On the occasion of the upcoming premiere of Al Pacino’s memoirs in the form of a book titled “Sonny Boy”, the Oscar winner recently gave an interview in which he described his experiences during the coronavirus epidemic. Pacino admitted that during his illness he reached a point where he “had no pulse” and was sure he was going to die.
What did Pacino say?
In an interview with The New York Time, Pacino decided to return to the times when COVID-19 vaccines were not yet available. At that time, the actor was feeling extremely bad; he had a severe fever and his body was dangerously dehydrated.
Getty Images © The Hollywood Curtain
I asked someone to nurse me to hydrate me. I was sitting in my house and… it was as if I was missing, as if I had disappeared. Just like that. I had no pulse, Pacino said. Within minutes, an ambulance showed up. About six paramedics and two doctors stood around me, they were wearing strange outfits that looked like they were from outer space. Everyone standing around me said, “He’s back! He’s here!” – added the actor.
When asked if the experience of “temporary death” and coming back to life had any impact on his relationship with spirituality, Pacino replied:
There’s nothing there. As Hamlet said: “To be or not to be”; “A land absent from atlases, from which no explorer has ever returned.” And then he says these words: “Nothing else.” It was “Nothing else.” You’re gone, and that’s it. I’ve never thought about it before – added Pacino – “Once upon a time I died” – sounds good, doesn’t it? I guess it’s natural that as you get older you have a different perspective on death. It’s just the way it is. It just comes, like many other things.
From the final point of view, the interview also moved to lighter, although still settling, tones. The actor was asked about his attitude towards his role in the comedy with Adam Sandler “Jack and Jill”, which brought Pacino two Golden Raspberry statuettes. To this day, these are the only awards given to an actor.
During the interview, Pacino shared a perhaps surprising reason for taking on the comedy project. At that time, the actor urgently needed income; his accountant went to prison, leaving him in a precarious financial situation.
Let’s start with Adam Sandler and the movie “Jack and Jill”. That’s funny. This film came to me at a point in my life when I needed it very much, because it was after I found out that I no longer had any money. My accountant was in jail and I needed something quick. So I took it – said Pacino – in this movie I also play in that famous Dunkin’ Donuts “commercial”. Do you know how many people think this is a real ad?
Fans have long suspected it was about money. How else can you explain the involvement of an actor known for his roles in “The Godfather” or “Scarface” in a film that won as many as 10 Golden Raspberry awards? However, the difficult financial situation in which the actor finds himself may be surprising – it would seem that decades of acting in the greatest films in the history of cinema were able to fill the actor’s treasury to the ceiling. As it turns out, not everything is always that simple.
