Yahoo Movies Al Pacino's best roles
The actor is synonymous with American cinema in a way that few else are
Al Pacino is one of the great actors of our age, delivering remarkable performances from his breakout role in The Godfather all the way to his more recent films like The Irishman.
He was at the top of the Hollywood elite alongside Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Martin Scorsese throughout the 1970s, continuing his success into the '80s and '90s up until the present day. And the actor has reflected on his career and some of his most iconic roles in a new memoir, Sonny Boy.
Pacino is synonymous with American cinema in a way that few else are, which means there's a number of roles of his that stand out.
Al Pacino's best roles
The Godfather
Pacino was a relatively unknown actor when Francis Ford Coppola cast him in The Godfather, the first of three films that are well regarded as some of the finest work in cinema, period. Pacino portrayed Michael Corleone, the youngest son of Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone who goes on to succeed his father as the head of the Corleone crime family.
The movie was the beginning of it all for Pacino, not only did it put him on the map it proved his impressive acting talent. In a time with mafia films were common place there was something different about Pacino's Michael, his transformation from a young man into a ruthless don drew viewers in like nothing else.
Scarface
If The Godfather put him on the map Scarface made him an icon, Pacino's Tony Montana became the poster boy for every young boy both when it came out in 1983 and has continued to hold that sway over film fans well beyond that.
Pacino's Cuban refugee turned drug dealer is endlessly quotable thanks to the actor's over-the-top performance, Tony is wild and unpredictable, he's exciting yet dangerous. Pacino's outlandish portrayal and Brian De Palma's unique vision came together to make the film's unflinching final act so memorable.
Heat
Pacino and De Niro came together in a big way for Heat, Michael Mann's stunning crime thriller about LAPD detective Vincent Hanna's conflict with career thief Neil McCauley.
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The movie is the perfect example of putting two of some of the greatest actors together and letting magic happen. Heat is arguably one of Pacino's greatest performances that is bolstered by an equally as impressive turn by De Niro, that Mann could one day return to the world on-screen is an exciting prospect indeed.
Dog Day Afternoon
Pacino was nominated for an Oscar for a fourth time for Dog Day Afternoon for his portrayal of bank robber Sonny Wortzik. Based on the 1972 hostage situation at a bank in Brooklyn led by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile, Sidney Lumet's film became a surprising tour de force before it was even released.
The actor has spoken of how the movie "took its own life" whilst they were filming it and how that is how he would describe his experience playing Sonny.
Serpico
Pacino portrayed an undercover cop Frank Serpico in the true crime thriller about his uncovering of police corruption within the NYPD, a role that earned him his second Oscar nomination.
The actor was hesitant to take the part at first but changed his mind shortly after meeting his real-life counterpart because he felt there was "something [he] could paint, something [he] could serve" by portraying him on-screen. The film was another prime example of Pacino's knack for diving deep with his roles to carve out an unflinching performance.
Scent of a Woman
Pacino finally earned his first, and shockingly only, Oscar in 1993 for Scent of a Woman. The actor portrays blind retired Colonel Frank Slade who comes to meet student Charlie Simms and teaches him about the meaning of life. The actor and Chris O'Donnell had a fun push and pull dynamic that made the film so charming, even if it isn't largely seen as his best role.
Carlito's Way
Pacino reunited with De Palma in 1993 for another crime thriller, Carlito's Way. In the film the actor plays the titular Carlito Brigante who is wants to retire from the criminal life altogether but finds his past coming to haunt him.
The actor was joined by a stellar supporting cast from Sean Penn to Luis Guzman and John Leguizamo, and it has grown quite the cult following since its initial release garnered a lukewarm reception.
Angels in America
Pacino has also made a prolific career for himself on the small screen, with his role as Roy Cohn in the screen adaptation of play Angels in America garnering him a huge amount of praise. The actor and his co-stars Meryl Streep and Jeffrey Wright all won Golden Globes and Emmys for their performance in the stunning production.
A heart-breaking story of the lives of six New Yorkers living during the AIDs epidemic, the story is a profound tale of strength and resilience. Pacino's character is more of a villain of the piece because of his real-life counterpart, but the actor delivered a striking performance even so.
Donnie Brasco
The Godfather may have been his big break in gangster movies but Pacino enjoyed several successes in the genre over the years, including Donnie Brasco. A true crime movie about an undercover FBI agent's infiltration of a mafia organisation, Pacino took on the role of enforcer Lefty Ruggiero opposite Johnny Depp, who was then reaching the heights of his early fame.
The Devil's Advocate
The devil has appeared in many forms in film and TV but Pacino perhaps played the best iteration of the demon in The Devil's Advocate, Taylor Hackford's tale of a faustian bargain between a gifted young lawyer (Keanu Reeves) and a mysterious man named John Milton (Pacino).
Pacino has always known how to play a great villain, and in John Milton he is a chilling entity who has just the right mix of dark charisma and rage for this terrifying film.
