Was Al Pacino the studio's first choice to play Michael Corleone in The Godfather?

Far from it! Although director Francis Ford Coppola was in favor of Pacino in the role from the beginning, the producers at Paramount Studios had a number of other more famous stars they would have preferred to cast in the part. Robert Evans, the head of production at Paramount, suggested Warren Beatty, Burt Reynolds, Ryan O'Neal, Alain Delon and even Robert Redford as potential Michael Corleones. Coppola had his heart set on Pacino, and threatened to quit if the part went to someone else. James Caan had also auditioned for the role. When Pacino got the part, the studio insisted that at least one of the sons should be played by a better-known actor, and the role of Sonny Corleone went to Caan.

Others who auditioned for the role of Michael included Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Martin Sheen and Dustin Hoffman. De Niro went on to play a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II.

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