Alfredo James "Al" Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is an American film and stage actor and director, widely considered to be one of the most notable and influential actors of his time.

He is best known for his roles as Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Sonny Wortzik in Dog Day Afternoon, Tony Montana in Scarface, Carlito Brigante in the 1993 film Carlito's Way, Frank Serpico in Serpico, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman, and Roy Cohn in Angels in America. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992 for his role in Scent of a Woman after being nominated seven times for various roles.

Early life and education

Pacino was born in East Harlem, Manhattan, the son of Italian-American parents Rose (née Gerardi) and Salvatore Alfred Pacino, who divorced when he was two years old. His mother subsequently moved to the South Bronx, to live with her parents, Kate and James Gerardi, who originated from Corleone, Sicily. His father moved to Covina, California, working as an insurance salesman and owner of his own restaurant called Pacino's Lounge, which closed down in 1992. Pacino attended a school officially named The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H La Guardia High School of Music and the Arts in New York City, the main school of which was attended by fellow Godfather II actor Robert De Niro.Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio, 2006 Pacino flunked nearly all of his classes except English and dropped out of school at the age of seventeen. His mother disagreed on his decision, they had an argument and he left home. He worked at a string of low-grade jobs, including messenger boy, busboy, janitor and postal clerk, in order to finance his acting studies.The Biography Channel (UK): "Al Pacino"

He gained valuable experience by acting in basement plays in New York's theatrical underground, and then joined the Herbert Berghof Studio (HB Studio), where he met acting teacher Charlie Laughton who became his mentor and best friend. During this period he was most of the time out of work and homeless, and sometimes had to sleep on the street, in theaters or at friends' houses.Yule, A. Al Pacino: Life on the Wire, Time Warner Paperbacks (1992)

In 1962, his mother died at age 43. The following year, his grandfather, James Gerardi, one of the most influential people in his life, also died.

1960s

In 1966, after many previous unsuccessful attempts, he auditioned at The Actors Studio and got accepted. He studied under legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg (who later portrayed the character Hyman Roth in scenes with Pacino in the 1974 film The Godfather Part II). Pacino found acting to be enjoyable and realized he had a gift for it. However, it did put him in financial straits until the end of the decade.