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Andy Garcia ("The Godfather Part III") read a letter that
began "Dear Uncle Michael"....and graciously offered to whack anybody in the room who had disrespected the don!
Charlize Theron recalled Pacino staying on set in the wee hours
just for her benefit during a scene in "The Devil's Advocate."
Others send accolades via pre-recorded messages....see
below.
**"Throughout our careers,
people have tried to compare us, to pit us against one another and tear us apart personally," Robert De Niro ("Heat") said
via video. "But through it all, Al, I think you've always known just how much I admire and respect you and the work you do.
Honestly, you just may be the finest actor of our generation - with the possible exception of me, frankly."
** Longtime
Pacino friend Jon Voight remembered poignantly how, after his success with "Midnight Cowboy," he hit a professional slump
that had him questioning his talent. He said hearing Pacino say, "Jon, you're a great actor," made all the difference to him.
** John Goodman ("Sea of Love") confessed to being so awe-struck as a young acting student when he saw "The Godfather
II" that he and his buddy promptly tried in vain to get Pacino's phone number from Manhattan directory assistance. "Al, I'm
not sure exactly what I would have said to you if somehow I'd gotten through back then, other than the same thing I'd like
to say to you right now: Thank you."
** Meryl Streep remembered Pacino as the first star she met personally, when
her boyfriend John Cazale ("The Godfather") invited him to dinner. "My hands shook as I was making the spaghetti sauce," she
said. "Your acting is just out of the ballpark, darling. There is nobody who burns hotter or chills colder than you do."
Then the legend takes the stage...
Pacino fumbled with small bits of paper - props,
he said - in an emotional, off-the-cuff acceptance speech. He choked up briefly when he expressed gratitude to his late mother,
who "never saw any day of success of mine," but gifted him with encouragement and confidence...
"I wish I could say more about what's in my
heart right now, but I've always needed a writer," he said. "Whatever I would have written for a speech couldn't have come
close to what I've felt this evening. "I thank God for my life, and I thank God that I had faith as a youngster and
a young actor."
Arriving in style, they came to honor the legend....
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| With daughter Julie Marie very proud of her Dad |
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| Producer and Al's sister Roberta Pacino came to give her brother tribute. |
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| Godfather co-star James Caan gives Al his sentiments in true Sicilian fashion! |
Before the dinner at
the Beverly Hilton, Pacino told USA TODAY he had a soft spot for his lesser-known films. "I'm a bit partial to the movie I
made Looking for Richard," he said, referring to the 1996 directorial project about Shakespeare villain Richard III. "But
I guess I have a lot of favorites. I've done so many, it's hard to compute."
| Click here to go to Pacino Worldwide's |
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| Filmography Page dedicated to Al's films. |
| Always off and running.... |
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| check out the Future Features page to see what projects are in the works for Al! |
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