“Godfather” star Al Pacino comes across as a ruthless killer onscreen, but as a kid Al was so sheltered, his mother didn’t even let him out of the house.
When Al was only 2, his father Salvatore left home, leaving the youngster to be raised by his mother Rose and his grandparents.
“They didn’t let me out of the house until I was 7,” he says. “I guess it was because I was very sensitive and they were afraid of what might happen to me.”
Occasionally, Al got to go with his mother to the movies — where they especially enjoyed melodramas and gangster flicks.
The budding actor was so impressed, he would later act out memorable scenes for his grandparents.
His lonely childhood and hours spent in darkened movie theaters prepared Pacino to become one of America’s all-time great stars.
His Oscar-winning portrayal of a blind man in “Scent of a Woman” was brilliant — but Pacino had practiced for it long ago.
As a kid in New York, Al walked around the streets pretending he was blind. He was so convincing people helped him across the street!
