Al Pacino talks acting, ageing and his autobiography

By MiNDFOOD

Cast member Al Pacino poses at a premiere for the television series "Hunters" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 19, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Cast member Al Pacino poses at a premiere for the television series "Hunters" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 19, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Legendary actor Al Pacino talks to MiNDFOOD about his new drama series Hunters and reflects on his life ahead of his 80th birthday.

To play a Nazi hunter is some role!

Yeah I am kind of a superhero! This is a different role than I have played before.

Did you do much research into Nazi hunters?

I didn’t even have to read or research it because I have known about this subject throughout my life. I understood some of it because I know people who have met people, etc. (laughs)

One of the main themes of the story is ‘an eye for an eye’. Is that your philosophy?

No, no. I don’t think I am that kind of a person, I never thought of life that way. I have certainly played many characters who think like that, but me personally? No.

When are you going to write your autobiography?

I’ve been asked to do it several times but I’ve always shied away from it. Being a well-known actor is different than being a well-known celebrity. I’ve always tried to accept what happened to me and how fortunate I’ve been in the world of what we do, but in the book world it becomes a different experience. I’d be saying a lot of things in the book and in the world of the media that we have today and the internet, things can get plucked out of context, so that’s always something that you live with and something you have to think about. I have an interesting story and I have a very good writer that is interested in it. So I have thought about it a lot and I think I should write one.

You’re turning 80 next month. How do you feel about it?

I started thinking I was 80 about a year ago because that’s the way I do things, so it doesn’t become a big shock to me when it actually happens (laughs). How do I feel? It makes you reflect a little bit. Did I say a first, a quasi-intelligent thing just now? (laughs) I don’t know. I do notice the difference now in ageing. The first time I noticed a difference was when I was in my mid-70s and things started to change a little bit. But for other people it’s in their mid-50s or mid-60s but I sort of went by those decades. But for me, then mid-70s happened and things just started to change a little, the way I perceived things, the way I looked at things. I have to say, I sort of like it.

I know you’re an avid reader. What are you reading at the moment?

The Club. It’s very good, I’m enjoying it so much. You know sometimes how it is with a book when you read it and you don’t want to finish it at all, you just want to hold onto it? I have that feeling with this.

What are your kids doing at the moment, now that they’ve grown up?

Well my oldest daughter is a filmmaker. So, she does films, and she writes them and directs them. So she is working all the time, very into it. And right now my son, who is a video game programmer, is also making his own videos. He showed me some of the artwork in the video games which are very impressive in terms of skill and what they do. And my youngest daughter is doing her thing, she was at the Oscars with me and it was fun to have her there. My youngest daughter enjoys being in that environment. Overall, my kids are in their own worlds and I love that.

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