To this day, Al Pacino regrets that he refused the film that was nominated 6 times for the Oscar

A nine-time Oscar nominee—and Best Actor winner in 1993 for his role in A Weekend—veteran performer Al Pacino has so many masterpieces in his career that it’s hard to imagine he has any regrets. However, despite the fact that the actor’s career went down in history with his unforgettable performances in films such as Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy (1990). Few, the reality is that Pacino wanted a particular film to be on his hit list, but when he got the chance to star in it, he didn’t think he was the best fit for the role and ultimately turned it down…

The 84-year-old actor has achieved everything that can be achieved in the film industry and has passed one of the most difficult stages – staying in the business for more than half a century. But of course, he also faced significant challenges as, especially during his peak in the 1970s, he had to contend with other A-list actors, including Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford. Clint Eastwood and Dustin Hoffman, who were then competing for the same roles as him.

This is exactly the last of them. Dustin Hoffmanwho played the role that Pacino remembers with the greatest disappointment: the actor was chosen to play the famous comedian Lenny Bruce in the film Lenny, a biographical film nominated for 6 Oscars – including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. his competitor. And yet the main role was offered to the actor for the first time from Serpico.

He didn’t feel like himself and yet

Director Bob Fosse originally offered the role Al PacinoBut he refused. Decades later, he admitted in a 2010 interview with Larry King that he deeply regretted his decision. Although he didn’t specifically mention the movie, there’s no doubt he was referring to it Lenny.

“I don’t want to embarrass anyone, that’s the problem“, he said. “When I first read it, I said I wasn’t cut out for it. But later when I saw it, and when I saw the comic, I just said everything…. Anyway, it’s okay. I saw someone doing something in the club and suddenly I saw what I wanted to do with this role.“

So without naming the movie specifically, Al Pacino admitted that “It was a great performance by Dustin Hoffman“, though he realized he had said it wrong after seeing the final result.

To (re)watch Leni and Pacino’s later role, you’ll have to look to potential DVD releases.