The Unknown Things About Al Pacino’s Controversial Private Life

Al Pacino is someone that many people have probably heard of when it comes to Hollywood stars. Since scoring his first acting roles at the end of the 1960s, he's really made a name for himself on the big screen. It hasn't always been a smooth ride to the top, though.

Throughout his career, he's had some ups and downs, from controversial movie roles to award snubs. He's also generated a lot of talk about his relationships, given his refusal to ever fully commit to one person. It seems Al Pacino has led quite an exciting life.

Al Pacino was apparently already using adult products at nine years old

Addictive behavior is something that many people are prone to, whether they're famous or not. We hear about stars sending themselves off to get clean all the time, although some of them are able to kick their bad habits on their own. Al Pacino, for instance, was reportedly able to ditch using adult substances quite some time ago.

According to the New Yorker, this was a habit that he picked up when he was only nine years old. Starting so young, there's a good chance he wouldn't have made it to his 80s if he hadn't given it up. It's unclear when or how he put an end to it, but we're glad that he overcame the addiction.

Al Pacino was apparently a stand-up comic before he became a movie star

When we think of Al Pacino, we tend to imagine him more in serious, gritty roles. Sure, he's appeared in some light-hearted stuff over the years, but these pictures haven't necessarily had the same impact. So, it's quite surprising to learn that Pacino allegedly started out his career as a stand-up comic trying to make audiences laugh.

Evidently, things didn't work out in this area. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become the Hollywood legend that we know him as today. It wasn't that he was bad at making people laugh, though, but rather that he realized he "didn't want to be funny all the time." So, he moved away from doing stand-up and focused more on serious acting.

Al Pacino was once pulled over and arrested by the cops

Getting on the wrong side of the law is something that most people try to avoid. However, a young Al Pacino reportedly struggled with this back when he was a budding actor. It seems that he was once pulled over by the cops when he was on his way to a job with several other young stars.

Apparently, the police grew suspicious of Pacino because his car circled the block several times. They were even more concerned when they stopped the vehicle and looked inside. Along with masks and gloves, there was allegedly a weapon on the back seat. That was all the officers needed to see to start making some arrests.

The actor was in jail for three days before he was released

What was Al Pacino doing driving around with a weapon on the backseat? While it might sound highly questionable, there was actually a perfectly innocent explanation for this. It seems that it was just a prop the actors were presumably taking with them to the acting job. Unfortunately, it reportedly took several days for the police to realize this.

Pacino and his friends were reportedly stuck in jail for three days before they were let out. As aspiring actors, they couldn't afford bail, so there wasn't much they could do. Fortunately, Al was apparently "very helpful" when being questioned and later had the charges for possession of a concealed weapon dropped. He's avoided trouble with the law ever since.

He wasn't paid as generously for The Godfather as you might expect

It only took Al Pacino a few years after his first real acting credit to really score big in Hollywood. In 1972, he featured in the cast of the epic crime film 'The Godfather,' where he played Michael Corleone. All these years later, the movie is considered one of the greatest ever made, influencing an entire genre of cinema.

Combine that with the fact the film brought in over $250 million on a budget of under $10 million, and you'd expect the cast to have been highly paid. However, Pacino's salary was reportedly $35,000, which is around $250,000 in today's money. Meanwhile, Marlon Brando received $250,000 - over $1.8 million now - despite having less screen time.

Al Pacino reportedly wasn't impressed with his Academy Award nomination

Still, while Al Pacino may have missed out on a hefty wage for his role as Michael Corleone, it was hardly a massive setback for the star. After all, 'The Godfather' becoming such a success meant that Pacino very quickly became a man in demand. It helped that he was put forward for a bunch of awards, including an Oscar.

Unfortunately, it appears that Pacino was not impressed with the award he was nominated for. He was up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, something which he felt diminished the effort that he put in. Considering the amount of screen time that he had in the movie, Al was reportedly expecting to be among the Best Actor nominees.

Al Pacino and Marlon Brando skipped the Oscars for different reasons

Some actors would happily accept getting any nomination at all for their work, especially from the Academy Awards. Plus, Pacino was still incredibly early into his career when he was put forward for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Nevertheless, he wasn't impressed and reportedly decided to snub the ceremony entirely that year. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he didn't win the award.

