“The Godfather” could have been a completely different movie, because it happens Al Pacino almost got the ax for his iconic portrayal of Michael Corleone!
The role ended up earning Al an Oscar nomination, so it’s incredible to think that the studio initially wanted Ryan O’Neal, Robert Redfordor Warren Beatty instead of. And even after the director Francisco Ford Coppola defended Pacino for the show, the journey to prove the naysayers wrong was very difficult.
Al spills the tea on his memoir “Sonny Boy”… saying that just a week and a half after filming began, Francis dropped the bombshell that Paramount wasn’t feeling him for the role.
Francis even showed him footage of his performance, and Al acknowledged that he wasn’t killing it, despite admitting that he was deliberately underestimating Michael because he wanted to explore the character’s journey and potential.
Fortunately, Francisco yet had his back turned to Al, and he sped up filming the iconic restaurant shooting scene to show the Paramount bosses what he was made of.
And boy, was it worth it! Al poured everything into that scene, filming for a grueling 15 hours while Michael kicked ass Al Lettieri and Sterling Haydenpoint-blank characters.
He also shared that his co-stars were like a safety net for him, understanding that he was carrying the weight of the world — and the threat of being fired — on his shoulders, so they really tried hard to keep his spirits high.