Al Pacino explains why he’s made Shrek phone case his signature

The star of 'The Godfather' and 'Scarface' has an altogether friendlier cinematic figure covering his phone

Al Pacino might be one of Hollywood’s all-time most intimidating leading men, but it does not stop his phone case being covered in images of Shrek.

The actor, 84, has long been identified with roles playing mob bosses and gangsters, but as revealed in a new interview with the BBC, his mobile phone is actually cased in an altogether more friendly cinematic figure.

The phone case was originally picked out by Pacino’s youngest daughter Olivia, 23, and as he confirmed in the interview, the actor decided to keep the ogre with him at all times to please her.

When challenged why he had never decided to get into voice acting for animated films such as the 2001 DreamWorks classic, he claimed at first, “I can’t do it, I’ve tried,” before eventually conceding, “I seriously don’t want to”.

The Hollywood icon and star of The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon and Scarface released his “astonishingly revelatory” memoir Sonny Boy on October 8.

Among the revelations in the book is the admission that he has never touched cocaine in his life, despite believing he has a reputation as an addict.

Recommended

“I’m not the kind of guy to take coke,” he said in a recent interview. “Any upper, I don’t need. I’m up!”

The actor also revealed that he nearly died of COVID-19 in 2020. “I was sitting there in my house, and I was gone,” he said. “Like that. I didn’t have a pulse. In a matter of minutes they were there — the ambulance in front of my house.”

“I had about six paramedics in that living room, and there were two doctors, and they had these outfits on that looked like they were from outer space or something. It was kind of shocking to open your eyes and see that. Everybody was around me, and they said: ‘He’s back. He’s here.’”

Pacino has also claimed that his breakout role in 1972’s The Godfather nearly did not happen, with studio bosses initially preferring to cast Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Robert Redford or Ryan O’Neal in the role.

Pacino is set to play a Mafia boss once again in a new kidnapping thriller Captivated, in which he will play a real-life mob supremo.

Shooting is due to start later this winter in Italy. The director will be Dito Montiel (Man Down), who co-wrote the script with Robin Shushan and Mammoliti.