Al Pacino

Alfredo James "Al" Pacino rose to prominence as a film actor during one of cinema's most exciting decades, the 1970s, and has since become a lasting and iconic personality in the world of American filmmaking.

He was born in Manhattan, New York City, on April 25, 1940, to Italian-American parents, Rose (née Gerardi) and Sal Pacino. They divorced when he was a child. His mother relocated them to his grandparents' South Bronx house. Pacino frequently found himself mimicking the stories and voices of characters he had seen in movies. He discovered a sanctuary in school plays when he was bored and unmotivated in school, and his enthusiasm eventually bloomed into a full-time job. Starting out on stage, he struggled with melancholy and hardship, sometimes having to borrow bus fare to get to auditions.

In 1966, he was accepted into the famed Performers Studio, where he studied under Lee Strasberg, the inventor of the Method Approach, which would become the signature of many 1970s-era actors. Pacino had off-Broadway success with Israel Horovitz's "The Indian Wants the Bronx," receiving an Obie Award for the 1966-67 season after performing in a run of minor parts.

Detailed information:
Born: April 25, 1940, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name: Alfredo James Pacino
Nickname: Sonny