Al Pacino Was Almost Fired From “The Godfather” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you know it's interesting because uh. you you you're grabbed by the theater. you're this kid as I said who you you. start reading check off you start. reading the classics and it grabs you. and you start seeing some Productions. you get into theater you have so many go. nowhere jobs just to just to stay stay. alive I mean you're you're delivering. papers you're you're building. superintendent for a while but not a. good one.

never never the guy came out and started. talking about me a few years back yeah. saying he was a terrible super or. something like that and I. thought why why would he say that who's. a terrible super I'm sure there's a lot. around I mean you know no I saw that. there's a really old man who was like I. remember him he was a terrible super and. I'm like okay take his Oscar back I take. not terrible super.

Christopher Walkin bad. mechanic Robert dairo just awful. substitute. teacher you know it's like what the. what are you talking about these are so. you come along you're doing uh theater. and then this thing that people dream. about happens which is you get noticed. Francis Ford copel is going to make the. Godfather and he. says I want this guy Al paccino.

and the studio says you of course. we want we want Robert Redford we want. you know we want we we we want uh you. know we want someone who's been a. success we want someone who looks a. certain way we want someone probably. blond hair blue-eyed whatever sorry yeah. exactly I'm looking at you when I say it. I'm sorry they wanted me actually you. know my grandmother I was eight at the. time yeah my grandmother my mother's.

side has blonde hair and blue eyes so. just to note that I'm y it's in there. it's in you somewhere yeah it is but. what I'm say put it in you they don't. want you but and they I've seen the. screen test where they're saying okay. well how about Jimmy Khan is Michael Co. how about they're trying everybody. they're throwing everybody in there you. but FR for a couple of sticks with you. they start. shooting and you can tell you the book.

and it's riveting on the set people are. like I don't know about this guy I don't. know about this guy I don't what and you. can feel it yeah well they were. giggling you heard giggling yes so the. here's what's amazing to me these scenes. that I've watched and that everyone's. watched in this room a 100,000. times that are now iconic master classes. in how you play a character you're doing. it and people are going oh man let's. hope they get a real actor in here soon.

which is unbelievable to me was it that. severe. Conan I was an 8-year-old kid but I was. there and I had a lot of pull with the. studio I called Paramount and I was like. I don't think he's got it who is this. 8-year-old C. O'Brian what are you doing it'll be a. big deal someday you'll see why aren't. using a real phone why are you miming. one with your. hands my.

funny but no and and the thing is which. is to me I look at that performance and. as you say in the book your concept. which was clearly the right one which is. you got to slowly see Michael come to. this position and then there's the. iconic scene where they're all trying to. figure out after veto's been shot what. to do and you are sitting there with. your broken jaw and you say okay we. arrange a meeting and the camera's. pushing in I can't watch that and I. can't talk about it without tingling.

because I think it is a beautiful way to. tell a story through acting but it takes. patience and the studio was saying well. they wanted to see something else I. guess and uh both Francis and I I think. felt that way about but we were unable. at least I was unable to articulate what. I was doing but I was doing that I. thought about it on my long walks in. Manhattan you talk about it you would. take long walks you get the film but it.

hasn't started shooting yet you took. long walks yeah I would go all the way. from 91st to the village and back 91st. in Broadway and I just think about the. part think about it I still do that with. rules I just think about them and. uh and uh it it's fun gets me through. the walk yeah you get your step I'm glad. to know that in uh coming up with who. Michael Corone was you got your steps in.

yeah there it is I I I managed not to. get hit by a car that's that was in. those days they should make a Fitbit. that tells you you have achieved the. character 10,000 steps and You' stop. stop now you've nailed Michael Coro. you've got it I love it but you know. what's fascinating to me that I didn't. know is that they Copo wants to show the. studio so it wasn't supposed to shoot. yet but he moves up the famous scene in. the Italian restaurant I I think he said. he didn't do that so I I corrected in.

the book a little bit but but it's a. good story let's go but it is I think. it's true I think he was sensing it but. the uh the conversation in The Ginger. Man do you remember the gingerman in. Manhattan 64th and and that's where he. called me in and he was sitting there. with his family and eating and it's a a. a bar in grill that I I frequented and a.

lot of people did it beautiful did you. ever go there I didn't go there but uh. but I you talk about it and it's kind of. very well known it's kind of iconic. place it was a hang out a watering hole. a place I mean you know uh Bernstein. would go in there and great music. because Lincoln Center was across the. street from it so you'd see people who. you know collaborated with on on things. so I walked in there again that was a. big thing for me to walk into ginger man. because you know I didn't go there.

because I didn't have money to buy the. drinks so I I I went in there and. Francis was eating with his family and. and and I was standing there and he says. we had a talk so I thought well where. are we going to go you know and we're. not going to go anywhere he didn't say. that but he's thought he didn't thing is. you're standing he's sitting and he and. he doesn't invite you to sit that's. that's the first side this is important. you're standing there and you've. shooting for I mean a couple of weeks.

now yeah and he tells you well he tells. me uh you know I had faith in you I. believed in. you I said yeah I I know he says well. you're not uh you're not cutting it I. thought oh what do I do now what do I. say now I said well uh I guess that. would would be a problem I guess I mean. so tell me what do you mean he says well. I want to show you the rushers meaning. the footage.

that we had shot already and that I was. going to see something I said well can I. have can I have some of that. hamburger this retrospect you know I. love to think what I would have might. have done I wanted to. do so I went to the Paramount uh theater. that they had the screening and I sat. there you I wasn't used to looking at. myself on screen I I just didn't want to. do that I didn't I had done panic and.

needle Park already so I was I don't. know if you've seen that film and You'. had a little bit of experience not much. not much at all that was my first film. or a Patty Duke film that's I had a. couple of lines. in but I went and saw the rushes and I'm. looking at the screen and I'm seeing the. takes of different things I'm thinking. well that is not. spectacular but why should it be because. I'm trying to see I was was hoping that.

