Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 cult classic film The Godfather is widely credited as one of the greatest movies of all time. The brilliant director was able to expose Italian-American mob mentality and gangsters in a light that hadn’t graced the big screen at the time. The concept was outrageous and exciting at the time, garnering extreme acclaim and recognition. Aside from the fact that the story was original and compelling, one of the film's greatest attributes is its all-star cast full of Hollywood legends. The great Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Helmut Berger, James Chan, Andy Garcia, and Robert DuVall all starred in either The Godfather or The Godfather Part II.
The Godfather is special in the fact that it’s the only film franchise to have a film and its sequel or prequel both win Best Picture at the Oscars. In 1973, The Godfather took home Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In 1975, The Godfather Part II won an astounding six Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Production Design. These movies will go down in history and be watched all around the world for years to come. Here is where the cast of The Godfather is today.
Marlon Brando
One of the greatest actors of all time and the lead actor of The Godfather is the incredible Marlon Brando. Known for his roles in films such as The Godfather, A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, Apocalypse Now, and The Wild One, Brando's repertoire is extensive and will go down as some of the most iconic films of all time. His extremely successful career earned him a total of eight Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, two of which he won: in 1955, for On the Waterfront, and in 1973, for his role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather.
Sadly, Brando passed in 2004 from lung failure. His final performance was The Score, where he starred alongside Robert De Niro and Edward Norton. Marlon Brando's legacy will live on forever through his timeless performances that will be watched around the world for generations to come.
Al Pacino
While it's most likely you know Al Pacino from his iconic roles as Michael Corleone, Tony Montana, and Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in the films The Godfather, Scarface, and Scent of a Woman, the Oscar-winning actor has done countless films since then. Pacino is a legend and widely credited as one of the greatest actors working today.
Pacino's performances have earned him dozens of accolades and honors over the years, and today at the age of 83, he is still working in Hollywood tackling new roles. Since 2019, he has acted in over 10 films including House of Gucci, Val, The Irishman, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His most recent Academy Award nomination was in 2020 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Irishman.
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, who is best known for his roles in the genius director Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, and Raging Bull, stars as young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II. Although this is a prequel to the original film, it is widely considered to be just as good as the original if not better. Even in his later age, De Niro has been acting in critically acclaimed films such as The Irishman, Silver Linings Playbook, and Joker.
In late-2023, his newest film Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by his longtime creative collaborator Martin Scorsese, will be released. He stars alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in this drama set in 1920s Osage County, Oklahoma.
Diane Keaton
Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton plays the beautiful Kay Adams, Michael Corleone's girlfriend, played by Pacino. We first see her at Michael's sister's wedding in The Godfather and eventually, over the course of the franchise, Kay and Michael become husband and wife.
In addition to her work in this franchise, Keaton is known for dozens of other iconic performances. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1978 for her performance in Annie Hall and received three other nominations during her career for her work in Something's Gotta Give, Marvin's Room, and Reds. Today, she is celebrating the release of her most recent films Book Club: The Next Chapter, and Maybe I Do.
Helmut Berger
Helmut Berger was an incredibly talented Austrian actor and a great star of European cinema. Known as somewhat of a sex symbol, especially among European countries, Berger's roles were primarily made up of witty, charming, and narcissistic roles. He received a large amount of fame and success primarily in the United States after his performance as Frederick Keinszig in The Godfather Part III. In late-May 2023, Berger died in Salzburg, Austria, leaving behind an iconic career and legacy full of brilliant work.
James Caan
James Caan was a successful and beloved actor best known for his role as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. This role allowed him to star alongside Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, and earned Caan both an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Born in the Bronx, New York in 1940, Caan died at the age of 82 in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his work in The Godfather, he played a variety of parts in both films and television over the course of his career including roles in Misery, Elf, El Dorado, and Thief.
Andy Garcia
Andy Garcia, who plays Vincent Mancini, the son of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather Part III, is an American actor, director, and musician. He was first propelled into stardom as an actor when he played George Stone alongside acting legends such as Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, and Robert De Niro in Brian De Palma's 1987 American crime film The Untouchables. His most recent on-screen work consists of roles in Father of the Bride, Book Club, Book Club: The Next Chapter, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Robert DuVall
In The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, the iconic Robert DuVall plays the role of Tom Hagen. Considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time, this legendary performer and filmmaker has an extensive career that spends seven generations, full of memorable and groundbreaking work. Even at the age of 92, DuVall is still credited with the highest esteem in Hollywood proving the test of time. His most recent work was released in 2022, and can be seen in Hustle, and The Pale Blue Eye.
Talia Shire
Talia Shire is an American actress best known for her role as Connie Corleone in The Godfather. She plays the daughter of Vito Corleone (Brando) and the brother of Michael (Pacino). Her character is first seen at the beginning of the original film at her wedding. Connie is dancing around and mingling with relatives, while the film cuts repeatedly between the joyous occasion happening outside and Vito Corleone making ominous life-or-death deals upstairs. Shire is also well known for her role as Adrian in the Rocky film series playing Rocky Ballboa's love interest.
John Cazale
John Cazale was a talented American actor whose career was filled with performances all in Academy Award-nominated films. Over the course of seven years, the actor appeared in five films, which were all nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The films included The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Deer Hunter.
Sadly, Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1977 while filming The Deer Hunter and died by early March 1978. His successful career will be admired for generations as his performances and films stand the test of time.
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