Al Pacino felt “relief” after severely twisting his ankle while filming The Godfather.
At the time, studio executives believed Pacino was not suitable for the role of Michael Corleone. Pacino, then 31, knew that the ax could fall on him at any moment.
In one scene, Pacino had to run and jump into a moving car.
“There were no stand-ins, there were no stuntmen. I had to do it myself,” Pacino wrote in his memoir Sonny Boy. guardian. “I jumped out and missed my car. Now I'm lying on my back in a gutter on White Plains Road in the Bronx, looking up at the sky. I twisted my ankle so bad I couldn't move.”
Al Pacino says he lost consciousness and fell to the floor during his near-death experience: 'I had no pulse'
Al Pacino writes about filming The Godfather in his upcoming memoir, Sonny Boy. (Getty Images)
“The whole crew was crowding around me. They were trying to lift me up and asking, 'Did you break your ankle? Can you walk? I didn't know. I was there. I lay there and thought, “Oh my God, sweetheart.'' I don't need to take this photo anymore,'' he continued.
“I was shocked and relieved,” Pacino explained. “I went to work every day and I felt unwanted, I felt inferior, I had an oppressive experience. And I thought maybe this injury would free me from that prison. Hmm. At least now they can fire me, recast another actor as Michael, and not lose everything.'' They had already spent a dime on the plan, but it didn't happen. ”
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I thought Al Pacino would be fired from The Godfather. (Getty Images)
Pacino gained fame for his role in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. After appearing in Panic in Needle Park, he caught the attention of an Academy Award-winning director.
Many A-list stars wanted the role of Michael Corleone, including Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, and Ryan O'Neal.
But Coppola had his eye on Pacino.
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Al Pacino co-starred with Diane Keaton and Marlon Brando. (Photo credit: FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images)
Al Pacino said that participating in film work was an “oppressive experience” because he was “unwanted” and “felt like an inferior.” (Getty Images)
“Frances wanted me, he wanted me, and I knew it,” Pacino wrote in his memoir, according to the paper. “And there’s nothing better than when the coach wants you.
“He also gave me a present in the form of Diane Keaton. He had several actors auditioning for the role of Kay, and the fact that he wanted to pair me with Diane… suggested that she had an advantage in the process, as she was doing well in her career, appearing on Broadway in films such as Hair and Play It Again, Sam, with Woody Allen. I knew that.”
Diane Keaton and Pacino played their respective roles and “hit it off” as friends.
“She was easy to talk to and funny, and she thought I was funny, too,” he wrote. “I immediately felt like I had a friend and an ally.”
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