WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The cast of ‘The Godfather’

Al Pacino was a relatively unknown actor when he took on the role of Michael Corleone.

While casting for “The Godfather,” director Francis Ford Coppola saw Pacino acting on Broadway. Instantly, he knew he had found his Michael Corleone. However, the studio wanted someone famous, like Robert Redford, to play the lead role.

Eventually, Coppola convinced the studio to cast Pacino, but the troubles didn’t end there. Pacino told The Washington Post that executives tried to fire him three times during the filming of the movie.

In the end, Pacino earned his first Oscar nomination for the role.

Anthony Ippolito played Pacino the Paramount+ miniseries “The Offer,” which documented the making of “The Godfather.”

Pacino is an acclaimed, Academy Award-winning actor, with numerous notable films under his belt.

Pacino reprised his role as Michael Corleone in two “Godfather” sequels. He also became famous for “Scarface” in 1983. In 1993, he earned his first Oscar for his role in “Scent of a Woman.”

More recently, Pacino, 82, was nominated for another mob movie, “The Irishman,” in 2019, in which he played Jimmy Hoffa. He also appeared in the Oscar-nominated film “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.”

In 2020, he appeared in his first TV series, “Hunters,” on Amazon.

Last year, he played Aldo Gucci, a member of the Gucci fashion dynasty, in the Ridley Scott film “House of Gucci.”

“The Godfather” was Marlon Brando’s comeback movie. He played Don Vito Corleone, the family patriarch.

Brando was a famous Old Hollywood actor, starring in notable films like “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Julius Caesar,” and “The Wild One.” He won an Oscar in 1955 for his role in “On The Waterfront.”

In the ’60s, however, Brando’s career took a downturn due to films that were poorly received by critics, and amid claims he was difficult to work with.

Despite that, Coppola knew he wanted Brando to play the patriarch in “The Godfather,” but the studio needed convincing. Coppola made a strong case for the actor by going to his house and helping him create an audition tape. He got the part and later won an Oscar for the legendary role.

Former “Grey’s Anatomy” star Justin Chambers played Brando in “The Offer.”

Before his death in 2004, Brando reportedly became even more difficult to work with.

After “The Godfather,” he starred in more movies, like “Last Tango in Paris” and “Apocalypse Now,” but his career waned again.

The filming of one of his last movies, “The Island of Dr. Moreau,” was reportedly not an enjoyable experience for those on set. Screenwriter Ron Hutchinson described the actor as a “monster.”

“By this stage of his life Brando, playing the God of Moreau’s island and emerging as the God of the production, was way beyond bored with the making of movies,” Hutchinson wrote in his book. “Overweight, unprepared, mocking, dismissive, on the razor’s edge where caprice becomes malice, the case for the prosecution is therefore easily made. He was indeed here to sabotage this movie.”

Brando died in 2004 at the age of 80.

“Simply put, in film acting, there is before Brando, and there is after Brando. And they are like different worlds,” read his New York Times obituary.

In 1972, Robert Duvall played Tom Hagen, the consigliere for the Corleone family.

Prior to “The Godfather,” Duvall appeared “M.A.S.H,” “The FBI,” and “THX 1138,” but his portrayal of Tom Hagen was his breakout role. Hagen is the consigliere or counselor/lawyer for the family.

Duvall was later nominated for an Oscar for this role.

Derek Magyar played Duvall in “The Offer.”

Duvall still has a successful acting career and one Academy Award.

Duvall, now 91, has been acting consistently for decades. He even earned an Oscar for his role in “Tender Mercies” in 1983. He’s had seven nominations, most recently for 2014’s “The Judge.”

The nonagenarian is still acting frequently. He starred in the 2018 film “Widows” opposite Viola Davis and Liam Neeson, appeared in the 2021 film “12 Mighty Orphans,” and has three more films set to release in 2022: a sports comedy starring Adam Sandler called “Hustle,” a drama written and directed by Ed Harris called “The Ploughmen,” and a horror thriller starring Christian Bale called “The Pale Blue Eye.”

James Caan played the short-tempered oldest son, Sonny Corleone, in “The Godfather.”

Caan originally screen tested for the role of Michael, according to “The Godfather” by Jon Lewis, but Coppola wanted him to play Sonny. The actor took the role and brought the ill-tempered character to life, earning an Oscar nomination. He even said he’s often referred to as Sonny in the real world.

“They called me a wiseguy,” Caan told Vanity Fair in 2009. “I won Italian of the Year twice in New York, and I’m not Italian … I was denied in a country club once. Oh, yeah, the guy sat in front of the board, and he says, ‘No, no, he’s a wiseguy, been downtown. He’s a made guy.’ I thought, What? Are you out of your mind?”

Damian Conrad-Davis played Caan in “The Offer.”

Caan died on July 6, 2022, at the age of 82.

Caan, 82, appeared in dozens of projects since “The Godfather,” most famously 1990’s “Misery,” in which he played an author held captive by a mentally disturbed super-fan.

Of course, he’s known to a whole new generation now due to his role as Walter Hobbs (of Naughty List fame) in the 2003 Christmas classic “Elf.”

He also appeared in films like “Eraser,” “Bottle Rocket,” “Dogville,” “Get Smart,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and its sequel, and most recently, “Queen Bees.”

