There are only a few greats in the Hollywood industry that can be classified as living legends, and Al Pacino is one of them. Next year will be forty years since the release of the rags-to-riches gangster crime drama, Scarface, and when Al Pacino is mentioned, fans still picture the ruthless Cuban refugee, Tony Montana. However, his acting career began long before 1983. Beginning with live stage performances in 1967, it wouldn’t be until 1971 that Pacino landed a lead role as Bobby in his first movie, Panic In Needle Park. Shortly after, he was sought for a role in the 1972 mafia film, The Godfather. Since then, Al Pacino has starred in movies with Leonardo DiCaprio, Keanu Reeves, Adam Sandler, and George Clooney to name a few. Here are ten of the highest-grossing Al Pacino movies of his career.
10 Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood
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Ever collaborating with a cast of brilliant actors, there probably isn’t a single A-list actor Al Pacino hasn’t worked within Hollywood. He proved that in 2019 when he starred as an agent and casting director named Marvin Schwartz in Once Upon A Time In… Hollywood. The film follows a washed-up Hollywood actor named Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) who struggles to find work after starring in a 1950s Western series. Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) is Dalton’s stunt double and best friend who also struggles to find work due to rumors of killing his wife. The film also includes portrayals of the Manson Famly murder victims, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), and her husband Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), who move next to Dalton. The film attempted a great comical remake and alternative ending of the Manson Family murders and grossed a cool $377.5 million at the box office.
9 Ocean’s Thirteen
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Ocean’s Thirteen is the only movie out of the Ocean’s franchise that Al Pacino is cast in, which makes it one of the most memorable. The 2007 crime/comedy is a longshot from the last produced spin-off of the movies series in 2018, Ocean’s Eight, which featured a completely female heist team, with Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean leading the pack. Nevertheless, Ocean’s Thirteen portrays Pacino as a big-wig casino owner named Willy Bank who becomes the target of Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his gang after double-crossing Ocean’s mentor, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould), out of an investment he made with him in a hotel-casino project. Reuben suffers a heart attack as a result, which puts Ocean in the mood for revenge. Together with this team of crafty crooks, they plan to drain the casino of millions and prevent Willy from receiving the Five Diamond Award. With a collection of superb actors, the film grossed $311.7 million globally.
8 The Godfather
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Apart from Scarface, which came later in Pacino’s career in 1983, he is most famous for his portrayal of Michael Corleone in the 1972 fictional mafia crime film, The Godfather. The movie is regarded as one of the best films of all time and is credited as being responsible for launching both the acting career of Al Pacino and the directing career of Francis Ford Coppola. The film shows Michael as the youngest son of the Italian-American crime boss, Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), who was formerly a Marine in WWII. After unwillingly joining the family mafia business, Michael’s relationship with his wife, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton) is on the rocks as he tries to balance the crime and violence of mafia life and his family. According to Showbiz CheatSheet, both Pacino and Coppola were almost cut from the movie. However, it was a massive success, grossing $268.5 million at the box office.
7 Heat
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Whenever you place one iconic actor of Italian descent with another legendary actor with a similar background, you can expect sparks to fly like the fourth of July! That’s exactly what happened with the 1995 crime film, Heat, which features Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as lead actors. The film uncovers the life of Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino), a former Marine who struggles with an unfaithful wife named Justine (Diane Venora), a mentally unstable daughter named Lauren (Natalie Portman), and an affair with a graphic designer named Eady (Amy Brenneman) from whom he finds solace. After an armor truck heist leaves two security officers dead, Lt. Hanna hunts down the mastermind behind the robbery, Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), and his crew of Michael Cherrito (Tom Sizemore), Chris Shiherlis, Trejo (Danny Trejo), and Waingro (Kevin Gage). The enigmatic film grossed a total of $187.4 million at the box office.
6 Dick Tracy
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In 1990, American director Warren Beatty wore all the hats when he produced, directed, and played the lead role in Dick Tracy, an adaptation of a 1930s comic character. As stated, Beatty starred as the lead protagonist, Dick Tracy, a quick-on-the-draw police detective who is determined to bring down a crime syndicate run by Alphonse “Big Boy” Caprice (Al Pacino). The film also features big names such as Madonna, a Club Ritz entertainer named Breathless Mahoney who is claimed as Big Boy’s girlfriend after stealing her from Lips (Paul Sorvino). Other main characters also include Glenne Headly and Charlie Korsmo. The theatrical crime film grossed a decent $162.7 million at the international box office.
