“And then, one evening, while I was on stage, it just happened. The power of expression was revealed to me like never before. And it wasn’t even something I was searching for. That’s the beauty of things. When you’re not looking for it. I open my mouth and, somehow, I realize that I can speak. The words come out, and they’re not Strindberg’s words, but I pronounce them as if they are my own. 

The world is mine, as are my feelings, and they go beyond the limits of South Bronx. I left behind the familiar. I became part of something greater. I discovered that there are more opportunities for me, I felt that I belonged to a whole world and not just to one place. “What is this?” I wondered. It feels like I’m taking off. “Yes, finally. It’s there, I can reach out and touch it.”

It’s there and now I know I can reach it, touch it,” I thought. And suddenly, at that moment, I was global. I knew that after this I wouldn’t worry. Whether I ate or not. Whether I made money or not. Whether I became famous or not. All these things no longer mattered. In this job, not caring about such things is a blessing. It opened a door that didn’t lead to a career or to success or money, but to a vital energy. I had listened to myself and I could do nothing else but say, “I want to do this thing forever.” For the world, Al Pacino appeared on the big screen like a flame that suddenly ignited and never went out. From his first leading role in Panic in Needle Park in 1971, to his iconic performances in The Godfather, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon, his name became synonymous with the intensity, depth, and truth of acting. He grew up in the South Bronx with a loving but mentally vulnerable mother and his grandparents, as his father abandoned him at a young age. Life on the streets and the wild company of his childhood shaped his character. A teacher recognized his talent and encouraged him to attend the renowned High School of Performing Arts in New York. From there, there was no turning back. Sonny Boy is the memoir of a man who has nothing to fear and nothing to hide. All the great roles, the deep relationships, the creative collaborations, and the fragile balance between art and commerce come alive again – through him. The story of Al Pacino is a story of love and determination. Pacino was fortunate enough to fall deeply in love with his art before he even realized its material rewards – and that love never ran dry. That made all the difference.