Al Pacino gets candid on his relationship with fame, explains why he often skipped Oscars

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Al Pacino shared his complex relationship with fame, explaining that it once led him to seek therapy.

Although celebrated for his distinguished career, including his Oscar-winning role in 'Scent of a Woman' and eight additional nominations, Pacino has found the fame accompanying his success unsettling.

Al Pacino draws parallels with Jack Kerouac in grappling with fame

Reflecting on the toll of fame, the star opened up to Dermot O'Leary on BBC Radio 2 about how recognition has been a challenging journey.

In his conversation with, Al Pacino drew comparisons with iconic writer Jack Kerouac, stating, "Jack Kerouac, the great writer, best generation writer who lived in the city, couldn't cope with it, and somebody said of him that he was embarrassed by success."

"Fame embarrassed him. So, I think I might have had a little of that in me, or something,” Pacino shared.

The actor noted that this discomfort even influenced his presence at award ceremonies.

“So I didn't show up to a couple of the Oscars and I get a reputation – because they thought, somebody said and my representation said, 'Oh Pacino's not going because he's not the leading actor, he's a supporting actor for the Oscar….'" he said according to Daily Mail. 

'The Irishman' star expressed how his avoidance of such events led to misconceptions, adding humorously, "Can you imagine me saying, 'I don't want to go because I should be up there with Brando'?"

"It's just not in my nature, it's nowhere near it. And I knew that I didn't want to go because it scared me, frankly. I was working in Boston in the theatre and I was afraid," said Pacino.

Fame's impact on Al Pacino's sense of self

'The Godfather' star went further into his struggles with feeling out of place amidst fame, explaining, “Feeling out of place is a strange feeling."

"I mean not being able to function because you don't know the language, in a way, it's a precarious place to be in. And I experienced it a few times because I was very famous and didn't even know it," he added.

Reflecting on an experience before his Oscar nomination, he recalled, "I actually won the award, some great award, and I was in Boston doing a play, and I was staying over the director's house… "

He remembered waking up and the director telling him he won the National Board of Review Award for acting in 'The Godfather'.

"I remember saying to him at the time, 'Wow sure that's cool.' I said, 'Do you know a psychiatrist I can see?' Right out of my mouth, because that's the state I was in!" Pacino said. 

Al Pacino shares personal interests and plans

On the personal front, he is a father of four, sharing daughter Julie Marie with ex-partner Jan Tarrant and twins Anton and Olivia with Beverly D'Angelo.

He is currently in a relationship with Noor Alfallah, 30.

In previous interviews, Pacino also mentioned his tendency towards dissatisfaction during filming, telling The New York Times, "Usually when I make films, I’m not very happy."

"They can be tedious, but you can go to your camper and do whatever you want," he added.

The actor finds relaxation in watching various online content, saying, "There’s so many things on YouTube," adding, "I even like TikTok when I see it."

Looking ahead, Pacino is preparing to take on the legendary role of Shakespeare's King Lear.