Who did Paramount want to play Michael Corleone?

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. Coppola wanted an unknown Italian American actor.
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Who was originally supposed to play Michael Corleone?

Numerous actors, many of whom were bankable stars, were considered to play Michael. From Jack Nicholson to Warren Beatty and Robert Redford, some of Hollywood's biggest stars were either offered the role or turned it down. Coppola held out for Pacino, but Paramount made a move to cast James Caan as Michael.
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Who almost played Michael Corleone in The Godfather?

Warren Beatty was offered the chance to direct, produce and star as Michael but turned it down. {Can you imagine Warren Beatty directing the Godfather?) Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson both turned down the role of Michael.
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Who turned down the role of Michael Corleone?

Al Pacino's portrayal of Michael Corleone in The Godfather is iconic and synonymous with the character's image in the minds of audiences. Jack Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone because he believed that actors should stick to playing characters of their own ethnicity.
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Who was Paramount's first choice to play Michael in The Godfather?

As well as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino is synonymous with 'The Godfather', but the actor wasn't Paramount's first choice for Michael Corleone. The likes of Robert Redford and Ryan O'Neal were in the running for the role, while Martin Sheen and James Caan (who went on to play Sonny Corleone) screen-tested for the part.
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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.
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Who turned down the role of Johnny Fontane?

Damone eventually declined the role because of a salary dispute and also because he did not want to provoke the mob or anger Frank Sinatra, whom Damone profoundly respected. Ultimately, the part of Johnny Fontane was given to Martino.
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Who auditioned for Kay in The Godfather?

Mia Farrow As Kay Corleone

But she wasn't the first choice for the role. Three horror movie starlets — Rosemary's Baby's Mia Farrow, Don't Look Now's Julie Christie, and Trilogy of Terror's Karen Black (who got her film debut in Francis Ford Coppola's You're a Big Boy Now) — were also considered to play Kay.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Who was supposed to play Mary Corleone?

Try watching this video on www.youtube.com, or enable JavaScript if it is disabled in your browser. However, Coppola playing Mary was not the original plan, as Winona Ryder was first cast, and even flew to Rome to shoot just one day after wrapping production on another film.
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Who was the original choice for 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.
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Who tried out for the role of Michael Corleone?

Potential candidates for Michael included the era's most bankable stars, including Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Ryan O'Neal and Jack Nicholson. "Martin Sheen was considered," Seal says. "Frank Langella. Nobody wanted Al Pacino, except for Coppola.
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Who was Hyman Roth in The Godfather based on?

Roth is a Jewish mobster and investor, and a business partner of Vito Corleone and later his son Michael Corleone. He is based on notorious mobster and gambling kingpin Meyer Lansky. It was Al Pacino who suggested Lee Strasberg, his former acting teacher, for the role.
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Who was originally going to play Sonny in The Godfather?

The following year, Coppola cast him as the short-tempered Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. Originally, Caan was cast as Michael Corleone (Sonny's youngest brother); both Coppola and Caan demanded that this role be played by Al Pacino, so Caan could play Sonny instead. Robert De Niro was also considered to play Sonny.
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Who did Paramount want to play Don Corleone?

Brando had been acquiring a reputation for not just box-office flops such as Burn and not being able to draw crowds to the cinema like he used to. Puzo wanted Brando as Don Corleone, going so far as to write Brando a letter pleading with him to take the part, but Paramount wanted Danny Thomas.
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Who was originally cast as Luca Brasi?

Lenny Montana(1926-1992)

Tall and solidly built, this Italian-American professional wrestler turned actor was born Lenny Passaforo in Brooklyn, New York, and is best remembered for his first on-screen role as the not too bright but ever loyal bodyguard Luca Brasi in.
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Who was the first choice to play Vito Corleone?

Despite Francis Ford Coppola's obsession with the famed actor, Marlon Brando was far from studio's first choice to play Vito Corleone. Rather, they wanted nearly anyone else, considering other well-regarded actors such as George C. Scott, Anthony Quinn and Ernest Borgnine.
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Was Michael in love with Apollonia?

Even when they walk together and she briefly stumbles, Michael catching her can be seen as a metaphor for exercising control. Later, in The Godfather Part III, Michael has a flashback about Apollonia. While he states that he loved her, it isn't clear if that is actually an honest admission.
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Did Michael actually love Kay?

lisbethblom said: Al Pacino in 1990: “Michael loved Kay when he met her and he loved her throughout his life and he loves her to this day. He not only loves her but he also admires her.” lisbethblom said: This is such a fantastic write up.
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Who tried to stop the making of The Godfather?

Colombo family crime boss Joe Colombo (center) first tried to stop production on the "The Godftaher" — then turned over and helped it get made. Director Francis Ford Coppola accepted one of the film's three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
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Who was fired from The Godfather?

Ruddy (Miles Teller) was fired as the producer of The Godfather but the Paramount+ series makes the circumstances even more dramatic than they were in real life.
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Was Johnny Fontaine really based on Frank Sinatra?

In real life, Sinatra reportedly believed that the book's drunken, philandering lounge singer Johnny Fontaine was based on him. Puzo long denied that Fontaine was anything but a fictional character, but the portrayal rubbed Ol' Blue Eyes the wrong way.
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