Sonic Editions

From Nowhere to Everywhere

Alfredo James Pacino was born to Sicilian parents in the Bronx in 1940. He flirted with a life of crime, lost friends to drugs, and got into fights. But a kind teacher at his junior high saw his potential, casting him in school plays, even visiting with the family to convince them that he was 'made to do this.' His mother disagreed, said that 'poor people don't do acting', precipitating a disagreement that forced Pacino from home.

He worked as a busboy, a janitor, slept on friend's sofas, the streets, until he struck a deal with the Actor's Studio whereby he could take classes for free if he cleaned the hallways and studios at night. He acted in off-Broadway, underground plays, took whatever he could get, until he finally broke into Broadway. Soon his brooding intensity and Sicilian heritage caught the eye of Francis Ford Coppola, who fought tooth and nail with Paramount to cast the virtually unknown young actor as the lead in his gangster epic. His performance as Michael Corleone in The Godfather set him on the path to superstardom. Today, Al Pacino is considered one of the greatest, most versatile actors ever to grace the silver screen, and his career is a testament to indomitable grit and determination, fighting on no matter the odds.