5 Devil’s Advocate
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Likely one of the most profoundly written and produced supernatural horror films in Hollywood history, The Devil’s Advocate reveals a frightening bit of information into how the forces of darkness work in the most prominent places of grandeur, to the least likely of areas. The 1997 film describes the life of a convincing Florida defense lawyer named Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) who accepts a seemingly more advantageous position at a New York law firm run by John Milton (Al Pacino). Enticed by opulent living, Lomax moves to New York with his wife, Mary Ann (Charlie Theron). But soon after taking the position, strange and otherworldly occurrences begin taking place, causing Mary Ann to second-guess their decision as John Milton’s character seems more like that of the devil himself. Remaining a fan-favorite to this day, the film grossed $153 million at the global box office.
4 House Of Gucci
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At age 81, it’s clear that Al Pacino shows no signs of slowing down, as he took on the role of Aldo Gucci, the eldest son of Gucci founder, Guccio Gucci, in the 2021 film, House of Gucci. The crime/drama was actually based on a book written in 2001 by Sara Gay Forden titled The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed. It encapsulates the real-life accounts of Italian businesswoman, Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), who marries Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), the son of actor Rodolfo Gucci. Mayhem soon follows as what began as love disintegrates into a power struggle between the married couple, resulting in the premeditated murder of Maurizio Gucci on March 27, 1995. The biographical film grossed $151.6 million internationally.
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3 Jack And Jill
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Most of the films mentioned in this list have been more of a serious nature, like crime dramas and thrillers. But that doesn’t mean Al Pacino is beyond a comedy with one of Hollywood’s goofiest comedians. In 2011, Adam Sandler starred in dual roles in Jack and Jill, both as Jack Sadelstein and his sister, Jill Sadelstein. The comedy follows Jack, a primetime advertising executive, who lives with his wife Erin Sadelstein (Katie Holmes) and two children. Unemployed and unmarried, Jill comes to visit for Thanksgiving (which Jack absolutely loathes) and so does Al Pacino as himself in the movie, who Jack’s company desperately wants in an advertisement. Despite Jack’s attempt to talk business with Pacino, the actor’s interest is solely on Jill (also Sandler). The film made a box office gross earnings of $150.5 million.
2 Insomnia
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Directed by Chris Nolan, the 2002 psychological thriller, Insomnia, was actually a remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller with the same title. When 17-year-old Kay Connell is found murdered in a small Alaska town, authorities seek out the expertise of Los Angeles Police Department detectives Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) to help with the investigation. Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank) is also on the case as a local Alaskan detective. In a twist of events, Dormer accidentally kills his partner in a shootout and attempts to cover his tracks. However, he is haunted by his conscience and experiences insomnia. Making matter worse is a witness to the shootout, Walter Finch (Robin Williams) who confessed to murdering Kay “accidentally” and wants Dormer to shift the suspicion from him to Kay’s boyfriend. Ultimately, Dormer dies from a gunshot after a struggle with Finch. Insomnia grossed $113.6 million at the international box office.
1 The Recruit
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While it may not fare well in comparison to a CIA recruitment movie like The Bourne Identity, The Recruit was enough to gross $101.1 million at the box office. The 2003 spy thriller focuses on James Clayton (Colin Farrell), a programmer at MIT studying nonlinear cryptography. As a student, he creates a surveillance program known as Spartacus, which garners much interest at a campus fair. One of those interests is CIA officer Walter Burke (Al Pacino). Burke encourages James to become a recruit, and after some resistance, he agrees. James becomes romantically involved with CIA recruit Layla Moore (Bridget Moynahan), who Burke convinces him may be a spy. As the masks begin to fall, it’s revealed that Officer Burke is a traitor after he attempts to shoot and kill James. In return, he is shot and killed by a CIA team.
Sources: Esquire, The Sun, Showbiz Cheatsheet, Hollywood Outbreak, Roger Ebert, BBC, Junkee
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