Al Pacino Remembers Miloš Foreman and Sidney Lumet Being ‘So Mad’ at Him for Doing ‘Scarface’

Al Pacino has had a long and storied career, one filled with iconic roles from Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” to Jimmy Hoffa in Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” but his perhaps most defining performance was as Tony Montana in Brian De Palma’s 1983 remake of “Scarface.” With a screenplay by Oliver Stone, the film is recognized as a shifting point for representations of violence and drugs on screen, but also marks a turn in Pacino’s own acting style as well, bringing a go-for-broke energy to Tony that at time, makes him feel like he’s from another planet. Speaking to The New York Times Magazine for their podcast “The Interview,” Pacino shared that while he continues to stand by the film, over the years, he’s had many peer question why he chose to take part in it, particularly “Amadeus” director Miloš Foreman.

“I’m having dinner with him,” Pacino said, “and he came out and said, ‘How do you do this [expletive] ‘Scarface’? You do ‘Dog Day Afternoon,’ then you do this ‘Scarface’?’” 

And speaking of “Dog Day Afternoon,” the film’s director, Sidney Lumet, who also worked with Pacino on “Serpico,” felt similarly about his friend’s decision to star in such an offensive film like “Scarface.”

“My favorite, Lumet,” said Pacino, reflecting on his late friend. “Sidney Lumet said ‘Al, how do you go in there and do that crap?’ He was so mad. I kept thinking, I don’t feel that way. I love their passion.”

Ever since taking on this role, Pacino has come to be known for his over-the-top antics, whether it’s shouting “Hoo-hah!” for his Oscar-winning performance in “Scent of a Woman” or shouting “Great ass!” at Hank Azaria during a scene in “Heat.” However, Pacino claims, this energy was something he’d been honing for a long time.

“I got that reputation,” Pacino said to The NYT Magazine about getting cast for his craziness. “Some of the stuff I did in school, 14, 15 years old, was the best work I ever did. Not the best work. It was the most inspired work. Because I was so in it. That’s why the teacher came and talked to my mom, came to my house to tell her that I should pursue this thing. But what I’m getting at is, ‘Scarface’ was done that way. ‘Scarface’ came from a place that was different. That’s true.”

As for being critiqued for this type of intense, unique delivery, Pacino believes it eventually became a factor in what got people to buy tickets.

“That’s what they came for — a lot of people. A lot of people don’t like it,” he said. “I sometimes go too far. I really think I can do with some taking it down a bit. I really do. It’s a confession.”

Pacino added, “Hey, if it’s ham, as long as it’s not Spam, you know?”