Portrait · Jorge Gomez / U.S. Embassy in Argentina / CC BY 2.0

Al Pacino

Actor

Born 1940

Al Pacino is an American actor and director born Alfredo James Pacino in New York City. He grew up first in East Harlem and then in the South Bronx, raised by his mother and maternal grandparents. He attended the High School of Performing Arts and studied acting with Charles Laughton at the Herbert Berghof Studio and Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. His Broadway work brought Tony Awards for Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. The Panic in Needle Park gave him his first leading film role and helped launch a decade of major screen performances. As Michael Corleone in The Godfather, he follows a younger son into the violence and responsibility of his family’s criminal empire. Serpico placed him at the centre of a true story about a New York police officer confronting corruption within his own force. He reunited with Sidney Lumet for Dog Day Afternoon and with Francis Ford Coppola for the sequels to The Godfather. Scarface gave him another defining criminal character, Tony Montana. Scent of a Woman brought him the Academy Award for Best Actor. His later collaborations included Michael Mann’s Heat and The Insider, Mike Newell’s Donnie Brasco and Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia. Looking for Richard combined a performance of Shakespeare’s Richard III with an investigation of how actors interpret and communicate the play. On television, his portrayals of Roy Cohn in Angels in America and Dr Jack Kevorkian in You Don’t Know Jack won Emmy Awards. He later played Jimmy Hoffa in The Irishman and Aldo Gucci in House of Gucci, alongside further television work in Paterno and Hunters. His continuing stage career includes Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Shelly Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross and Mickey Ross in China Doll. His career has been recognised with the National Medal of Arts. He also received Kennedy Center Honors. His memoir Sonny Boy traces his upbringing, acting work and relationship with the craft. Recent work includes Gus Van Sant’s hostage thriller Dead Man’s Wire. Tribeca’s festival lineup also includes him in Killing Castro and Julian Schnabel’s In the Hand of Dante.

Verified identityCore facts checked against named sources.

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Connected people

ConnectionRobert De NiroCo-star in The Irishman.

Full profileKeanu ReevesCo-star in The Devil’s Advocate.

ConnectionJohnny DeppCo-star in Donnie Brasco.

Portraits: Chris Roth / CC BY-SA 2.0

Lifestyle index · sourced and contextualised

Trivia & tastes

A ferocious reader

He described reading during his lean theatre years.

Recorded with an attributable source

Sonny Boy

His own memoir, distinct from a reading recommendation.

Recorded with an attributable source

Cover source

Sonny BoyAl Pacino

Authored memoir; not a personal reading recommendation.

Named item linked to an attributable source

Classical music and the Rolling Stones

Personal tastes discussed while promoting Danny Collins.

Recorded with an attributable source

Tad’s steak

A historical treat during lean theatre years.

Recorded with an attributable source

Tango rehearsal with Gabrielle Anwar

Preparation for Scent of a Woman, recalled by his co-star.

Recorded with an attributable source

Not located in the reviewed sources

Al Pacino, reviewed 2026-10-05: food anecdotes and role discussions establish no attributable everyday diet.

Evidence review current to 2026-10-05Not verified

Not located in the reviewed sources

Al Pacino, reviewed 2026-10-05: direct interviews contain no personal skincare routine; Pacinos-brand search results do not identify this actor.

Evidence review current to 2026-10-05Not verified

Not located in the reviewed sources

Al Pacino, reviewed 2026-10-05: Vince Vaughn described his scent but said Pacino did not name the cologne; no verified product.

Evidence review current to 2026-10-05Not verified

Dogs

In an archival interview, said “I live with dogs”; names, breeds and current ownership unspecified.

Recorded with an attributable source

Trivia & tastes

Books

Music

Food

Training

Diet

Skincare

Fragrances

Pets