Al Pacino Thought His Film Career Was Over In The ‘80s | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you know what shocked me is again and I. I think I speak for a lot of us when I. think uh type up put your name in and. you're just going to see one of the the. great if not the most influential actors. blah blah blah blah you in the 80s hit a. CT spot and you talk about it in the. book yeah and you think well my movie. career is over and you are kind of out. of it for a little bit you're you're. trying to do some theater and stuff but. that's shocking to me now because that. wasn't something you felt it you lived.

it well I thought I I don't know what's. going on I thought uh I I don't want to. be doing this anymore there's something. going on things are not work Scarface. was such a disaster and when I thought. it was you know it was a a good film I. mean it was going to work but it didn't. and uh it made actually made money was. the critics sort of uh took a dislike to. it but at the same time I.

I I just didn't know I didn't want to do. it anymore I thought well let's refresh. and let's go back and and do some of the. things that I uh that I um started with. you know that fed you things like. theater getting there being connected to. people get away from this this stuff. yeah talking through things pieces of. work you know whether it's edus or. whatever you know because you know when. you do those kind of plays they're.

they're always in translation of course. so translation means everything who's. the translator and so spending time with. that stuff whether you're doing check. off or strinberg or some of the great. plays american plays you know so I I I. like getting involved and that's what. happens at the actor Studio you you're. able that's what we do there and so uh. uh I did a movie called looking for. Richard I was going to bring this this. is what I was going to bring up was. going to bring this up for a reason you.

did this project called looking for. Richard and it's about Richard III and. it's a it's so many things it's a. fascinating movie. because uh there you see different. performances Richard II interpretations. of it throughout the film but you do. something that I have some familiarity. with which is a big part of my career. has been leaving the studio getting a. camera finding real people and trying to. make something happen and I love that. part it terrifies me but I love it and. it's been.

I don't know maybe 70% of the work that. I've done that people really like is. that kind of work where I'm out there. doing this stuff and uh and and things. are happening in real time a big part of. looking for Richard there's a there's a. thread that runs through it where it's. you on the street talking to people. about what does Shakespeare mean to you. and you are so quick and funny and. vulnerable and I I I could I was.

watching that par going like damn it. he's good at that you know I mean I. that's the one thing that I can relate. to of all of your work is going out. there with a camera and I was blown away. you're talking to people you're getting. them to talk about Shakespeare you're on. the streets in New York you talk to some. young kid and you say what do you think. of Hamlet he goes Hamlet sucks you go. Hamlet. sucks but it's wonderful it's fantastic. it's you out there and what I love is. you keep stripping it all away yeah and.

saying let's lose all this yeah yeah. yeah. Oscar iconic films let's lose all that. I'm going to put on a baseball cap. backwards and I'm going to walk through. the streets and talk to people about. Shakespeare and we're going to get our. hands dirty I was sort of driven to that. by having what you had just said that. you you you you want to have a piece of. yourself in this you want. to you're tired of just doing stuff. that's not giving you what you need as. in your in your creative uh that.

creative Gene we have and it's just not. being supplied with stuff because it it. happens to everybody so other actors too. you know you you you that's why some. actors I talk about that in the book. will. repeat repeat roles because they scored. in them and they did well in them and. they continue to do well and but they're. capable of doing much more it's hard to. grow if you don't keep.

you got to challenge yourself that's. that's why I like chaos yeah well you're. in the right place I certainly am and. that's why I looked at you and I. said the other day I wanted my son who's. 18 to see I wanted him to see real. acting real writing so I said come with. me my wife was out of town uh it sounds. like I'm going to show him pornography. but that. was but um but no she's out of town.

this is an all this is. a this is called Debbie Does Dallas um. no uh I showed him Glen the movie Glen. Gary Glenn Ross yeah and he's riveted. I'm. riveted such an incredible cast the. whole thing and the next morning I go. and he's blown away and I'm like okay. you get it that's that's that's and he. loved it and then next morning I go to. get breakfast and I run smack into David.

