As the famous story goes, Duvall wanted to be paid a comparable sum to what Pacino was getting, and when he received word that he wasn't, he declined. This was arguably the most devastating hit to The Godfather Part III, and the finished product sorely missed the gravitas of his presence.

Why was Robert Duvall not in Godfather 2?

Duvall reprised the role in The Godfather Part II but did not appear in The Godfather Part III due to a salary disagreement. He did, however, reprise the role of Hagen for the videos games The Godfather: The Game in 2006 and The Godfather II in 2008. He is still a respected figure in the acting world to this day.

Why isn't Tom Hagen in Godfather 3?

According to The Godfather Part III, Hagen has already died before the time frame of the film, which is 1979–1980. There is no specific indication in the film as to when or how he died, except that it was prior to his son, Andrew (John Savage), being ordained a Roman Catholic priest.

What actor turned down the role of Michael Corleone?

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.

Why was Sofia Coppola criticized for Godfather III?

The other criticism came from the performance itself, with critics calling her stiff, amateurish, and unconvincing, to name a few of the insults thrown her way.

Why Was Robert Duvall Not In The Godfather Part 3? | Tom Hagen's Death Explained

What word was intentionally omitted from the film The Godfather?

A civil-rights league ensured the words "mafia" and "Cosa Nostra" were excluded from the film. With concern that the film would portray harmful Italian stereotypes, the Italian-American Civil Rights League held a rally in 1970 to protest and halt the production.

Why did Winona Ryder leave Godfather III?

Winona Ryder was originally cast as Mary Corleone but had to leave the film due to doctor-recommended reasons, which led Francis Ford Coppola to cast his daughter, Sofia Coppola.

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 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.

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.

Did Michael regret killing Fredo?

He is also mentioned many times throughout the film; the dialogue makes it clear that Michael is tormented with guilt over ordering his brother's death, and that it has alienated him from his ex-wife, Kay (Diane Keaton), and his son, Anthony (Franc D'Ambrosio), both of whom know the truth about Fredo's death.

Why did Michael cut Tom Hagen out?

After Michael Corleone became operating head of the Corleone family after returning from Sicily, he removed Hagen as consigliere on his father's advice, restricting him to handling the family's legal business in Nevada, Chicago, and Los Angeles due to seeing Hagen as some sort of weak link.

Why was Tom Hagen killed?

Tom Hagen was originally going to return for The Godfather: Part III, and the central plot was going to be a split between Tom and Michael. The character was killed off when the film's producers refused to accommodate Duvall's salary demands.

Why was Al Pacino not wanted 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'.”

Did Al Pacino not want to be in The Godfather?

“There was a movement not to have me in the part,” Pacino acknowledged. “I didn't want me in the part.” Coppola threatened to quit if Pacino didn't get the role; Evans finally agreed as long as Caan was cast as Sonny. A few weeks into production, Coppola had second thoughts.

Did Marlon Brando refuse 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.

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.

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.

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

However, since Pacino wasn't Coppola's first option for the role, things could've followed a different course. The part of Michael Corleone was first offered to Dustin Hoffman, who turned it down due to his involvement in Bob Fosse's Lenny.

Why wasn t Robert De Niro in The Godfather?

Robert De Niro was almost in “The Godfather”

De Niro had originally been cast in the role of Paulie, but left the movie to take a role in the film “The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.” The reason there was an opening in that film? Pacino had left the movie to play Michael.

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.

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.

Who did Nicolas Cage play in The Godfather 3?

Nicolas Cage almost played Vincent, Sonny Corleone's son, in The Godfather Part III, as the actor, also Coppola's nephew, begged the director for the role. Unlike Sofia Coppola, however, Garcia was widely praised as Vincent, and he was even nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.

Who was supposed to play Mary Corleone?

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.

Who turned down Godfather?

Anyone who knows anything about film history knows that Michael Corleone was a role made famous by Al Pacino, and in turn, the role did the same for him. But before Al Pacino got the part, Jack Nicholson was notably in the running to play Michael, but he declined the role for a rather progressive reason.