The Godfather of the film industry, Al Pacino has performed some distinct characters throughout his acting journey. He is well-known for the portrayal of characters with varied temperaments as the Heat actor reinvents himself. During this journey, Al Pacino has also declined many roles in movies like Star Wars, The Usual Suspects, and Goodfellas which later significantly changed the cinema.
Recently, the Oscar-winning actor appeared for a talk at The 92nd Street Y, New York, and shared an anecdote of being offered the role of Han Solo in Star Wars. He joked about providing a career to Harrison Ford after declining the offer that involved some big bucks. The star has also declined various other major roles including a romantic comedy, let’s take a look at them.
Lead Character Roles that the Actor Missed Out
The veteran actor is well-known for many of his roles that align with the moral compass of Al Pacino. He is counted upon his capability of immersing himself in the projects he takes on. As the strong guiding force of cinema it is natural he declined some scripts that didn’t match his choice at the moment but later became monumental roles such as Han Solo of Star Wars. Without further ado let’s take a look at 5 major scripts Al Pacino declined.
1) Snake Eyes (1998)
Genre: Crime – Thriller
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, and Carla Gugino
Snake Eyes followed Rick Santoro, a corrupt cop that would go to any lengths to secure his comfortable lifestyle. However, his lifestyle is threatened as the Secretary of Defence is killed and Santoror discovers a shocking conspiracy.
- The Brian De Palma success was supposed to mark his reunion with Al Pacino after Scarface. However, after rounds of talks between the filmmaker and studio executives, Al Pacino decided to walk out of the project. The role went to Gary Sinise who starred alongside Nicolas Cage in this blockbuster.
2) The Usual Suspects (1995)
Genre: Crime – Thriller
Cast: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, and Kevin Spacy
The Usual Suspects followed five suspects that fatefully meet during a police line-up. Following their release they plan a heist that involves precious emeralds worth three million dollars. Will the usual suspects be able to pull off this dangerous heist?
- Al Pacino was the first choice for the U.S. Customs agent, Dave Kujan in The Usual Suspects. However, he declined the offer as it seemed very similar to his role in Heat and Pacino wanted to play something different than a man-of-the-law character.
3) Goodfellas (1990)
Genre:Â Crime – Drama
Cast: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Paul Sorvino, and Joe Pesci
The noir film Goodfellas follows Henery Hills and his friends Jimmy and Tommy in their journey of crime. They begin as petty criminals on the streets of New York City and climb the ladder to become gangsters.
am I sad that al pacino isn’t in goodfellas? yes
— andrea day (@galadhrin) January 18, 2023
- Al Pacino was offered the role of Jimmy Conway, better known as The Gent in the film. However, Pacino turned down the role. The Gent was later given to Robert De Niro, the contemporary of Pacino and it becomes one of the most notable characters of De Niro’s career.
4) Die Hard (1998)
Genre: Action – Thriller
Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, and Bonnie Bedelia
The first installment of the Die Hard series follows Detective John McClane who arrives in Los Angeles with hopes of spending a merry Christmas with his wife. However, he soon learns about a hostage situation in one of the city’s buildings, and his wife is included in the hostage list.
Re: The film Die Hard: Frank Sinatra, (70 at the time) declined. Role offered to Sylvester Stallone, Richard Gere, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Burt Reynolds, Nick Nolte, Mel Gibson, Don Johnson, Al Pacino, Richard Dean Anderson,Paul Newman and James Caan before Bruce Willis. pic.twitter.com/Rp6obHiw2z
— Mark Wilkins (@MarkWil67206795) July 5, 2021
- Al Pacino is often asked about his career choices. During one of the interviews, Pacino confessed to not being the ‘good judge of what’s good’ and listed some of the films he had rejected including Die Hard. The actor also joked about providing a career to Bruce Willis by rejecting Die Hard.
5) Pretty Woman (1990)
Genre: Romance – Comedy
Cast: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, and Hector Elizondo
The romance classic Pretty Woman follows a rich entrepreneur Edward who heirs Vivian, a sex worker to accompany him on a couple of high-class social events. Trouble ensues as Edward falls in love with Vivian and they are challenged by the class difference and Vivian’s controversial job description.
Al Pacino turned down the role of Edward Lewis in 1990's Pretty Woman, which eventually went to Richard Gere. #TheyPassedOnIt #movie #FilmTwitter pic.twitter.com/pHh4ijHicY
— OnlyGoodMovies (@OnlyGoodMovies) April 4, 2023
- The film was initially imagined in a vastly different way and offered to Al Pacino. It was supposed to cover the destructive story of two damaged individuals who spend time together and ends up in ruins. However, the film went through many changes until it becomes the award-winning Cinderella romance.
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