Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Al Pacino
Discover the career path of Al Pacino, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Al Pacino, an iconic American actor with a career spanning over five decades, is celebrated for his intense performances and is considered one of the greatest actors of all time. He has achieved the Triple Crown of Acting with an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. His accolades also include Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA, and numerous lifetime achievement awards. Pacino's films have grossed over $3 billion worldwide, solidifying his impact on the film industry.
1983: Scarface video game
In 1983, Al Pacino allowed his likeness to appear in the video game adaptation of 1983's Scarface, the quasi-sequel Scarface: The World is Yours.
1991: Starred in Frankie and Johnny
In 1991, Al Pacino starred in Frankie and Johnny alongside Michelle Pfeiffer. He played a recently paroled cook who begins a relationship with Pfeiffer's waitress character.
1992: Appearance in Salome and Chinese Coffee
In 1992, Al Pacino appeared in the double-bill of Salome and Chinese Coffee, which served as a $50-a-show fundraiser for the Circle in the Square Theatre.
1992: Won Academy Award for Best Actor
In 1992, Al Pacino won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Glengarry Glen Ross, making him the first male actor to receive two acting nominations in the same year.
1993: Starred in Carlito's Way
In 1993, Al Pacino starred alongside Sean Penn in the crime drama Carlito's Way, playing the role of Carlito Brigante, a gangster released from prison.
1995: Acted in Heat
In 1995, Al Pacino starred in Michael Mann's Heat, marking the first time he and Robert De Niro appeared on-screen together, despite having both been in The Godfather Part II, though they had no scenes together in the earlier film.
1996: Directs and Stars in 'Hughie' Revival
In 1996, Al Pacino directed and starred in the revival of Eugene O’Neill’s Hughie production, continuing his support for the theater.
1996: Starred in Looking for Richard
In 1996, Al Pacino starred in his theatrical docudrama Looking for Richard, which involved performing selected scenes from Shakespeare's Richard III and examining Shakespeare's role in popular culture. The cast included Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, and Winona Ryder.
1997: Acted in The Devil's Advocate and Donnie Brasco
In 1997, Al Pacino played Satan in The Devil's Advocate, co-starring Keanu Reeves, and also played gangster "Lefty" in Donnie Brasco, a true story about an undercover FBI agent.
1999: Starred in The Insider and Any Given Sunday
In 1999, Al Pacino starred as Lowell Bergman in The Insider, opposite Russell Crowe, and in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday.
2000: Starred in Chinese Coffee
In 2000, Al Pacino starred alongside Jerry Orbach in a low-budget film adaptation of Ira Lewis' play Chinese Coffee, which he also funded and took nearly three years to complete.
2001: Chal Productions Credits
Around 2001, Chal Productions, a production company co-founded by Al Pacino, included Looking for Richard, Chinese Coffee, People I Know, and Wilde Salomé in its credits.
2001: Volunteers at 'America: A Tribute to Heroes' Telethon
In 2001, Al Pacino volunteered in the America: A Tribute to Heroes charity telethon to take telephone pledges from the public to raise funds for the victims and families impacted by the September 11 attacks.
October 2002: Starred in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
In October 2002, Al Pacino starred in Bertolt Brecht's The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui for the National Actor's Theater and Complicite, directed by Simon McBurney.
2003: Starred in Angels in America
In 2003, Al Pacino starred in the HBO miniseries Angels in America before starring in Hunters in 2020.
2003: Acted in Gigli and The Recruit
In 2003, Al Pacino took a supporting role in Gigli and starred in The Recruit alongside Colin Farrell.
2004: Starred in The Merchant of Venice
In 2004, Al Pacino starred as Shylock in Michael Radford's film adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, earning praise for his nuanced portrayal of the character.
2004: Won Golden Globe for Angels in America
In 2004, Al Pacino won his third Golden Globe, for Best Performance by an Actor, for his role as lawyer Roy Cohn in the 2003 HBO miniseries Angels in America.
October 8, 2005: Release of Two for the Money
On October 8, 2005, Two for the Money, starring Al Pacino as a sports gambling agent and mentor for Matthew McConaughey, was released to mixed reviews.
2005: Involved with the ONE Campaign
In 2005, Al Pacino was involved with the ONE Campaign, which focuses on fighting extreme poverty, hunger, and AIDS, through their Make Poverty History television and print campaigns.
October 20, 2006: Named recipient of AFI Life Achievement Award
On October 20, 2006, the American Film Institute named Al Pacino the recipient of the 35th AFI Life Achievement Award.
2007: Starred in Ocean's Thirteen
In 2007, Al Pacino starred as the villain Willy Bank in Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Thirteen.
2007: Released DVD box set Pacino: An Actor's Vision
In 2007, Al Pacino's two other rare films he was involved in producing, The Local Stigmatic and Looking for Richard, were included with Chinese Coffee on a special DVD box set titled Pacino: An Actor's Vision. Pacino also produced prologues and epilogues for the films.
