Al Pacino's Godfather Role Sent Him to Hospital
The legendary actor's commitment to portraying Michael Corleone pushed him beyond his physical limits, resulting in a serious health scare that nearly derailed his career during the making of the sequel.
Hollywood stardom comes with its perks, but the demanding nature of acting can sometimes push performers to their breaking point. For Al Pacino, one of his most celebrated performances nearly cost him his health when the intense pressure of filming left him requiring medical treatment.
From Unknown to Icon
Back in the 1970s, Pacino was still relatively new to the movie business when he landed the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. With only a couple of films under his belt - Me, Natalie and The Panic in Needle Park - he was about to step into the major leagues of cinema. Director Francis Ford Coppola saw something special in the young performer and took a chance on him for this crucial part.
That gamble paid off tremendously. Pacino's portrayal became so definitive that it's impossible to picture anyone else in the role. He went on to reprise Michael Corleone in the 1974 sequel and again in 1990's third installment, cementing his place in movie history.
The Physical and Mental Toll
However, success came at a steep price. The psychological demands of embodying such a complex, dark character proved overwhelming. During production of the second film, Pacino's body finally gave out under the strain. He developed bronchial pneumonia and had to be hospitalized, a experience he described as "frightening" in an interview with Leonard Probst.
"This had to do with a combination of nervous exhaustion and my own need to get away, to pull out. I'm not very fond of doing films – it's wear and tear on me," Pacino explained. The actor found himself trapped in Michael's isolated, heavy mindset for months on end.
Living in Character's Shadow
"Drove me crazy. Drove me crazy. Godfather Two put me in the hospital. It was doing this character, the loneliness of him. I couldn't be that guy and have a good time," Pacino revealed. The 20-week shooting schedule meant carrying that emotional burden constantly, which became suffocating and painful.
"I wanted to have stuff inside. We were working 20 weeks on that film. I was living with that weight all the time, and it was suffocating; it was hurting. In film, it's much more difficult, especially Michael Corleone. It's a film performance, it's a character done on film," he added.
Despite earning Oscar nominations for both Godfather films, Pacino didn't win for either performance. Still, his work as the youngest Corleone son, taking over the family business after Marlon Brando's Vito passes away, remains legendary. For many fans, Michael Corleone is the first character that comes to mind when thinking of Pacino, even before Tony Montana or Serpico.
With age and experience, Pacino has learned to protect himself better. "The more experienced you become, the more aware you become, you start taking less and less out on your own experience, I think. Jimmy Dean did it to a great extent. He was very young, and it hurt him," he reflected.