Francis Ford Coppola took notice of Pacino for his role in the 1971 film The Panic in Needle Park and cast him in The Godfather. The actor knew that the film was destined for something greater after Coppola got emotional during filming.

Who turned down the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather?

Jack Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone because he believed that actors should stick to playing characters of their own ethnicity. While it is fun to imagine Jack Nicholson in the role, it is impossible to improve upon Al Pacino's perfect performance as Michael Corleone.

How did Al Pacino get the role of Michael?

“When I actually read the 'Godfather' book, I kept imagining him,” Coppola said in a separate interview. “And I didn't have a second choice. It was, for me, always Al Pacino. That's the reason why I was so tenacious about getting him to play Michael.

Who was the first choice to play Michael Corleone in The Godfather?

When Francis Ford Coppola and Paramount Pictures set out to cast the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather, they had a disagreement. The studio wanted Robert Redford, Warren Beatty or Ryan O'Neal.

How did Michael Corleone become The Godfather?

Michael is the youngest son of Vito Corleone, a Sicilian immigrant who builds a Mafia empire. Upon his father's death, Michael succeeds him as the don of the Corleone crime family.

Al Pacino auditions for the role of Michael Corleone in the 1972 classic, 'The Godfather'

How did Tom became part of the Corleone family?

Vito's eldest son Santino (James Caan) befriends 11-year-old Tom, who was living on the street after running away from an orphanage. When Sonny brings Tom home and demands he be taken in, the Corleone family welcome him as a family member.

Is Michael Corleone a psychopath or sociopath?

The Godfather's Michael Corleone is the textbook example of a psychopath. Twenty-year FBI vet Candice Delong explains why. Watch "Vanity Fair Confidential" on Investigation Discovery, Mondays 9/8c. example of a psychopath.

Who didn t want Al Pacino in Godfather?

"The studio didn't want Al Pacino at all," Keaton said, noting that she was cast before him in the Francis Ford Coppola classic. She then explained what caused the studio to change their opinion: their chemistry read.

Why was Al Pacino not wanted in The Godfather?

Part of their reasoning was that they didn't think Pacino's creative vision for Corleone was right. Pacino, however, disagreed, but it was ultimately Francis Ford Coppola who was able to change his mind by persuading him to take a second look at the footage.

Who was supposed to play Michael Corleone's daughter?

During his conversation with the Times, Francis noted how the casting of his daughter came to be, when Winona Ryder – who was originally cast to play Mary — dropped out after she got sick once in Rome to film the final installment.

Why wasn t Robert De Niro in The Godfather?

Having seen De Niro's significant acting capabilities, the casting team invited him in for the role. Fortunately, for everyone involved, De Niro dropped out of playing the part of Paulie Gatto to shoot The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight instead.

How much did they pay Al Pacino for The Godfather?

Al earned $35,000 for his role in the first Godfather in 1972. That's the same as around $215,000 today after adjusting for inflation. For the second Godfather his salary was upped to $500,000, which is the same as $2.6 million in today's dollars.

Why was The Godfather so controversial?

Paramount promoted The Godfather as the first Italian mob drama made by Italians, but some Italians were offended. Italian-Americans were continually portrayed as criminals in the movies and they were fed up.

Who betrayed Vito Corleone in The Godfather?

Paulie has seemingly betrayed Vito—and thus the family—by selling him out. In The Godfather, this kind of betrayal is the worst of all sins.

Who is responsible for killing Sonny Corleone?

At the Long Beach Causeway toll plaza, Barzini's men trap Sonny and shoot him to death. During a meeting with the other crime family dons to establish peace, Vito realizes that Barzini masterminded Sonny's murder. After Michael returns from Sicily, he assumes Sonny's place as Vito's heir apparent.

Who ordered the killing of Michael Corleone in Godfather 3?

Mosca, the assassin hired by Don Altobello to kill Michael, descends upon the opera house during Anthony's performance, killing two of Vincent's men who delay his opportunity. The opera ends before he has the chance to kill Michael with his rifle.

Did Pacino almost get fired from Godfather?

But despite being director Francis For Coppola's first choice to play Michael Corleone, there was a time, while shooting The Godfather, where Pacino almost got fired.

Did Frank Sinatra want to stop The Godfather movie?

The crooner publicly denied his connections to the Mafia to protect his public image, yet Sinatra did have social ties to organized crime, and The Offer depicts him leaning on Joe Columbo to put a stop to The Godfather movie's production.

Why didn't they want Marlon Brando in The Godfather?

But Paramount Pictures firmly opposed hiring Brando. With his reputation for being difficult, Brando might delay production, and in the late 1960s, following a run of failures, he seemed more like box-office poison than the cultural icon he would later become.

Did Al Pacino and Diane Keaton get along in Godfather?

Pacino and Keaton met on the set of The Godfather in 1971, where Pacino scored his career-making role as Michael Corleone. Keaton instantly crushed on her costar. “I was mad for him. Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker,” she told PEOPLE in 2017.

Who was Don Corleone modeled after?

1. Don Corleone was inspired by real-life mob boss Frank Costello. Don Vito Corleone has similarities to several real-life mobsters, including Joe Profaci, who used his olive oil distributorship as a front for his illegal activities, and Carlo Gambino, who used a quiet, non-flashy style en route to power.

Was Robert De Niro supposed to be Michael Corleone?

Robert De Niro Could Have Played Michael Corleone, the Role Al Pacino Made Iconic in The Godfather. Sean Levy writes in the excellent biography De Niro: A Life that Francis Ford Coppola considered “a number of names for every key role” in 1972's The Godfather – including De Niro and Pacino.

What disorder does Michael Corleone have?

- Michael is a Sociopath (Antisocial Personality Disorder)

- There is a high potential that during his childhood development Michael saw some of the mafia business and thus was preconditioned to be more oblivious to the damage it was causing.

Who is the most ruthless Corleone?

Michael: He Was More Ruthless

While Vito preferred to reason issues out with his enemies, Michael had them killed. In the first movie, viewers got a sense of just how ruthless Michael was when he killed McCluskey and Solozzo in a diner for being involved in his father's shooting.

Who does Michael Corleone represent in real life?

Michael Corleone was loosely based on Salvatore “Bill” Bonanno, Joseph Bonanno's son, who was groomed to go into the straight life after law school but got prematurely pulled into the family business after his old man was kidnapped.