Alfredo James "Al" Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an American
film and
stage actor and
director. He is best known for his roles as
Michael Corleone in
The Godfather trilogy,
Sonny Wortzik in
Dog Day Afternoon,
Tony Montana in
Scarface,
Carlito Brigante in the 1993 film
Carlito's Way,
Frank Serpico in
Serpico,
Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in
Scent of a Woman, and
Roy Cohn in
Angels in America. He won the
Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992 for his role in
Scent of a Woman after receiving seven previous nominations.
Early life and education
Pacino was born in
East Harlem,
Manhattan, the son of
Italian-American parents Rose (
née Gerardi) and Salvatore Alfred Pacino, who divorced when he was two years old.
His mother subsequently moved to the
South Bronx, to live with her parents, Kate and James Gerardi, who originated from
Corleone,
Sicily.
His father moved to
Covina,
California, working as an insurance salesman and owner of a restaurant called
Pacino's Lounge, which closed in 1992. Pacino attended a school officially named
High School of Performing Arts, a division of the Fiorello H. La Guardia High School of Music and the Arts in New York City, the main school of which was attended by
Godfather II costar
Robert De Niro.
[Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio, 2006] Pacino flunked nearly all of his classes except
English and dropped out of school at the age of 17. His mother disagreed with his decision; they had an argument and he left home. He worked at a string of low-paying jobs, including messenger boy,
busboy, janitor and postal clerk, in order to finance his acting studies.
[The Biography Channel (UK): "Al Pacino"]
