This Oscar winner was raised by a single mum, was arrested, lost $50 million but made some of Hollywood’s biggest movies

Al Pacino has a life story that most Hollywood actors cannot match. As a child, Al grew up in the impoverished environment of the South Bronx, where he was raised by his mom after the separation of his parents. Al did menial jobs, was at one time homeless, and was even arrested in his mid-20s. Then, many years down the line, he lost a fortune of about $50 million. Yet he became one of cinema's greatest actors, with unforgettable performances that changed film history.

How Al Pacino overcame poverty and became The Godfather

Al Pacino was born in an Italian American family. But when he was only a child, his parents got divorced. Her parents, John and Kate Gerardi, were immigrants from Corleone, Sicily. This town was later used to name the fictitious Corleone family of The Godfather.

Finances were always an issue for his family. Al graduated from high school and started working to earn a living. Some of the jobs that he worked at include messenger, janitor, clerk, and busboy. At one point in time during the 1960s, Pacino was homeless. In spite of all these challenges, his mother and grandfather always supported his desire to become an actor.

An early arrest before fame

Years before Al Pacino could become an actor, he found himself embroiled in legal issues. On the 27th day of January, 1961, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, he was pulled over in his vehicle.

The police discovered black gloves, masks, a loaded .38 calibre revolver, and two toy guns in the car. He allegedly said that he and his buddies were actors from New York City. Al Pacino was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and was in custody for 4 days.

The iconic role that almost slipped away

Al Pacino’s acting career took a turn when Francis Ford Coppola cast him as Michael Corleone in The Godfather. But Paramount Pictures was not happy with this decision and wanted to use well-known actors.He envisioned the role in a completely different way. The actor purposely portrayed Michael as a shy and indecisive individual who was nearly unnoticeable in the first scenes. He felt that this would make his character's subsequent rise to power more impressive.

He envisioned the role in a completely different way. The actor purposely portrayed Michael as a shy and indecisive individual who was nearly unnoticeable in the first scenes. He felt that this would make his character's subsequent rise to power more impressive.

Originally, the studio executives believed the acting was without any charisma, and thoughts of replacing him were raised. Even Francis Coppola himself began to doubt if he was on the right track. All of this changed once the murder at the restaurant sequence was completed.

Losing $50 million and rebuilding himself

Al Pacino, despite being one of the biggest names in Hollywood for decades, had to face yet another hurdle. In his memoir Sonny Boy, Al confessed that he had been earning millions. But due to financial irresponsibility over the years, he found himself with virtually no money at all.

Al Pacino had even acknowledged the fact that excessive expenditure made things worse because he was spending a lot on maintaining his expensive property, even though he didn’t stay in it. Despite all these shortcomings, Al Pacino was determined to act and became one of the most respected actors in the business.

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