April 18, 2008: Release of 88 Minutes in the United States
On April 18, 2008, 88 Minutes, co-starring Alicia Witt, was released in the United States after being released in other countries in 2007.
September 12, 2008: Release of Righteous Kill
On September 12, 2008, Righteous Kill, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as New York detectives, was released in theaters to poor reviews.
2009: Receives Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award
In 2009, Al Pacino received the "Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award" from the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation for his charitable giving and lifelong support to find a cure.
April 2010: Starred in You Don't Know Jack
In April 2010, Al Pacino starred as Jack Kevorkian in the HBO Films biopic You Don't Know Jack. The film premiered in April 2010. The performance earned Pacino his second Emmy Award and fourth Golden Globe award.
September 4, 2011: Presented with Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award
On September 4, 2011, Al Pacino was presented with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award prior to the premiere of his documentary-drama film Wilde Salomé.
2011: Co-starred in Jack and Jill
In 2011, Al Pacino co-starred as himself in the comedy film Jack and Jill, which was panned by critics and earned him the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor.
February 2012: Awarded the National Medal of Arts
In February 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Al Pacino the National Medal of Arts.
March 21, 2012: US Premiere of Wilde Salomé
On March 21, 2012, Al Pacino's film Wilde Salomé had its US premiere in San Francisco, marking the 130th anniversary of Oscar Wilde's visit to the city.
September 2012: Cast as Joe Paterno in television film
In September 2012, it was reported that Al Pacino would play Joe Paterno in the television film Paterno.
October 2012: Starred in Glengarry Glen Ross revival
In October 2012, Al Pacino starred in the 30th-anniversary Broadway revival of David Mamet's play, Glengarry Glen Ross.
2012: Appeals for Hurricane Sandy Relief
In 2012, Al Pacino joined other public figures in appealing for financial support for Hurricane Sandy relief in a Public Service Announcement.
January 20, 2013: Glengarry Glen Ross revival run ended
On January 20, 2013, Al Pacino's Broadway revival of David Mamet's play, Glengarry Glen Ross, concluded its run.
October 2015: Previews for China Doll on Broadway
In October 2015, previews began for China Doll, a play written for Al Pacino by David Mamet, on Broadway.
December 5, 2015: China Doll Opened on Broadway
On December 5, 2015, China Doll, a play written for Al Pacino by David Mamet, opened on Broadway.
January 21, 2016: China Doll Closed on Broadway
On January 21, 2016, China Doll, a play starring Al Pacino, closed on Broadway after 97 performances.
2016: Received Kennedy Center Honor
In 2016, Al Pacino received the Kennedy Center Honor. Remarks were given by Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Bobby Cannavale, and Chris O'Donnell.
April 7, 2018: Paterno premiered on HBO
On April 7, 2018, the television film Paterno, starring Al Pacino as Joe Paterno, premiered on HBO.
July 26, 2019: Release of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
On July 26, 2019, Al Pacino starred alongside Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino's comedy-drama Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
2019: Joins 'Simply Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice'
In 2019, Al Pacino joined Geoffrey Rush for Simply Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice, a one-night-only staged benefit reading to support the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles.
February 2020: Starred in Hunters
In February 2020, Al Pacino starred as Meyer Offerman in the Amazon Prime Video series Hunters, marking his first television series since Angels in America (2003).
August 2020: Hunters Renewed for Second Season
In August 2020, the Amazon Prime Video series Hunters, starring Al Pacino, was renewed for a second season.
2020: Participates in Staged Reading for Veterans
In 2020, Al Pacino participated in a staged reading of David Rabe's The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts to support veteran organizations.
2021: Starred in House of Gucci and American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally
In 2021, Al Pacino played Aldo Gucci in Ridley Scott's House of Gucci and also starred in American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally.
2022: Al Pacino Live on Stage Fundraiser
In 2022, Al Pacino did a one-night-only fundraiser, Al Pacino Live on Stage, featuring a career retrospective and Q&A session, to support SCLA.
2023: Releases New Version of 'Inch by Inch' Speech
In 2023, Al Pacino agreed with the Halftime campaign, releasing a new version of his famous ‘inch by inch’ locker room speech from the film Any Given Sunday, highlighting the importance of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals reaching the halfway mark.
2023: Supporting role in Knox Goes Away
In 2023, Al Pacino played a supporting role as Xavier Crane in Michael Keaton's Knox Goes Away, which premiered at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival.
2024: Expresses Regret and Donates Earnings from 'Cruising'
In 2024, Al Pacino revealed that he felt that the 1980 film Cruising was "exploitative" of the LGBTQ+ community and anonymously donated the money he earned from it to an irrevocable trust fund for charitable purposes.
September 2025: Minor Roles in Two Films
In September 2025, Al Pacino played minor roles in two films: Dead Man's Wire and In the Hand of Dante, both of which made their world premiere out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.
2026: Monologue Used in National Campaign
In 2026, Al Pacino's locker room monologue from the movie Any Given Sunday was used in a national campaign for Pfizer.
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