He wasn't actually the only one from 'The Godfather' to ditch the Oscars that year. Marlon Brando - who was nominated for Best Actor - also steered clear of the event. Unlike Pacino, though, his boycott was less to do with himself and more to do with the treatment of Native Americans in film. His absence made much more of a statement.

He's been nominated for nine Oscars so far and won one

Despite Pacino making a fuss about being nominated in what he felt was the wrong category, the Academy continued to highlight his work following the 1973 Oscars. In fact, he was nominated three years in a row after the incident, with Al being up for Best Actor at each ceremony. However, he walked away empty-handed every time.

In total, he's actually been nominated nine times throughout his career, with the most recent of these being for the epic gangster film 'The Irishman.' Once again, though, he didn't score the win. However, that doesn't mean he's never had success at the Oscars. In 1993, he was up for two awards, ultimately winning Best Actor.

Al Pacino is one award away from gaining EGOT status

Al Pacino's Oscar win came thanks to the drama movie 'Scent of a Woman,' for which he played Lt. Col. Frank Slade. Claiming this award was a big deal for the actor and not simply because it meant he finally had an Oscar to his name. With this, he was halfway to joining the elusive EGOT club.

As of 2023, only 18 people have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony throughout their careers. Al Pacino is not yet one of them, although he's only missing a Grammy. He was quick to win a Tony, doing so back in 1969. 35 years later, he scored an Emmy for the fantasy drama ‘Angels in America.'

Pacino once received a Grammy nomination thanks to his love of Shakespeare

Some people may assume that EGOT status will evade Al Pacino for his entire life. After all, if the man was going to become a singer, he probably would have done so by now, right? However, not all categories for the Grammys are related to singing, with Pacino actually nominated for Best Spoken Word Album back in 2001.

He received the nomination for his album 'The Complete Shakespeare Sonnets,' which embodied the man's love for the Bard of Avon. Pacino is reportedly such a fan of Shakespeare that he'll recite the man's soliloquies during interviews. His directorial debut was also for a documentary about Shakespeare entitled 'Looking for Richard.' It received positive reviews upon release.

The actor has passed on some characters that are now considered iconic

Michael Corleone is easily one of the most notable characters that Al Pacino has ever played in his career. However, it turns out that the actor could have scored so many more famous roles in the past if he wanted to. He allegedly hasn't shied away from turning down iconic characters, including Han Solo and John McClane.

Apparently, he opted not to appear in the epic space opera 'Star Wars' films because he "didn't understand the script." Back then, he had no idea just how huge the franchise would become. As for why he decided not to face off against Hans Gruber as McClane, it's not entirely clear. However, Pacino claims he gave Bruce Willis a career.

Al Pacino reportedly doesn't regret turning down all these roles

Along with these, Pacino also allegedly said no to the sci-fi drama 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' the epic war film 'Apocalypse Now,' and the buddy comedy movie 'Beverly Hills Cop.' That's a lot of notable films to turn down, making some people question if the actor has a lot of regrets. Apparently, the answer is no.

When he's spoken about it in the past with Larry King, Pacino admitted that not every role is "the right role for you." If you "don't feel you belong in that role," then saying no is for the best. Even though he missed out on portraying some iconic characters, would they have had the same impact if he'd played them?

Scarface was initially quite a controversial movie in Al Pacino's filmography

If Al Pacino had said yes to those films, he might not have been able to appear in some of the other movies that have really impacted his career. For instance, the crime drama 'Scarface.' The film is considered one of the greatest gangster movies ever made, although it's admittedly taken some time to achieve such esteemed status.

Upon its release, the movie was actually panned by critics. Not only did people dislike the violence, profanity, and graphic use of illegal substances, but there were concerns as to how 'Scarface' portrayed Cuban expatriates. Some feared that the negative stereotypes would cause harm in the wider world, although critical opinion has seemingly shifted in the decades since.

Hip-hop stars like Snoop Dogg reportedly helped Scarface to become a hit

It's fortunate for Al Pacino that people have come to appreciate 'Scarface' in the years since it was first released. Surprisingly, it seems that the hip-hop community may have played a role in that. The movie reportedly gained quite a bit of popularity after stars like Snoop Dogg and Diddy expressed their appreciation for the 1983 gangster flick.

