posted September 05, 2004 10:12 PM              

His childhood was uneventful - literally. Al had little to do around the house during the day; he would spend his time acting out storylines for his grandmother. At night, his mom would often take him to the movie theater, and the stories he saw there provided ample inspiration for his daytime performances.

When it came time for Al to attend school, he wasted no time proving how bad he was at it. A great storyteller, he would spin tales for the other kids and always had his head up in the clouds. His teachers, eager to see the glass as half full, encouraged Al to work at what he was good at. He began performing in school plays and reading passages from the Bible at school assemblies. Even at a young age, it seems Al was comfortable in front of an audience. It was not surprising then that he would become an actor, what is surprising is that he did not do so r ight away.

After a brief time spent at the High School for Performing Arts, he began working odd jobs - spending some time as a building superintendent. Eventually, however, the acting bug would overtake Al again. Pacino started taking acting classes at night and appearing in Off-Broadway - very Off-Broadway - productions.

He saved his money and took more reputable lessons, which in turn allowed him to land better roles and save more money for even better lessons. Repeating this cycle, Al eventually ended up at the Actors Studio in 1966, where he became a devout Method actor.

The following years saw Pacino edge ever closer to Broadway, appearing in the Off-Broadway play The Indian Wants the Bronx, as one of two young criminals. The performance wowed critics, who voted him the Best Actor of the season, awarding him an Obie. Al opened up the 70s by winning his first Tony Award for his first officially on Broadway play, Does the Tiger Wear a Necktie. Playing a junkie, Pacino showed a great capacity to play the dirty and gritty side of humanity from early on.

With the praise of his theater work still echoing in his mind, Pacino decided to try for a film career. The idea of appearing in the moving picture shows over which he had bonded with his mother so many years ago must have been exciting to Al. His first few roles were more or less big screen versions of the characters he had already played on stage.

Before The Panic in Needle Park began filming, Al - always the conscientious method actor - spent time doing research in methadone treatment clinics imitating the mannerisms of real life junkies. The hard work payed off when Francis Ford Coppola was so impressed that he offered the actor a role in his upcoming, The Godfather as Michael Corleone. "

"On the home front, Pacino has not one, but two toddlers to call his own with his partner, Beverly D'Angelo. Twins Anton and Olivia are 18 months old. Then there's his daughter Julie, who is almost 13, whose mom is Jan Tarrant. Julie, armed with a camcorder, is making like a fledgling filmmaker. It's all good."

The Oddities of Al Pacino http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/4759/oddities.html
A bunch of facts and trivia about Al that I found interesting and maybe a bit odd
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* Sometime back in April, Pacino was caught with sunglasses and a fake beard in Yankee Stadium watching a game with his girlfriend Beverly D'Angelo. He tried to go incognito for a day but unfortunately his plan didn't work.
* Lots of people, and you might be one of them, often get Al Pacino confused with Robert De Niro. Both stars hear the confusion occasionally. "People are always telling me how much they loved me in Raging Bull," admits Pacino, while De Niro states, "I always hear, 'You were great in Serpico.' A pilot on a plane recently gave me a bottle of scotch because he thought I was so great in "Scent of a Woman."
* Hard Copy, one of the most reliable news sources on TV (ha, ha) has said that Pacino has recently turned to the help of cosmetic surgery. For exactly what I do not know. People have told me it was for a face lift (as if he needed one). Any info would be deeply helpful
* Pacino is an avid fan of opera.
* Filming started in 1985 for Pacino's independent, personally-financed film, "The Local Stigmatic." For close to a decade he meticulously edited it to make it perfect, but finally put it on the shelf, unreleased. The film is under an hour and is based on the Heathcote Williams play he did in 1969. Although he refuses to commercially release "The Local Stigmatic" and only occasionally shows it to friends and press people, it did play at New York's Whitney Museum for a couple weeks in 1992.
* Sent in by Juan Pablo Valdes: Seems that there wasn't too much chemistry going on between Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves on the set of "Devil's Advocate." Reeves apparently didn't listen to Pacino when he tried to give him acting tips (even though he should have - he needs all the help he can get!). Pacino also asked his trailer to be moved at one point because Keanu played his music too loud. - Thanx Juan Pablo

* Sent in by Rachel Cox: Pacino's father owns a restaurant in Florida, called (how original) "Pacino's." I guess the food is pretty good. - Hey, Rachel, thanxalot!

posted September 07, 2004 02:28 PM              

"It started when I was very young. I mean, really young," he says. "I wasn't let out much. I was kept in. And while I was home I found myself repeating the roles from the movies I saw with my mother. Sometimes she'd take me to the movies when she came home from work. That was our date," he said. The two enjoyed a very close relationship, and Pacino was devastated by her death in 1962 after a long illness.

His partner is/was a Scorpio, Beverly D'Angelo was born,
November 15, 1954 in Columbus OH
Here chart, Virgo ascendant conjunct Mars, with Venus in Libra/2nd house, Gemini Moon/10th
Pisces on the 7th, They were better off split, http://www.astrotheme.fr/portraits/q4586df2zTJU.htm

"Al Pacino's custody battle with Beverly D'Angelo is getting horrible, as the actor claims his ex-partner is charging him to see their children – A friend of D'Angelo's says Pacino refuses to stick to the court-approved visitation schedule for their children "

An interview
"I've never been married, but I like it that way," says the Any Given Sunday star. "I might get married one day. I was close once in my life, but it didn't happen; one day I'm sure it will." He may be speaking of his current companion, the actress Beverly D'Angelo, with whom he has twins, Anton and Olivia.
These days Pacino seems to have settled down somewhat. He stopped drinking in the late Seventies and kicked a two-pack-a-day cigarette habit in 1994. He's grown accustomed to being photographed with his children and, having passed the age of 60 with his career still thriving, the 5ft 6in actor seems content. "It does look to me like I'm a little more accepting of things," he said. "Pretty soon you just count whatever blessings you've got. I've found that happiness is cool."

Yes he sure sounds like a Pisces moon, but I can't see a Leo ascendant. I suppose Sag would work, both Scorpio and Sag ascendants are drawn to Scorpios. D'Angelo would be attracted to Scorpio and Sag Ascendant's but more Scorpios. Still I get a Sag Ascendant feel due to his close relationship with his mother.

Natasha

posted September 07, 2004 03:03 PM              

Marlon Brando was also a man of mystery, and he was also a Taurus with a Sag rising.

Here are three Ascendants http://www.astrotheme.fr/en/portraits/398RF83qAv4u.htm
Sag Moon
Leo Ascendant
http://www.librarising.com/Rising/celebs/alpacino.html
Sag Moon
Scorpio

I can't find any info on a Sag rising now,
but that would put his moon in the first, house, which do you think, moon in the 5th or first?
Sag rising would put his venus and mars near the 8th house, with Leo rising the 8th is ruled by pisces.

His chart has a Scorpionic flavor.

Natasha