10 iconic roles that Al Pacino turned down
The landscape of Hollywood cinema in the late 20th century wouldn’t have looked quite so vibrant and energetic without the magnetic allure of American actor Al Pacino. Appearing in some of the greatest movies of the era whilst working with some of the finest filmmakers of his generation, including Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Mann, Pacino made a significant mark on popular culture.
Despite critical success for such films as The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and Scent of a Woman, no film was more iconic for Pacino than 1983’s Scarface. Starring as the iconic coke-sniffing gangster Tony Montana alongside the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer and F. Murray Abraham, Pacino proved himself as an actor capable of taking on roles that were equally sinister and electrifyingly melodramatic.
His roles often varied between these two extremes, either playing dark criminals or eccentric larger-than-life individuals, despite having the capability to play any character in any genre of cinema. As a result, Pacino turned down multiple iconic roles in favour of the ‘bread and butter’ films he knew and loved, making for several missed opportunities we would have loved to see in a parallel universe.
Take a look at our list of missed opportunities for Al Pacino below.
10 iconic roles Al Pacino turned down
Travis Bickle – Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
The iconic Martin Scorsese flick Taxi Driver might have won the Palme d’Or upon its release, as well as a nomination for ‘Best Actor’ for the work of Robert De Niro in the lead role, but the entire film could have been totally different if Al Pacino had filled the shoes of Travis Bickle. Though a good replacement for De Niro, if such a replacement had to be made, we’re not sure Pacino would have had the dramatic depth to pull off the complex character.
Bickle is the protagonist of Scorsese’s tale, written by Paul Schrader, which follows a mentally fragile taxi driver and veteran who drives around the streets of New York City and wishes for sociological change.
Nick Hurley – Flashdance (Adrian Lyne, 1983)
What a feeling it would have been if Al Pacino had given up on the coke-snorting and taken up his dancing shoes for Adrian Lyne’s 1980s classic, Flashdance. Considered for the leading role of Nick Hurley, Pacino eventually turned down the chance to appear in the romance flick due to the fact that he thought the film might ruin his “gangster” reputation. Alas, we would have loved to have seen this bizarre collaboration.
In the end, the part went to Michael Nouri and the film, which follows a woman wishing to get into a ballet school, earned an Academy Award for ‘Best Original Song’ for the iconic tune ‘Flashdance…What a Feeling’.
Ron Kovic – Born on the Fourth of July (Oliver Stone, 1989)
Born on the Fourth of July, starring Tom Cruise, is one of Oliver Stone’s greatest-ever movies, telling the story of a paralysed Vietnam war veteran who becomes a pro-human rights political activist following his arduous time on the front line. In the early days of the movie’s production, Stone was only attached to pen the script for the film, with The Exorcist’s William Friedkin in the director’s chair instead.
At the very same time, Pacino was the first choice to play the lead character, Ron Kovic, but when Friedkin dropped out, the actor was turned off the idea. “I had an interest in making it with Billy…So, suddenly, Friedkin is out of the picture—now what? I wasn’t going to make that movie,” he stated in Al Pacino.
Dave Kujan – The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer, 1995)
Pacino was known for his crime films, so it was a surprise to many when he chose not to appear in Bryan Singer’s influential 1995 movie The Usual Suspects purely due to the fact that he had recently appeared in Michael Mann’s classic Heat. Telling the story of five criminals who meet in a police lineup and become entangled in a deadly shootout, Singer’s film won two Oscars at the time as well as a heap of commercial acclaim.
Pacino has previously stated that his decision to turn down the role of Dave Kujan and star with the likes of Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Spacey and Benicio Del Toro was one of his biggest regrets.
Thomas Levy – Marathon Man (John Schlesinger, 1976)
Seen as one of the greatest crime thrillers of the 1970s, John Schlesinger’s Marathon Man tells the story of a New York history student who, after his brother is murdered, is dragged into a government conspiracy. Dustin Hoffman plays the man in question, Thomas Levy, even though the director really wanted Al Pacino to take on the lead character, with producer Robert Evans having the final say.
Marathon Man is a special film as it is, but we can’t help but think that if Pacino had been in the lead role instead of Hoffman, the film might be considered with a little bit more love than it is today.
Edward Lewis – Pretty Woman (Garry Marshall, 1990)
We’ve already discussed how Pacino turned down a chance at cinematic romance with 1983’s Flashdance, but seven years later, he made a similar decision when he chose not to appear in Garry Marshall’s beloved rom-com Pretty Woman. Instead, the role was taken by Richard Gere, who gave one of his most iconic performances beside Julia Roberts in a film that followed a businessman and a sex worker who fall in love.
Although Pacino might not have easily slipped into the 1990 film, he might have been better suited to the movie’s original script, with Screenwriter J.F. Lawton’s original idea, titled 3000, being far darker than the finished product.
John McClane – Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988)
Hollywood roles don’t get much more iconic than Bruce Willis’ John McClane, the dogged, vest-wearing New York cop who manages to take down a terrorist organisation all on his own in John McTiernan’s Die Hard. Al Pacino was one of many actors to turn down the role, with the likes of Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Paul Newman and James Caan also making the same mistake.
Frank Sinatra was initially offered the role as the film was based on the novel sequel to the 1968 movie The Detective, but the singer and actor was 70 at the time, so declined the chance to appear in the classic.
John Rambo – First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)
From one action hero to another, shockingly, Pacino was considered for the role of John Rambo in 1982’s First Blood, despite the actor not having anywhere near the physical stature of the eventual choice, Sylvester Stallone. Like many movies of its kind, there were originally several directors linked to the project, with Martin Ritt wanting Paul Newman for the part when he was in charge, whilst Sydney Pollack wanted Steve McQueen.
Pacino was the choice of Martin Bregman, but when the director left the project, the dream of the actor being the crazed killer went with him. Still, some sources suggest that Pacino wanted to take the character in a different direction, too, wanting the action icon to be something more of a “madman”.
Han Solo – Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977)
Arguably, George Lucas’ 1977 game-changer, Star Wars, doesn’t work without Han Solo. A rebellious smuggler, Solo, played by Harrison Ford, gives some much-needed style to the Star Wars universe, providing a much-needed departure from the earnestness of the Jedi and the silliness of the endless cosmic creatures. So, maybe the fact that Pacino turned down the role was a good thing for the galaxy far, far away.
Speaking in a Q&A in 2013, the actor admitted that he didn’t actually understand Lucas’ screenplay, with this being a major reason why he turned down the project.“I didn’t get it,” the actor admitted, “I didn’t know why I’d do it”.
Captain Willard – Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)
Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 movie Apocalypse Now is notorious for being one of the most insane movies ever made, both in front of and behind the camera. The story follows a US army officer who is asked to assassinate a rogue Colonel who is seen as a God by a Vietnamese tribe, with the likes of Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall providing utterly unforgettable performances.
Pacino turned it down because it sounded like something of a nightmare to shoot, stating: “I know what this is going to be like. You’re going to be up there in a helicopter telling me what to do, and I’m gonna be down there in a swamp for five months”.