It is no secret by now, Al Pacino has been involved in some legendary classics. Although he missed out on a mammoth opportunity, it didn't change the way his career is portrayed. In the '70s alone, Al had more hits than most actors have in their entire careers, with films like 'The Godfather', 'Serprico' and 'Dog Day Afternoon'. That was just the start as several other classics would enter the picture in the '80s, including the cult-classic 'Scarface' in 1983.
Surprisingly, he could've boosted his resume in 1977. However, Pacino went in a different direction, turning down a monster project for 'Bobby Deerfield', playing the role of a troubled race car driver. He got huge praise for the role, but it wasn't a box office draw, bringing in $9.3 million. On the other hand, the film he said no to made over 83 times more, at over $775 million, with an even smaller budget than 'Bobby Deerfield'.
Let's take a look at why Pacino said no.
Harrison Ford Gets The Role
Unlike other actors, Harrison Ford was patient when it came to getting roles. He never gave up despite the tough times he encountered along the way. A big part of that was because of his side hustle as a carpenter, which allowed him to pay the bills, "Through carpentry, I fed my family and began to pick and choose from among the roles offered,” he once said. “I could afford to hold out until something better came along. But I never gave up my ambition to be an actor. I was frustrated but never felt defeated by my frustration.”
Then came the Star Wars film, of course, Ford would audition for the role of Han Solo. To this day, footage of the audition was preserved.
Ultimately, Ford got the role and it changed his career. Years and years later, he would reappear in the 'Rise Of Skywalker', a role he enjoyed, "When J.J. asked me to do it, I said, ‘Are you kidding? I’m dead!'” Ford, 77, said. “He said, ‘Sorta dead. You can do this.’ He hadn’t written anything at that time. But he said, ‘This is going to be great.’ So I said okay. If J.J. asked you do something, you’d probably do it too. He’s a very persuasive guy.”
“It was a useful addition to the story and the continuing development of Adam Driver’s character,” the actor continued. “And the chance to do another scene with Adam was great.”
Al Pacino gives himself credit for Ford becoming a huge star, here's why.
Al Turned Star Wars Down
Let's be honest here, for normal folks, 'Star Wars' isn't all that easy to grasp. That's exactly what went down with Al Pacino, who rejected the script given how complex it was. Al states that he gave Ford a career because of it, "You know who else I gave a career to? Harrison Ford. I was offered Star Wars, but I didn't understand the script."
Pacino decided on a different project, one of a troubled race car driver. His performance was met with high praise. Although it didn't become a smash hit at the box office, Pacino called it a necessary project for his career, "It was a huge disaster, but when I saw it again, I saw someone struggling with something, and it was part of my life, and I thought, Well, why not put in the ones where I sort of slipped and fell, even if it’s tough to look at? It kinds of works when you put it in context, doesn’t it? It’s a retrospective," the iconic actor stated with Vulture.
It is common to pass on a huge project, Brad Pitt would say no to 'The Matrix' because like Pacino, he didn't understand the project. And let's face it, both turned out just fine.
Pacino does not look back on anything he missed out on with regret, "I don’t focus on the regrets, which I must have plenty of,” he says, “I wish I hadn’t done things, but I think regretting it is a pointless thing. Out of the things you do that you wish you didn’t do, other things come.” He dabs his eyes again with those drops. “I don’t have regrets. It’s a strange way to live.”
It would be interesting to see Pacino in the role as a fan, given his incredible range as an actor. Though we can all admit, Ford was the perfect guy for the role.
Sources: Glasgow Times, Vulture, People, Looper & Far Out Magazine