Who was supposed to play Sonny in The Godfather?

Anthony Perkins auditioned to play Sonny Corleone before James Caan was cast, while the producers also considered John Saxon for the part. Burt Reynolds was one of the filmmakers' top choices, but there's an urban legend that Marlon Brando refused to work with him. Reynolds didn't think Coppola would cast him, anyway.
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Who was originally supposed to play Sonny Corleone?

De Niro auditioned for the character of Sonny Corleone in the first The Goodfather film in 1972 and after a difficult decision, Francis Ford Coppola preferred Caan, who died Thursday at the age of 82. Caan took the character to another level and is still remembered for his performance 50 years later.
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Who turned down the role in Godfather?

Nobody other than Francis Ford Coppola wanted Al Pacino to play Micheal Corleone in The Godfather. Paramount was set on a star like Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, or Jack Nicholson, with Nicholson even getting an offer for the part. However, Nicholson turned down the role.
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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 in Godfather?

Woodcut of Al Pacino. 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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The SHOCKING Rise Of Sonny Corleone | The Godfather Explained

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.
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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.
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Was Vito scared of Luca Brasi?

Although Vito fears and dislikes Brasi, he eventually recruits the brutal thug into his crime family, knowing that Brasi's formidable reputation would intimidate the Corleone family's enemies.
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Did Luca Brasi play a real mobster?

A real mob enforcer played the role of Luca Brasi:

Former pro wrestler turned Colombo family bodyguard Lenny Montana played Luca Brasi in the film.
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Who was the actual mobster in The Godfather?

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.
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Who was the highest paid actor in The Godfather?

A distinguished character actor, Richard S. Castellano was the highest earning actor in The Godfather, whose fame outside the saga included playing Joe Girelli in The Super. He also received an Academy Award nomination for his role in Love and Other Strangers.
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Who turned down Forrest Gump role?

Initially, the film was offered to Bill Murray, John Travolta, and Chevy Chase. All three of them turned down the role and eventually, our true Gump came on the board. And the rest is history!
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How much did Al Pacino make in The Godfather?

For his breakout role as Michael Corleone in 1972's The Godfather, Al Pacino was reportedly paid $35,000. This relatively small salary was due to him being a relative unknown at the time he was cast, though the fact that the movie launched his career most likely more than made up for the lack of upfront payment.
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Who almost got the part of Sonny in The Godfather?

Anthony Perkins auditioned to play Sonny Corleone before James Caan was cast, while the producers also considered John Saxon for the part. Burt Reynolds was one of the filmmakers' top choices, but there's an urban legend that Marlon Brando refused to work with him.
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Did Connie know Carlo killed Sonny?

Connie (who was unaware of her husband's role in Sonny's murder), hysterical after Carlo's death, blames Michael, denouncing him in front of his wife, Kay.
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Why was Apollonia killed?

After Michael is notified of Sonny's murder, he and Apollonia prepare to move to Siracusa, but she is killed by a car bomb meant for Michael, proving the other Mafia families know where he is hiding.
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Was Clemenza a real mobster?

Peter Clemenza is a fictional character who first appeared in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather. He is played by Academy Award-nominee Richard Castellano in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 film adaptation of the novel, and by Bruno Kirby (as a young man) in The Godfather Part II (1974).
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Why was Sinatra against The Godfather?

It's believed this is based on how Frank Sinatra got the part of Private Angelo Maggio in 1953's From Here To Eternity, which won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Sinatra took grave offense to Fontaine's character in The Godfather, seeing it as a thinly-veiled shot at him.
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What is the horrifying origin story of Luca Brasi?

He also took part in the Olive Oil Wars, where he was in the room with six other hitmen and killed all of them in various bloody ways. Another one of his origin stories crosses over with real life. Brasi supposedly killed two of Al Capone's henchmen who were hired to assassinate Don Corleone.
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Why was Luca Brasi killed so early?

He did not care who he angered, as long as he was feared, and he deliberately cultured such a fearsome reputation that even the top crime boss of New York, Giuseppe Mariposa, was afraid of directly retaliating against Brasi for buying his stolen alcohol shipments, to the point where Mariposa demanded that the Corleone ...
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Why does Vito Corleone have puffy cheeks?

Marlon Brando wanted Vito Corleone to look like a bulldog so he stuffed his cheeks with cotton during rehearsal, however in the actual movie he wore special dentures.
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What is the meaning of the oranges in The Godfather?

In Coppola's American Realism, the oranges that spill onto the street speak to the life being drained from Vito as he is shot in the street—a metaphor for the blood being spilled—and stand for the disarray of the family as well.
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Who was Vito Corleone's favorite child?

Even people who aren't familiar with the film can recognise Marlon Brando's weary, wheezy Mafia boss, Vito Corleone, and his favourite son Michael, played by Al Pacino.
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What happened to Tom Hagen in Godfather 2?

The Godfather: Part II

Hagen remains on when Michael moves his family to Nevada, albeit in the reduced role that he dislikes. For instance, he was excluded from his negotiations with rival crime boss Hyman Roth.
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Why did Winona Ryder drop out of The Godfather?

Sofia Coppola, the daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola, was cast in the role of Mary Corleone after several choices dropped out: Winona Ryder discontinued her involvement with the film due to nervous exhaustion, Julia Roberts due to scheduling conflicts, and Madonna was deemed too old for the part by some.
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