 as killer. killer face he also had a decade -long 00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:40.480 relationship with argentine actress lucila polak 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:42.660 given the volatile nature of his on -screen work 00:27:42.660 --> 00:27:44.559 and the difficult start he had in the south bronx 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:46.460 it's not surprising to learn he struggled with 00:27:46.460 --> 00:27:48.599 substance abuse early in his career particularly 00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:51.059 after the sudden jolt of fame brought by the 00:27:51.059 --> 00:27:54.059 godfather he was honest about it he said he found 00:27:54.059 --> 00:27:56.700 the sudden massive fame extremely difficult to 00:27:56.700 --> 00:27:59.259 cope with it was overwhelming he admitted to 00:27:59.259 --> 00:28:01.200 abusing drugs and alcohol during this transition 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:04.630 he did However, he achieved sobriety in 1977. 00:28:05.490 --> 00:28:07.910 And that dedication to recovery must have been 00:28:07.910 --> 00:28:10.230 a key factor in maintaining the rigorous focus 00:28:10.230 --> 00:28:12.869 required for his relentless work schedule and 00:28:12.869 --> 00:28:16.210 long -term artistic output. And finally, a very 00:28:16.210 --> 00:28:19.109 recent profound personal reflection stemming 00:28:19.109 --> 00:28:22.450 from a health crisis. In 2024, Pacino revealed 00:28:22.450 --> 00:28:24.769 he was among the many who suffered a severe bout 00:28:24.769 --> 00:28:27.710 of COVID -19 back in 2020. And he said he almost 00:28:27.710 --> 00:28:29.950 died from the virus. That near -death experience 00:28:29.950 --> 00:28:32.829 provided him with a new, very concrete view on 00:28:32.829 --> 00:28:34.990 mortality. He stated that the experience was 00:28:34.990 --> 00:28:37.589 transformative and led him to firmly not believe 00:28:37.589 --> 00:28:40.849 in an afterlife. It's a stark, rational conclusion 00:28:40.849 --> 00:28:43.809 from a man who has spent a lifetime channeling 00:28:43.809 --> 00:28:46.609 complex human emotions, tragedy, and desperation 00:28:46.609 --> 00:28:49.369 into art. That brings us to the end of our deep 00:28:49.369 --> 00:28:52.450 dive into Alfredo Pacino, a man who transformed 00:28:52.450 --> 00:28:55.609 pain into an art form and who, despite achieving 00:28:55.609 --> 00:28:58.789 incredible cinematic stardom, never stopped returning 00:28:58.789 --> 00:29:01.569 to the discipline of the stage. That is his enduring 00:29:01.569 --> 00:29:04.589 legacy. The sources clearly show his career is 00:29:04.589 --> 00:29:07.569 defined by this fierce commitment to craft, validated 00:29:07.569 --> 00:29:10.049 by the rare combination of critical stage mastery, 00:29:10.250 --> 00:29:13.910 those two Tony Awards, and global cinematic stardom, 00:29:13.910 --> 00:29:17.049 proven by the Oscar win and nine total Academy 00:29:17.049 --> 00:29:20.130 Award nominations. He is truly a force across 00:29:20.130 --> 00:29:23.059 all mediums. So what does this all mean? Pacino's 00:29:23.059 --> 00:29:25.519 trajectory is a testament to the power of artistic 00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:28.480 resilience. When a commercial failure like Revolution 00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:31.160 threatened to derail him, he didn't pivot to 00:29:31.160 --> 00:29:34.019 safer commercial fare. He retreated. He went 00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:36.539 back to his artistic roots, spending years immersed 00:29:36.539 --> 00:29:38.960 in Shakespeare, focusing on the process of acting 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:41.220 rather than the product of Hollywood. He only 00:29:41.220 --> 00:29:42.960 returned when he felt artistically refreshed. 00:29:43.299 --> 00:29:45.680 That pattern of self -refueling, often at his 00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:48.269 own expense, is the central insight here. His 00:29:48.269 --> 00:29:50.490 willingness to dedicate his own time, his own 00:29:50.490 --> 00:29:53.109 money, and years of effort into non -commercial 00:29:53.109 --> 00:29:56.369 directorial projects. Films like Looking for 00:29:56.369 --> 00:29:58.930 Richard and the entirely self -funded Chinese 00:29:58.930 --> 00:30:02.609 Coffee, it shows a deep, almost underground dedication 00:30:02.609 --> 00:30:05.450 to the art form that exists completely outside 00:30:05.450 --> 00:30:08.210 the demands of his iconic blockbuster roles. 00:30:08.430 --> 00:30:10.829 Which raises an important and provocative thought 00:30:10.829 --> 00:30:14.109 for you, the listener, to mull over as you revisit 00:30:14.109 --> 00:30:17.210 his work. Which Pacino is the truer embodiment 00:30:17.210 --> 00:30:20.190 of the artist? Is it the method star whose tightly 00:30:20.190 --> 00:30:23.150 coiled intensity fueled the iconic, bombastic 00:30:23.150 --> 00:30:25.609 roles we all instantly recognize? Or is it the 00:30:25.609 --> 00:30:28.089 experimental director and dedicated stage scholar 00:30:28.089 --> 00:30:30.829 who is willing to sacrifice huge financial opportunities 00:30:30.829 --> 00:30:33.569 to explore the deepest non -commercial roots 00:30:33.569 --> 00:30:36.210 of dramatic art? Food for thought. We leave you 00:30:36.210 --> 00:30:38.349 with that kernel of contradiction, the star and 00:30:38.349 --> 00:30:40.569 the scholar, as you consider his immense legacy. 00:30:40.750 --> 00:30:42.250 Until next time on The Deep Dive.