Al Pacino’s Gruelling Godfather Role That Landed Him in Hospital
Al Pacino’s intense commitment to his Godfather character pushed him to the brink, leading to a health crisis during the sequel’s shoot. Discover how the role took its toll.
Acting might look like a cushy gig from the outside, but for some, it’s anything but easy. Al Pacino, for one, found out just how tough it could get while working on a film that would define his career. In the early 1970s, Pacino was cast as Michael Corleone in The Godfather, sharing the screen with Marlon Brando. Before this, he’d only had a couple of film credits to his name, but director Francis Ford Coppola saw something special in him and handed him the keys to a role that would become legendary. Pacino went on to play Michael again in the 1974 sequel and the third instalment in 1990, cementing his place in film history.
Despite the fame and recognition that followed, the experience was far from smooth sailing. The pressure and demands of the role took a heavy toll on Pacino, both mentally and physically. He pushed himself to the limit, and it caught up with him in a big way during the filming of the second part. Stress is easy to brush off, but if you don’t slow down, it can knock you flat. That’s exactly what happened to Pacino, who ended up in hospital with bronchial pneumonia. He later told Leonard Probst,
‘It was frightening.’
Under Pressure: The Cost of Perfection
Pacino explained that his health scare was the result of a mix of nervous exhaustion and a desperate need to step back.
‘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.’
Playing Michael Corleone wasn’t just a job; it was a full-on mental marathon. He had to get into a headspace that was anything but comfortable.
‘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. 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.’
Living With the Weight of Michael Corleone
Pacino’s dedication to the role meant he was constantly carrying the burden of Michael’s isolation and inner turmoil. The long shoot—twenty weeks—meant he couldn’t escape the character’s shadow. The emotional strain was relentless, and it left him feeling trapped. Even though he was nominated for Oscars for both The Godfather and its sequel, he didn’t take home the trophy for either. Still, his portrayal became iconic, and for many, he’s the only Michael Corleone that comes to mind.
All that acclaim came at a steep price. As Pacino got older, he started to realise the importance of looking after himself. He reflected,
‘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.’