I could blend in with the scenery and. not be seen specifically or you know. spotted and wow you know right I just. wanted to just blend and just be natural. and I thought well I know that's the way. it looks now but it that's part of what. is going to turn into Michael corio and. that's going to be the impact because. where did this guy what where did this. guy come from yeah the and he's an.

enigmatic kind of character anyway. throughout the Godfathers one and two. especially uh so uh I thought that was. the way I I was going to go so of course. I said to Francis naturally the actor's. Instinct I just said yeah I see what you. mean yeah yeah that always quiets. everybody. down I see I see what you're saying yes. sure yeah yeah I'll work on that we'll. work on and then I thought well then I.

thought I was out and I sort of uh I. sort of wanted to be out in a way you. yeah I did I thought what am I doing in. this place I mean this is and those guys. in the restaurant with me the great. Sterling Hayden Sterling Hayden and. little Al the I mean they were amazing. Salo yeah salatu and mean the thing is. you shoot that scene which is you know. to this day I I can't watch that scene. and not have my eyeballs fall out. sitting across from him likes Sal loto.

yeah yeah yeah yeah and don't let this. man go to the bathroom I know we have an. Old Shane flusher too bad Old With You. pull the chain uh so I um I don't like. repeats and you're safe you're all right. so uh so you shoot that scene they send. that scene yeah to Paramount the to the. suits back in LA and they go oh okay. well you have to understand one thing.

because I I I after I shoot these two. guys who I really loved by way yeah and. I shoot them and I'm running out and I. sort of drop the gun and I go into the. street and jump in moving car right so. they didn't have a stunt man for me. there or they didn't they didn't want. want me to maybe they assumed that I. would jump and get hurt and I'd be out. of the. film that's just coming to me now con. that's an old Copa trick he put me in a.

film it wasn't working out and they. threw me out of a car that's that's got. to go into the box of. resentment but anyway I did miss the car. what yeah and I fell it's in the book we. forget those things I saw that yeah so. so I I fell and I was I was hurt kind of. my ankle was hurt somehow it slipped the. uh the car had one of those uh side. things that you could jump on and then.

jump in so I I was just looking up at. the sky and I said thank you God this. was my thought I actually said thank you. God you're going to get me out of this. film unbelievable that's how much I. wanted to leave it wow I said this is. from Heaven yeah and uh people just. swall got around me and they said he's. hurt yeah so I said oh yeah and then. they put one the big fat needles in my.

ankle so I could finish the the day and. they kept me they kept me because they. saw the rushes of that uh scene and they. knew and what's so amazing is movie. comes out and this is this surprised me. movie comes out it's a phenomenon I. remembered I was 1972 I would have been. 9 years old at the time all anybody did. was talk about that movie people Ed it.

uh it was I mean it just it's hard to. describe today what a huge cultural. moment it was and you in the book talk. about how uncomfortable you were yeah. you know it's the thing we live in this. Society now where everybody wants to be. famous and people would think oh my God. if I could be a young alpacino who's. just done The Godfather oh my God what I. tear up the tell I you hide you don't. you don't love it you don't and you're. drinking a lot and I think it was that. period that time of life when it this.

wasn't uh in our in in our social uh uh. understanding we didn't care about Fame. and it as a matter of fact it was uh. somewhat in the uh Hollywood somewhat. was frowned upon in the theater by the. way and and they gave us these this. great entertainment these great actors. on the screen but it was a kind of. folklore for us and that if you go to. Hollywood you lose your talent and. something like that yeah that spread.

around but also I was. extremely uh I was a bit embarrassed. because I heard something kowak you know. Jack carak on the road so he he goes and. and he drinks his life away because he. felt this embarrassment I don't know. where that comes from self-esteem. whatever but I felt I I I didn't want to. be noticed I was part of my thing was. like I just want to creep around you.

know just do my thing and so one time. I'm at a light actually and at a traffic. light and I'm standing there across the. street in this kind of gorgeous uh you. know red head I'm sorry it wasn't you. him but it was another I'm a man excuse. me I'm I'm about as much man as it gets. you're still a gorgeous I'm a gorgeous. red T yeah I she didn't look like you I. just be straight with story it RS the.

story if if it looks like me yeah so she. says she says hello to me she says hi I. thought oh wow I said wow hi she says hi. Michael and it was as. though I I said this is crazy she's. calling me Michael because she knows me. yeah she knows me from the film and I. just retreated I justess I couldn't. understand that nobody did that to me my.

entire life nobody responded oh wow they. they you know they never said that they. didn't know they said get away you. know so I was kind of I was kind of. shocked and I retreated and then I start. seeing it happen to you know in these. various pockets and there people you. know Woman kissing my hand uh people. treating me and. and my Charlie's there and the woman.

comes up to me says that alucino he says. yeah yeah she says is that alucino he. says well somebody's got to be you know. yeah famous it freaked you out it. freaked you out you alcino I said yeah. he says congratulations you look like. your. order you do look very. alucino I thought so today I was like. that guy's speaks of alino.