Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino—famed for his roles in “The Godfather,” “Scarface,” and “Scent of a Woman,” among other films—is poised to share some of the challenges he has overcome in life in his forthcoming memoir, “Sonny Boy,” including his past struggles with alcoholism and drug use.
Ahead of the book release on Oct. 15, Pacino spoke with People about what prompted his decision to embrace sobriety more than 40 years ago.
“I started to forget things at a very young age—they called them blackouts, so I got nervous,” the actor explained, noting that he subsequently chose to seek help.
“I went to AA for a while,” he added. “It’s a great place, but it was not for me.”
Pacino said his late friend, Charlie Laughton—who taught him during his acting studies at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York—acted as his sponsor instead. Pacino said he got sober in 1977.
The “Serpico” star previously touched on the integral role that Laughton played in his journey to sobriety in the 2006 book “Al Pacino: The Authorized Biography,” by author Lawrence Grobel, which features a collection of interviews with the actor conducted over the span of 25 years.
“I wouldn’t have made it here without Charlie,” Pacino shared.
‘Sonny Boy’
During his recent interview with People, Pacino also recounted a health scare that almost took his life—a frightening experience he also explores in his new memoir.The actor said he was left without a pulse after contracting COVID-19 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I fainted, and when I opened my eyes, there were six paramedics in my living room,” he recalled. “I didn’t have a pulse. Everybody thought I was dead.”
Regarding his decision to document some of his most personal life experiences in his new memoir, Pacino told the publication that it was simply the right time to share his life story.
“It was due,” he said. “I’m in my 85th year. When you get there and you start experiencing age, you understand why they do put things down.”
“I wrote Sonny Boy to express what I’ve seen and been through in my life,” he penned.
“It has been an incredibly personal and revealing experience to reflect on this journey and what acting has allowed me to do and the worlds it has opened up,” Pacino continued. “My whole life has been a moonshot, and I’ve been a pretty lucky guy so far.”
“Sonny Boy”—a childhood nickname bestowed upon Pacino by his mother, Rose—chronicles the life of a man “who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide,” per a synopsis.
“The book’s golden thread, however, is the spirit of love and purpose. Love can fail you, and you can be defeated in your ambitions—the same lights that shine bright can also dim,” the synopsis continues.
Acting Career
Pacino made his film debut in 1969, appearing in the romance comedy “Me, Natalie,” before garnering his first lead role in the 1971 romance drama “The Panic in Needle Park.”The New York native went on to establish a name for himself throughout the ‘70s, landing back-to-back roles in “The Godfather” (1972), “Scarecrow” (1973), “Serpico” (1973), “The Godfather Part II” (1974), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), “Bobby Deerfield” (1977), and “...And Justice for All” (1979).
In 1983, the actor starred alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, and Robert Loggia in the acclaimed crime thriller “Scarface,” in which Pacino played Cuban drug lord Tony Montana.
Pacino went on to appear in a variety of films throughout the ‘90s, including “Dick Tracy” (1990), “The Godfather Part III” (1990), “Carlito’s Way” (1993), “Heat” (1995), “Donnie Brasco” (1997), and “The Insider” (1999).
Pacino’s performance in the 1992 drama “Scent of a Woman” garnered him his first Academy Award for “Best Actor in a Leading Role.”
More recently, Pacino appeared in “The Irishman” (2019) and “House of Gucci” (2021), the latter of which starred Jared Leto, Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, and Salma Hayek. Pacino was also featured in the 2024 biographical drama film “Modi, Three Days on the Wing of Madness,” which is based on the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.
