Al Pacino on Marlon Brando’s ‘Godfather’ Oscar win: ‘Let’s clear the air’

nypost.com:

Never hate your enemies.“Al Pacino doesn’t hold a grudge against “The Godfather” costar Marlon Brando, who scored the best actor Oscar award, despite having more lines than him in the 1972 drama.The “Gucci” star, 82, sat down for a rare chat on Wednesday with David Rubenstein as part of New York City’s 92nd Street Y’s “People Who Inspire Us” series, where he looked back on his legendary career.Pacino was asked if he was mad about Brando’s Academy Award, 50 years later.

The New York native did receive a nod for best supporting actor at the 1973 ceremony.“How does a story like that get out? I wasn’t upset, are you kidding me?” Pacino noted, via the Hollywood Reporter.“Let’s clear the air on that one.

I’d been hearing about that up the grapevine,” said the actor, who played Michael, the son of mob boss Don Corleone (Brando).The “Serpico” icon further spoke about Francis Ford Coppola’s revered mob flick, disagreeing with legions of fans who have said that its 1974 sequel, “The Godfather Part II,” is even better than its predecessor.The second movie in the mafia family trilogy, starring Robert De Niro as the younger version of the Corleone patriarch, is regarded by film historians as superior to the first feature.Said Pacino, “I really think it’s more — what would you call it — artistic or something, I don’t know.

I don’t mean to play it down and be overly modest because I star in it with Bob de Niro, but at the same time, it’s a different film.” Adding that it’s still a “great movie,” Pacino thinks that the parent flick “is more entertaining.”“‘Godfather II’ is this study, this personal thing for Francis [Ford Coppola],” he went on.