The role Al Pacino wanted to be Oscar nominated

The role Al Pacino wanted to be Oscar nominated

As a seasoned cinephile with decades of movie-watching under my belt, I can confidently say that Al Pacino‘s performance in Scarface is nothing short of iconic. The intensity, the charisma, and the raw power he brought to Tony Montana are unparalleled, even today.


In London, Al Pacino is making the rounds for his newly released autobiography “Sonny Boy,” answering a variety of questions fitting for an actor of his caliber with eight Oscar nominations (for “The Godfather,” “Serpico,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “And Justice For All,” “Dick Tracy,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” and “The Irishman”). Though he won an Oscar for “Scent of a Woman,” some consider it the least deserving of his nominations, Al Pacino has spoken candidly on BBC Radio 4’s breakfast news program about the other films that held significant meaning to him, particularly the roles he hoped would earn him an Oscar nod.

The movie you’re referring to might not be unexpected – it was Scarface, featuring Al Pacino as Tony Montana, a Cuban gangster. This version, released in 1983, was a remake of the 1932 film with Paul Muni, but it was significantly more violent. Directed by Brian de Palma and written by Oliver Stone, it featured several graphic scenes that still make viewers flinch today (such as the scene with the chainsaw in the bathroom). However, at the time, the movie was criticized and overlooked by the Academy (although it received three nominations from the Golden Globes, including one for Pacino, but it didn’t win any). Today, it is viewed more positively and has oddly become a favorite among rappers. Who hasn’t felt the urge to shout out Pacino’s iconic line in the climactic scene, “Say hello to my little friend!”?

Pacino expressed to the reporter that he wished he could have been nominated for the award, as it would have pitted him against his Godfather Part co-star, Robert de Niro, among others in Raging Bull. If he had been nominated, he would have faced competition from Jack Lemmon for Tribute, John Hurt for The Elephant Man, Peter O’Toole for The Stunt Man, and Robert Duvall for The Great Santini. In the end, De Niro was the one who took home the award.

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2024-10-15 13:23