Here’s a story for all you Al Pacino fans. (And really, who isn’t a fan?).
Early in his career, Pacino was performing in a play, and while listening for his cue to head to the stage, he saw another cast member reading a newspaper.
When Pacino asked his co-star what he was reading, the actor became sheepish. Pacino saw that he was reading a rave review of the play, except for one element. Just as Pacino heard his cue to head to the stage, he read a line in the review suggesting that it was very difficult even to “tolerate him.”
“I laughed — I was young enough to laugh,” Pacino recalled. “It hurt, but it was funny. It was funny because it hurt.”
It must be even easier for Pacino to laugh today. This week is serving as something of a super-sized victory lap for the Oscar-winning actor.
He is expected to receive the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award at a gala in Hollywood on Wednesday night.
And on Tuesday, he appeared at the premiere of his new movie, “Ocean’s Thirteen,” then headed to the 20th Century Fox lot to speak to an audience that had just seen the premiere of another new film, “Babbleonia,” in which the actor discusses his craft.
“Babbleonia” will be a bonus disc in “The Al Pacino Collection,” which includes three film adaptations of stage plays directed by the actor and is due in stores June 19.
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Taking questions from the audience for more than an hour, Pacino reflected upon his celebrated career. He recalled that two of his signature moments in his film canon never even appeared in a script.
Between takes while filming “Dog Day Afternoon,” the film’s assistant director suggested he shout out the word “Attica,” a reference to a recent prison riot. When he did so, the crowd watching the shoot cheered and began chanting along with the actor.
For his turn as a retired military man in “Scent of a Woman,” Pacino sought instruction from a lieutenant colonel. “Every time I got something right, he said, ‘Hoo-ah,’ ” Pacino said.
The phrase became his signature line in the film.
“That’s the fun thing about all of this — when something like that lands, it’s wonderful,” he said. “Of course, they don’t all land.”