So many hip-hop artists were apparently drawn to the movie that a documentary about their support was released in 2003. 'Scarface: Origins of A Hip-hop Classic' cemented the movie's status and ensured that it grew to become an icon of cinema. It's a shame there hasn't been this support to help the reputation of Pacino's other controversial movies.

The disappointment of Revolution pushed Al Pacino into an acting hiatus

No actor can expect to go their entire career without appearing in at least one flop. Sure, they may get lucky, but even the biggest stars can end up agreeing to a disaster without realizing it. Pacino has done that a surprising number of times, with the historical drama 'Revolution' easily being one of the biggest mistakes of his career.

A box office bomb, it apparently didn't even generate $500,000 despite a reported budget of $28 million. Critics detested the picture, with one person calling it "certifiably loony." With this coming so soon after the initial blowback of 'Scarface,' Pacino actually ended up taking a four-year hiatus from making films to recover from all the controversy.

Cruising received a tremendous backlash from the LGBTQ+ community

The 1980s were seemingly a controversial time for Al Pacino, at least when it came to his film roles. It didn't help that he started off the decade by appearing in the crime thriller 'Cruising,' another movie that raised concerns about negative stereotypes. The LGBTQ+ community was highly concerned about the damage this movie could do to them.

As a result, there were mass protests during filming, to the point that a lot of audio was reportedly redubbed in post-production. Plenty of bars that had agreed to act as shooting locations pulled out, while many extras apparently quit. LGBTQ+ rights groups even petitioned New York City's mayor to deny 'Cruising' filming permits, something which he rejected.

Jack and Jill was not particularly liked when it premiered in 2011

As with 'Scarface' some people have softened their view of 'Cruising' with time and don't believe that it demonizes the LGBTQ+ community. Unfortunately, no such change of heart has seemingly come the way of another of Al Pacino's most controversial movies - 'Jack and Jill.' The comedy film is reportedly still considered one of the worst ever made.

Although some critics considered Pacino's acting to be the highlight of the movie, his involvement wasn't enough to save its reputation. Plus, he still ended up winning Worst Supporting Actor at the Golden Raspberry Awards in 2012. In fact, 'Jack and Jill' swept every category at the ceremony that year, from Worst Picture to Worst Actor to Worst Screen Ensemble.

Not everyone was happy about Al Pacino playing a Jewish character

Throughout his career, Al Pacino has primarily worked on the stage or the big screen. However, he has appeared in a few TV series here and there, including the conspiracy drama series ‘Hunters.' Unfortunately, this is another role that he's drawn criticism for, thanks to Pacino playing a Jewish man. It seems that not everyone was pleased with his casting.

Pacino ignored the criticism, though, believing that it was far too limiting for people to only play roles that perfectly match their real selves. Logan Lerman, who also features in the show, defended the actor against some of the backlash, saying that "anybody can play the role." He was speaking as a Jewish man himself.

Al Pacino's performance in House of Gucci also came under fire

The most recent controversial role that Al Pacino has taken on is that of Aldo Gucci in the 2021 biographical crime drama 'House of Gucci. The film received mixed reviews upon its release, with performances generally being praised while the tone and editing were criticized. However, not everyone was complimentary of the acting, including Patricia Gucci.

The daughter of Pacino's character called the actor's take "shameful" and said that he "doesn't resemble [Aldo] at all." She also added that she hated that he portrayed him as "fat, short, with sideburns, really ugly." Ridley Scott, who directed 'House of Gucci,' called the remarks "alarmingly insulting" and said: “How could they be better represented than by Al Pacino?”

Jill Clayburgh was reportedly Al Pacino's first notable relationship

It seems that Al Pacino hasn't managed to shy away from controversial movies throughout his career. However, it's not just in his acting that he seems to create a lot of discussion. Pacino seems to be just as good at getting people talking when it comes to his personal life, particularly with the many relationships he's had over the years.

It all seemingly started with Jill Clayburgh, who he reportedly started dating in 1967. The pair were apparently together for five years before the two parted ways, with Pacino allegedly the one responsible for ending things. The fame that came out of being in 'The Godfather' was supposedly a massive reason behind why he called off their relationship.