Caan was set to reunite with “Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola for his upcoming epic “Megalopolis” before his death in July 2022.

Originally a stage actress, Diane Keaton was tapped to play Kay Adams, the wife of Michael Corleone.

Before “The Godfather,” Keaton was seen on Broadway, taking roles in “Hair” and Woody Allen’s “Play It Again Sam,” and she had appeared in a handful of TV shows, including “The FBI.”

When Coppola cast her as Kay Adams, Keaton’s career transitioned from stage to the big screen.

Maya Butler played Keaton on “The Offer.”

After “The Godfather,” Keaton’s movie career took off as she collaborated with Woody Allen.

In 1977, she and Allen co-starred in the cult classic “Annie Hall,” solidifying Keaton’s place in Hollywood and earning her an Academy Award.

From there, she starred in several notable films like 1991’s “Father of the Bride” and its sequel, as well as 1996’s “First Wives Club,” “Something’s Gotta Give” in 2003, and “The Family Stone” in 2006. She’s also received three more Academy Award nominations.

Most recently, Keaton appeared in “Book Club” in 2018 and “Poms” in 2019. Today, the 76-year-old star is also known for her eccentric style.

Next up, Keaton will appear in the comedy “Mack & Rita,” which co-stars “You” actress Elizabeth Lail, “Zola” breakout Taylour Paige, Dustin Milligan, Simon Rex, Nicole Byer, and Patti Harrison.

Coppola hired his sister, Talia Shire, to play Connie Corleone.

When Coppola cast Shire to play the daughter of Vito, she had very little acting experience. He also didn’t want to cast her because he pictured the character to be more “‘homely,’ an adjective he’d never use to describe his sister,” Vanity Fair wrote.

In the end, Shire was nominated for an Oscar for her part in the sequel, “The Godfather: Part II.”

Cynthia Aileen Strahan played Shire on “The Offer.”

Shire went on to make a name for herself in the “Rocky” franchise.

Shire entered another successful franchise in 1976 when she played Adrian, the main character’s love interest, in “Rocky.” She was also nominated for an Academy Award for that performance.

She reprised the role of Adrian four more times, and was seen via archival footage in 2006’s “Rocky Balboa.”

More recently, Shire, now 76, appeared in Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie” and “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.”

Two of her sons, Jason and Robert Schwartzman, have also found success in Hollywood — Jason is a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson (and was the drummer of Phantom Planet when “California” was released), while Robert starred as Anne Hathaway’s love interest in “The Princess Diaries” and is the lead singer of the indie rock band Rooney.

Gianni Russo worked for the mob in the real world before joining the cast of “The Godfather.”

When he was young, Russo worked for Frank Costello, a famous mobster, as a messenger.

“Early on in my life, fortunately, he took me under his wing and mentored me in a way that no one could do,” Russo told Vice about Costello in 2019. “He gave me experiences and opportunities that I could’ve never had just being an Italian immigrant from Mulberry Street.”

In the ’70s, however, he was tapped to play a fictional mobster. His character, Carlo Rizzi, is the son-in-law of Vito and beats his wife (Vito’s daughter), Connie Corleone.

Branden Williams played Russo on “The Offer.”

Since “The Godfather,” Russo’s career has expanded beyond acting.

According to his website, Russo, 78, is a motivational speaker, a singer, and a businessman.

In 2019, he made headlines when he claimed Marilyn Monroe took his virginity at 15, and that he knows who caused Monroe’s death.

The third Corleone brother, Fredo, was played by John Cazale. He died in 1978 at age 42.

Cazale had a brief, yet illustrious film career. He appeared in five movies total: “The Godfather,” “The Conversation,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “The Deer Hunter” — all five were nominated for best picture at the Oscars, and three of them won the top prize.

Cazale, who was dating Meryl Streep at the time, died due to lung cancer in 1978. He appeared in one more film, “The Godfather Part III,” in archival footage, which also was nominated for best picture.

Nick Pupo played Cazale on “The Offer.”

As “The Godfather” is 50 years old, many of the films’ other stars have died in the intervening decades.

Sonny’s godfather and family friend Clemenza was played by Richard Castellano, who died at the age of 55, 16 years after “The Godfather” was released, in 1988. He had been nominated for an Oscar in 1970 for “Lovers and Other Strangers.”

Sterling Hayden played a corrupt police captain, Captain McCluskey. Hayden, who died in 1986 at age 70, was also famous for his role in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” “The Long Goodbye,” and “The Killing.”

The infamous Hollywood producer who woke up with a horse’s head in his bed was played by John Marley, who died at 76 in 1984. Marley was also well known for his role in “Love Story.”

The Corleones’ chief rival, Barzini, was played by “Ocean’s 11” star Richard Conte, who died a few years after the film’s release, in 1975. He was 65. Another Corleone rival, Virgil Sollozzo, was played by Al Lettieri. He also died in 1975, at age 47.

Tessio, another caporegime of the Corleone’s, was portrayed by Abe Vigoda, who died in 2016. He was 94.

Johnny Fontane, the film’s Frank Sinatra stand-in, was played by singer Al Martino. Martino died in 2009 when he was 82 years old.

Lenny Montana, a real Mafia enforcer and professional wrestler, played the Corleone’s enforcer Luca Brasi. Montana died in 1992 at 66.