Legendary '70s Actor, Who Starred in ‘Best Movie of All Time,' Turns 84
Al Pacino emerged as one of Hollywood's defining forces in the 1970s and is now celebrating a personal milestone.
Born on April 25, 1940, in East Harlem, New York, only a few could have predicted that Alfredo James Pacino, later widely recognized by the nickname "Al," would go on to become one of the acclaimed actors of his generation.
As the award-winning star turns 84, here's a look back at his most iconic project that cemented his legacy in cinema history.
Al Pacino's Legendary Film Still Ranked Among the ‘Best Movies of All Time'
Rotten Tomatoes, a known online review aggregation website for film and television, released its list of the 300 highest-rated movies of all time.
The rankings are based on their signature Tomatometer score and the reviews shared by both professional critics and Rotten Tomatoes users.
While the list showcased a mix of classic and modern films spanning a diverse range of genres, The Godfather secured the top spot, earning the title of "the Best Movie of All Time."
Directed by the renowned filmmaker Francis Coppola, it scored 97 percent on the Tomatometer, which means the movie received mostly positive reviews from professional film critics and a 98 percent Popcornmeter score, which was based on how many verified audience members "liked" the film after watching it.
Critics' reviews described it as "not only grand entertainment, but an emotional and intellectual experience to rival any in cinema."
Moreover, one critic called The Godfather a "masterfully conducted orchestra," praising the director's "meticulously crafted" and extraordinary storytelling along with its stellar cast.
In addition, the public also praised how the movie portrayed the characters brought to life by lead stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, with the latter widely regarded for delivering one of his "greatest acting performances."
The Godfather is an epic gangster and crime drama film that focuses on the transformation of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), the youngest son of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the patriarch of the Corleone crime family, and his descent into becoming the head of the mafia.
Michael Corleone not only followed in his father's footsteps but took over his father's criminal empire.
Pacino's remarkable performance earned him a major nomination, among which was the Best Supporting Actor at the 45th Academy Awards, along with co-stars James Caan and Robert Duvall, as well as The Heartbreak Kid star Eddie Albert, but he lost to Joel Grey for his role in Cabaret.
At the time, Pacino famously boycotted his Oscar nomination, noting that he was in a "rebellious" and "uncomfortable" phase of his career.
Moreover, he also felt uneasy being part of the Hollywood awards environment and was afraid and overwhelmed by sudden attention and fame.
"I was young, younger than even my years. I was young in terms of the newness of all this," he told The New York Times, adding, "It was the old shot-out-of-a-cannon syndrome. And it's connected to drugs and those kinds of things, which I was engaged in back there, and I think that had a lot to do with it. I was just unaware of things back then."
On the other hand, The Godfather'ssuccess resulted in a trilogy with the second part, released in 1974, acting as both a prequel and sequel, while the third part, released in 1990, concludes the story.
Related: 51 Years Ago Today, Beloved '70s Icon Won the Oscars for a Supporting Role
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 12:35 PM.