De Niro had a pivotal role in Francis Ford Coppola's crime epic The Godfather Part II (1974), playing the young Vito Corleone. De Niro had previously auditioned for the first installment, The Godfather (1972), but quit the project in favor of doing The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.

Did Robert De Niro audition for Godfather?

Robert De Niro auditioned for the 1972 film The Godfather and was surprisingly rejected. Watch his audition tape. Robert De Niro is one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema. So it is quite hard to believe that he would have auditioned for something and did not land a role for the same.

Why wasn't Robert De Niro in The First 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.

Why did Robert De Niro turn down The Godfather?

Robert De Niro originally was given the part of Paulie Gatto. A spot in The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight opened up after Al Pacino quit the project in favor of The Godfather, which led De Niro to audition for the role and leave The Godfather after receiving the part.

Who turned down roles in The Godfather?

Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson both turned down the role of Michael. There were many actors considered for role of Michael. Robert Redford…he was too WASPish, Martin Sheen who actually auditioned for the role. Who turned down the Godfather role?

memorable performance by Robert de Niro Italian scene from the godfather part 2

Why did Jack Nicholson refuse The Godfather?

The primary reason why Jack Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather was that the presently retired Nicholson, who identified himself as being Irish throughout his career, felt that the role of the Italian-American Michael should be played by an Italian actor.

Who was the first choice to play Don Corleone?

Hard as it may be to believe, Brando was not the first choice to play Don Vito Corleone. The British legend Sir Laurence Olivier was the first actor to be offered the role. Sir Laurence pleaded date issues.

Did Robert De Niro really speak Italian in The Godfather?

Robert De Niro spent four months learning to speak the Sicilian dialect of Italian in order to play Vito Corleone. Nearly all of the dialogue that his character speaks in the film was in Sicilian. Originally, the actors in the flashback scenes wore pants with zippers.

What did Robert De Niro have to do with The Godfather?

1974–1980: Scorsese collaboration and acclaim. De Niro had a pivotal role in Francis Ford Coppola's crime epic The Godfather Part II (1974), playing the young Vito Corleone.

Why didn't they like Al Pacino in The Godfather?

Posting a portion of Al Pacino's audition tape for the role of Michael Corleone to his Instagram account, the director stated: “The interesting thing here, was a reason given to me against casting Pacino was not only was he too short, but also too 'scruffy'.”

Who almost played Sonny in The Godfather?

Anthony Perkins not only auditioned for Sonny, but also for Tom Hagen. Originally Caan was to be cast as the main character Michael Corleone (Sonny's youngest brother), while Carmine Caridi was signed as Sonny. However Coppola demanded that the role of Michael be played by Al Pacino instead.

Did Al Pacino and Robert De Niro get along?

Al and Robert met for the first time in Manhattan through mutual friends more than 50 years ago. Their acting careers were just getting into full swing at the time but there was a special bond that formed between them right away.

Was Al Pacino's big break The Godfather?

Al Pacino in 'The Godfather'

His big break, though, came in 1972 when he stepped into the role of Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather.

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 Jack Nicholson going to play in The Godfather?

He believed Chinatown and The Last Detail had stronger scripts than The Godfather and The Sting. Although initially interested in playing Michael Corleone, Nicholson felt he was the wrong choice for the role.

Did Al Pacino learn Italian for Godfather?

While his character may have spoken Italian on screen, Pacino himself did not speak fluent Italian during those iconic scenes [2]. Instead, he skillfully delivered his lines in the Sicilian dialect, adding a layer of authenticity and depth to the character [2].

Did Al Pacino want to do Godfather 3?

Al Pacino was offered $5 million to reprise his role as Michael. But Pacino wanted $7 million plus a percentage of the gross. Francis Ford Coppola refused. He threatened to rewrite the script by starting the story with Michael's funeral sequence instead of the film's introduction.

How did Al Pacino feel about The Godfather?

But 'The Godfather' gave me a new identity that was hard for me to cope with.” Pacino added, “It's a piece of work that I was so fortunate to be in. But it's taken me a lifetime to accept it and move on. It's not like I played Superman.”

Who is Robert De Niro in The First Godfather?

Robert De Niro was cast in 3 roles for The Godfather before he played ... | the godfather | TikTok. Robert De Niro was cast in multiple roles in this film. He was cast as Pauly Gato, who was that driver who was sick.

Why did Marlon Brando refused to appear in Godfather 2?

Casting. Several actors from the first film did not return for the sequel. Marlon Brando initially agreed to return for the birthday flashback sequence, but the actor, feeling mistreated by the board at Paramount, failed to show up for the single day's shooting. Coppola then rewrote the scene that same day.

Can Robert De Niro speak Sicilian?

Robert De Niro has alweys been proud of his Italian roots, as a matter of fact his great-grandparents were from Molise. His ability in speaking the Sicilian dialect in The Godfather II led him to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Clint Eastwood acted in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy.

Does Leo DiCaprio speak Italian?

Which languages does Leonardo Dicaprio speak? English, Italian and German– that's three languages! Global star Leonardo DiCaprio is well-known for his acting abilities, good looks and charm, but many are unaware of his linguistic abilities.

Who didn't want Al Pacino in The Godfather?

Diane Keaton said she was cast before Al Pacino in the 1972 classic gangster flick "The Godfather." The actress said Pacino was not the first choice to star as Michael Corleone in the Francis Ford Coppola film. "Nobody wanted Al Pacino.

Was Paul Newman in The Godfather?

Paul Newman As Tom Hagen

Both Newman and Steve McQueen were considered for the role, but Robert Duvall was eventually chosen to portray Tom Hagen.

Who was being groomed to take over for The Godfather?

Tom Hagen is not related to the family by blood but is considered one of the Don's sons because he was homeless when he befriended Sonny in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan. Now a talented attorney, Tom is being groomed for the important position of Consigliere (counselor) to the Don.