It's always nice to hear two GOATs talk about their craft, and Robert De Niro and Al Pacino have earned that title and then some. With The Irishman on the horizon, the pair of theatrical titans sat down with GQ to discuss their respective careers, revealing a few notable what-ifs in the process.
"I remember we were on the street one night," reflects De Niro, prefacing his tale with an "I could be wrong." "You were considering who to do it, what director. I was saying you should do it with Brian [De Palma] of the choices you have. If you don't do it, I'm going to do it, cause I wanted to do it." Pacino jumps in, claiming that Scarface was originally plotted to be a collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. "They were thinking about it," says Al. "I didn't know that Marty and Bob were interested in it."
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Still, without Pacino, Scarface might never have been made at all. The legendary actor originally pushed for the film to be made after watching the Howard Hanks original version from 1932. Upon seeing the film, he immediately contacted his manager to see what he could lay down. De Niro affirms that he felt De Palma was the perfect fit, citing his unconventionality. "Turned out that was true," praises Pacino. "He had his own way of doing things that made it different. It really made that film."
Both men also open up about their favorite characters, with Pacino dubbing De Niro's performance in Raging Bull as one of the "greatest performances in film history, beyond belief." De Niro returns the praise, deeming Godfather to be his favorite of Al's films. "He was unique and special, and I understood why Francis wanted Al. As an actor sometimes, what would upset you is if someone is up for a part you were up for, and they use them for the wrong reasons." Despite De Niro having been interested in joining the first Godfather, he harbors no resentment for how it all played out.
Look for these two acting legends to reunite in Martin Scorcese's The Irishman, arriving on November 27th.