Pacino reportedly quickly moved on from Clayburgh with Tuesday Weld

To say that Clayburgh was hurt by the breakup was seemingly an understatement. She told the Washington Post some years after the split that she was filled with "self-loathing, loathing him, pain, anger, [and] fear." Fortunately, they managed to mend things enough to become friends later down the line before Jill ultimately passed away in 2010.

Back when Clayburgh was still dealing with the breakdown of her relationship, Pacino was allegedly moving on with Tuesday Weld. Their romance didn't last particularly long, and it reportedly came quickly after Al and Jill parted ways. However, things evidently ended amicably enough as the pair were able to share the screen together in the 1982 dramedy film 'Author! Author!"

He dated Marthe Keller despite the tension between them on set

Al Pacino and Tuesday Weld were over by 1977, as that was the year that the actor reportedly began dating Marthe Keller. Their relationship was perhaps one of the more unusual romances for Pacino, given how tense things could be between him and Keller. The set of the romantic drama film 'Bobby Deerfield' wasn't always a pleasant place to be.

Director Sydney Pollack said of the pair that they weren't sure if Al and Marthe "would end up loving or hating each other" because of how they were together. Evidently, though, there was enough of a spark there for the two to sustain a relationship for a couple of years. Still, they were over by the start of the '80s.

Pacino and Diane Keaton were on-again, off-again for years

One of the biggest names to have an impact on Al Pacino's love life is Diane Keaton. The pair actually crossed paths early on in the actor's career, given that they both appeared in 'The Godfather' together. In fact, the two even played lovers in the movie, which is perhaps how they ended up becoming a real-life couple.

They were reportedly on-again, off-again for years, with their relationship starting in the 1970s. Keaton admitted to People magazine years later that she was "mad for him," with Pacino being "hilarious" and a "nonstop talker." She also confessed to being attracted to his looks and likened him to a "lost orphan," saying Pacino was a “kind of crazy idiot savant.”

Keaton wanted to tie the knot but Pacino didn't

Al Pacino's relationship with Diane Keaton allegedly lasted until 1990, albeit with a few breakups during that time. What was it that finally split them up for good? Supposedly, it was the actor's reluctance to tie the knot. Although Keaton wanted them to become husband and wife, Pacino didn't feel the same, and that proved to be a dealbreaker.

Diane apparently gave her partner an ultimatum, and when he didn't pick the option she wanted, they officially called time on their relationship. As with his other exes, though, there doesn't appear to be any bad blood between the two. Pacino even told Keaton: "I love you forever," when presenting her with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Al Pacino dated Jan Tarrant and welcomed a daughter with her

While Al Pacino and Diane Keaton were still in their on-again, off-again relationship, the actor enjoyed a romance with Jan Tarrant. An acting teacher whose students have included stars like Angelina Jolie, her time with Pacino isn't that well documented. It seems she lives more of a private life than most of Al's other girlfriends.

However, there is something we do know about Tarrant, and that's that she was the first woman to have a child with Pacino. Julie was born in 1989, giving the actor a chance to try his hand at fatherhood. Although he and Jan didn't last much longer after Julie's birth, Al has apparently forged a strong relationship with his daughter.

Al Pacino and Lyndall Hobbs were an item in the early '90s

By the 1990s, Al Pacino was seemingly ready to put his relationship with Diane Keaton behind him and find love somewhere else. For a time, it seemed that Lyndall Hobbs would be the one, with the actor reportedly romancing the director from 1990 to 1995. Their relationship apparently came quite quickly off the back of his final split from Keaton.

When Hobbs released her memoir, 'The Girl of Oz,' she talked about her relationship with Pacino. She even went as far as saying her stomach "lurched with a rush of romance-induced adrenaline" during the early days of their love. However, Hobbs also mentioned they regularly threw parties that included people like King Charles III and Mick Jagger on the guestlist.

Lyndall's desire for children was reportedly what split them up

Unfortunately, just like all the relationships that had come before, Al and Lyndall eventually parted ways. Their love reportedly ended for good in 1995, with commitment once again proving to be an issue for the actor. Rather than marriage, though, it seems it was kids that were the dealbreaker this time around. She wanted them, but Pacino didn't.

