Trivia. Robert De Niro auditioned for the role of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. He was given the role of Paulie Gatto, but was traded to the film The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight for Al Pacino.

What role did Robert De Niro turn down in The Godfather?

But this happened, and it happened quite early in his career. Director Francis Ford Coppola auditioned De Niro for James Caan's part as Sonny Corleone. The actor almost nailed it but lacked something which did not make him the perfect Don Sonny. He was rejected for the role after the audition.

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 turned down the lead role in 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.

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'.”

The Godfather' Rejected Sylvester Stallone Because He Wasn't "Italian Enough" | SiriusXM

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.

Why did Pacino almost get fired from The Godfather?

Coppola had been feeling the pressure from above at the time and was frustrated with Pacino's approach. “I wanted to come out of nowhere and by the end of the film create some kind of enigma,” Pacino explained of his approach. “His transition is what interested me, and I thought I was unable to save it.”

Who was considered for the role of 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 did they originally want for The Godfather?

Who was originally offered the role of The Godfather and who ended up playing the role? Francis Ford Coppola was constantly at odds with the studio. They wanted a top actor for the role of Michael, like Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds-he pushed for and got a relatively unknown guy named Al Pacino.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 tried to stop The Godfather movie?

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.

Why did Jack Nicholson refuse The Godfather?

Summary. Jack Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather because he believed that Italians should play Italians and Indians should play Indians.

Who turned down Godfather roles?

Jack Nicholson's Reason for Not Joining The Godfather Cast

He read The Godfather script and knew that the film would be a hit, based on the quality of Mario Puzo's novel alone. But even with this enthusiasm for the project, Nicholson turned down the role of Michael Corleone.

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.

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.

Who killed Sonny Corleone and why?

In the late summer of 1948, Sonny Corleone was lured into a trap and was killed at the Jones Beach Causeway by Barzini family hitmen in order to avenge Carlo. The hit was engineered by Emilio Barzini after Carlo, angered at the loss of his income and at the fact that Sonny had beaten him, helped set it up.

Who was supposed to play Don Corleone in The Godfather?

The studio had a laundry list of potential Vito Corleones ranging from Laurence Olivier to Ernest Borgnine, but the audacious Coppola remained unwavering in his quest to secure the 47-year-old actor. After much persistence, Paramount relented and agreed to take a chance on Brando.

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 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.

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].