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.

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.

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.

Why did no one want Al Pacino 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.

Why didn t the studio want Marlon Brando to play 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.

Jack Nicholson on turning down The Sting and The Godfather

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.

Who was originally supposed to play Michael Corleone in The 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.

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.

Why wasn t Sylvester Stallone in The Godfather?

Sylvester Stallone Was Rejected Even as Background Talent in The Godfather. Perhaps, the makers were too much selective even while picking up background artists. Of course, it would be fair to assume that is one of the traits of Coppola's filmmaking. But the rejection was a hard hit on Stallone.

Did Robert De Niro turn down The 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.

What word was intentionally omitted from The Godfather?

In an attempt to sort out their differences, the film's producer arranged a meeting with Joseph Colombo who revealed that he had one simple request. “They demanded that he [Albert Ruddy] delete all mentions of 'mafia' in the script,” author of The Godfather Effect, Tom Santopietro, said.

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.

What did Fredo do wrong in The Godfather?

Fredo betrayed his brother to rival gangster Hyman Roth, who used him as a pawn in a plot to destroy the Corleone Family. Fredo provided unspecified information on the Corleone family in return for receiving compensation (what kind is never specified) independently of the family.

Who is the real villain in The Godfather?

Emilio "The Wolf" Barzini is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and in its 1972 film adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Richard Conte.

Did Elvis like The Godfather?

The Godfather (1972)

Elvis was a huge fan of Mario Puzo's novel and wanted to play the the role of consigliere Tom Hagen – the part that eventually went to Robert Duvall. Various sources suggest he got as far as being asked to screen test, and also that he lobbied for the title role.

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!

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 didn t Frank Sinatra like The Godfather movie?

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.

Did Marlon Brando like doing The Godfather?

For his part, Brando wasn't even interested in the role at first. He originally dismissed it saying, "I'm not a Mafia Godfather ... I'm not going to glorify the Mafia."

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.

How much did Al Pacino get paid for Godfather 3?

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. Pacino agreed to the $5 million offer.

Did Al Pacino actually hit Diane Keaton in The Godfather?

Yes it was a real slap. It was the perfect reaction from a real man and a gangster who a woman had just told she aborted his baby. Corleone family as shown through out the whole trilogy is quite devoted towards family traditions, the slap was out of desperation.

Who was meant to play Forrest Gump?

13. John Travolta as Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks won his second Academy Award for playing the kind-hearted, naïve living legend in Robert Zemeckis's classic 1994 film. But Hanks wasn't the first choice; John Travolta was initially offered the role but declined it in favor of another major project.

Why does Michael Corleone always have a handkerchief?

The punch to Michael's face broke his cheek bone which gave him a permanent black eye (and caused his sinuses to continually run - hence the use of a handkerchief all the time) until he got back to America and had surgery to fix it (Freddie says, "that doctor did a good job.")

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.