Although Al had fathered a child with Jan Tarrant, he seemingly wasn't interested in adding to his parental duties anytime soon. That was something that Lyndall - who went on to adopt a child - just couldn't get over. As she later told the Evening Standard, there's a "reason" that Pacino has never tied the knot with anyone - he doesn't do commitment.

Pacino reportedly had an affair with Penelope Ann Miller in the '90s

Although Al Pacino and Lyndall Hobbs were reportedly together until 1995, that doesn't mean the actor was entirely faithful to his partner throughout that time. Between 1993 and 1994, he apparently had an affair with Penelope Ann Miller, something that generated quite a bit of media interest at the time. Miller reportedly felt no shame about it, though.

She told People magazine as much, saying that Pacino "brought out a certain womanliness." She added that they did try to keep things discreet to avoid affecting the movie they were making - the crime drama 'Carlito's Way.' Unfortunately, that proved to be more difficult than they'd anticipated, with their brief romance swiftly becoming the talk of Hollywood.

Beverly D'Angelo got a divorce to be with Al Pacino

Throughout his life, Al Pacino's relationships have gradually lasted longer. By the time Beverly D'Angelo came into his life in 1996, he was seemingly ready to show more of an allegiance to love. That doesn't mean he had changed his mind about marriage, though. Apparently, his relationship with Beverly began after they met on a flight to NYC.

At the time, D'Angelo wasn't actually in the market for a relationship, given she was married to Duke Lorenzo Salviati. However, she fell for him remarkably quickly and decided to end her marriage. Luckily, her husband didn't seem to mind because he was such a fan of Pacino's. According to Beverly, he told her: “I love him. We divorce.”

Pacino was adamant about D'Angelo being the mother of his children

Beverly D'Angelo completely turned her life upside down to be with Al Pacino. So, it's a good thing that their relationship wasn't over in a flash. They were reportedly together until 2004, with the couple appearing pretty strong up until that point. They'd even created their own family, with Beverly giving birth to twins in 2001.

Although Al had reportedly ended things with Lyndall because she wanted kids and he didn't, his perspective completely shifted once he met Beverly. Supposedly, he told the actress in 1997 that he wanted her to be "the mother of my children." Although she hadn't been interested in parenting before then, her love for Al convinced her to change her mind.

The pair endured an intense custody battle after they split

Conceiving naturally proved to be difficult for Al and Beverly. However, they were ultimately successful in bringing their twins - Anton and Olivia - into the world thanks to IVF. Unfortunately, having children together meant that when their relationship went south, they had a battle on their hands for custody. It seems that things got pretty ugly at times.

She reportedly claimed that Pacino was harassing her and refusing to abide by their court-approved visitation schedule. Meanwhile, he alleged that Beverly was holding the children hostage to get more money out of him. It's amazing that they were not only able to reach an agreement but that they've managed to put their animosity aside in the years since.

Some years after the custody battle, he started dating Lucila Solà

After the unfortunate breakdown of his relationship with Beverly D'Angelo, Al Pacino was seemingly ready to take a break from romance. It was several years before he was linked to another woman, with his next notable partner being actress Lucila Solà. It's unclear precisely how the two met or what it was that brought them together.

In fact, very little seems to be known about their relationship, even though the two were supposedly together for a decade. Unfortunately, the couple did attract a fair amount of talk while they were together, thanks to the age difference between them. Pacino being more than 35 years older than his partner definitely didn't sit well with everyone.

He formed a close relationship with his stepdaughter, Camila Morrone

Being with Lucila Solà gave Al Pacino yet another opportunity to become a father. However, rather than welcoming a child of his own with Solà, he was instead a stepdad to the actress' daughter, Camila Morrone. If that name is familiar to you, that's possibly because Morrone was with Leonardo DiCaprio from 2017 until their split in 2022.

Camila has also followed in her stepfather's footsteps by showcasing her acting skills. She's appeared in movies like the musical rom-com 'Valley Girl' and TV shows like the musical drama 'Daisy Jones & the Six,' with the latter earning her an Emmy nomination. Apparently, whenever Camila's needed acting advice, she's turned to Pacino, whom she reportedly still considers a father figure.