Mammoth and wow uh yeah and um I said. hey last night and uh he was like please. leave me alone. uh no no he's always been very wonderful. when I run into him but I I could just. tell all of all of you were so great in. that film. but I your character so intimidates me. he's Charming but he's intimidating at. the same time you know and it's you've. got this uh I don't know it it that's.

one of my favorite performances too. absolutely incredible performance I. thought Jack Lemon as time goes on he. really steps out in that part Jack Lemon. yeah absolutely I mean my it's I tried. doing that part in New York on Broadway. doing Jack's part because they did a. produ you were Richie Roma I was Richie. Roma yeah in the film but then you. switched and you did his part on. Broadway on Broadway and I did his part. and uh I I thought I could do his part.

somewhat it's a good part let me try. that it's so totally different than. Richie Roma so I I started it but I. didn't. realize this is Mammoth and you have to. have time to you know AC Acquire The. Taste and be able to live through this. part and uh we had three weeks rehearsal. and I didn't have any lines that I was. able to say you know so uh but at the. same time realized how great Jack Lemon.

was in this role and I thought wow I. should have watched it before I did it. but I I didn't know where I was on. Broadway and that's that's a tough. that's a tough thing to go through but I. did I did remember that I said look I I. don't know what to do here because. there's times I don't know what the. lines are this is Mammoth now it's like. rewriting Shakespeare yeah but uh I I. did I did uh I started saying things.

that came to me that's my new thing. which you know we go through various. phases where we go a little nuts and. then we start doing nutty things and. sometimes things come out of that you. know oh I'm familiar you get a little. Cherry you know so but you start ad. liing I MTH MTH so now yeah I thought I. don't know why I can't get this. monologue at all I I can't get it and. it's said I don't know what how it's. written in a certain way so I said I. going start saying my own words here say. the the actors with me was so great I.

mean they were right with it that I I. even say things on the state then I. started dancing on the stre here you. started doing soft shoe soft shoe in the. middle of the play and then I because. I'm a real believer in we have things. with acting that all of a sudden the. unconscious comes out you free yourself. so you uh your unconscious starts to you. know Express itself and I was walking. down the street after I realized that I. did what I did I said what why did I do.

that why and then I said wait a minute. my dad had who I didn't know much you. know that he left early but he was a. Salesman he was a Salesman and he was a. great ball Ballroom dancer so you think. you maybe channeled him a little bit I. channeled him of course I did don't get. it. me how come you don't know. that you see what I mean you got to get. out there cing oh my godess yourself um.

no but it was interesting you know. there's another thing I'm doing a a a. play at Shakespeare play at the public. theater and I'm tired and you know all. of a sudden you're doing eight. performances a week who invented that. that's the worst thing that could ever. happen to anybody it ruins All actors uh. and I'm doing a performances and I'm not. doing really well so I'm doing it but. I'm getting through it and with me. everything is time I believe it's that's.

why I love the theater so much because. it's time I mean I did American buffalo. over four years I did movies in between. but by the fourth year I didn't have to. do anything when I went on stage it was. it it had Bon entered the bones but I'm. doing Shakespeare and I'm doing this. have this huge uh monologue talking to a. lot of people and I'm and I'm tired but. it's it's a maybe a MAA on Saturday or.

Sunday I don't know and I'm talking and. I'm talking and I start thinking wait a. minute I'm repeating myself every line. I'm saying I've said right before so I'm. saying it twice and I said oh my God and. I'm saying the lines to me I'm saying. them twice and I'm thinking the audience. is being friendly they're sort of scared. because they think I think this actor is. losing it I think we're gonna have to.

carry him somewhere and take him to a. hospital afterwards he's crazy and I I. got really scared and then it it took me. a while to recover I don't know if I. ever did but at the end of the show I. didn't I wasn't doing that but it felt. like it w this is what exhaustion on the. stage means you know I mean it really is. especially with the big roles you know. so I just I just refused to do that and.

then I just said don't pay me don't pay. me and I'll do six a week right I now I. do like three right I just don't tell. anyone.