Al Pacino and Meital Dohan were reportedly an item for several years

During the last few years of the 2010s, Al Pacino was romantically linked to another actress - Meital Dohan. Hailing from Israel, she's starred in notable shows like the crime drama 'The Sopranos' and the dark dramedy 'Weeds.' She and Pacino were first reportedly seen together in 2018, with the couple allegedly dating for several years.

Their romance was seemingly still going strong when 'The Irishman' premiered, with Dohan being the actor's date on the red carpet. However, things reportedly took a turn in early 2020, with the couple fighting and consequently parting ways. According to Meital, she left him, but she said that she still “love[s] and appreciate[s] him.”

Dohan reportedly struggled with the significant age gap between them

Much like Lucila Solà, Meital Dohan was quite a bit younger than Al Pacino. In fact, the age gap between Dohan and Pacino was almost identical to the one between him and Solà. It's unclear if Lucila struggled with the actor being over three decades older than her, but Meital has admitted that it was definitely difficult for her.

Shortly after the split, she confessed that she'd tried to deny it, but no amount of love could make things last. Meital said that it's "hard to be with a man so old" and shared that his being "elderly" meant they never stood a chance. However, that doesn't mean she has any regrets, with Dohan hoping to “remain good friends.”

He started dating Noor Alfallah, who's over 50 years younger than him

With Al Pacino's last few relationships, there's been a notable age gap between him and his partners. That's included his most recent romance, for which the difference has been quite significant. In 2022, he was seen with Noor Alfallah, a woman who's more than 50 years younger than him. Their romance was apparently nothing new at the time, though.

They reportedly began seeing each other during the height of the global health crisis, with one source telling Page Six that they "get on very well." Even though Al is apparently older than Noor's dad, she isn't bothered by the gap. They also claimed that "rich older men" are Noor's type, as she's also dated Mick Jagger and Nicolas Berggruen.

Al Pacino fathered his fourth child in his 80s

Although some people were surprised by Al Pacino's new relationship, this wasn't the news that really took them by surprise. No, that was the revelation that Noor was pregnant with the actor's child. He'd already fathered three children - and acted as a stepdad to another - and now Pacino was set to become a dad again in his 80s.

The news emerged in 2022, with Alfallah successfully giving birth to their son - Roman Alfallah Pacino - in June 2023. She reportedly welcomed the boy into the world at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, with the pair allegedly ecstatic about his arrival. Unfortunately, it seems that this apparent joy has seemingly soured in the months since the couple became parents.

Noor reportedly filed for full custody of their child several months later

In early September 2023, TMZ reported that Al Pacino and Noor Alfallah were in the midst of a custody battle. Supposedly, their relationship had soured, prompting Alfallah to file a petition in the LA Superior Court for full custody of the young child. The documents reportedly stated that Al should have "reasonable visitation, as well as "joint legal custody."

This would mean that Pacino would still have a say regarding important things like education and medical needs, even if the boy lived with Noor full-time. In the petition, the boy's mother also allegedly wanted the actor to cover her attorney fees and other costs, although she apparently didn't mention anything about child support payments.

The couple are allegedly still together despite the custody petition

The news of Noor Alfallah allegedly filing for full custody months after giving birth may well have surprised some fans. What happened between her and Al Pacino for things to take such a turn so quickly? Well, according to TMZ… Nothing. Supposedly, the actor's rep got in touch to say that the couple are "still together."

The publication reported that Pacino and Alfalah have "successfully worked together" and "mutually reached agreements regarding their child." Does that mean they've called off the petition, or just that they've ironed out custody arrangements despite the fact they're allegedly still together? To say that this situation is complicated would be an understatement, but that's Hollywood for you.

It's unlikely that marriage will be on the table for Al Pacino and Noor

Al Pacino and Noor Alfallah might allegedly still be together, but that doesn't mean we should be expecting wedding bells anytime soon. That's not simply because it's hard to tell just how stable their relationship is at the moment, either. If Pacino has avoided marrying anyone before this point, it seems unlikely that he'll suddenly change his ways now.

The actor has seemingly had some strong relationships throughout his life, from Diane Keaton to Beverly D'Angelo. Yet, he's always been adamant about never making that specific commitment. Even though he's now in his 80s, he probably isn't looking to fully settle down, no matter how much he may love Noor. Then again, stranger things have happened.