Arguably one of the greatest roles in modern American cinema, studio executives were extremely skeptical when Hollywood heavyweights Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson were passed over for the virtually unknown Pacino. In his portrayal of the brooding Mafia heir, Pacino’s raw talent exploded onto the screen. The Godfather was hailed by critics and audiences alike, and Pacino received his first Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor in 1972. Two years later, he reprised his role as the more mature Corleone in 1974’s sequel The Godfather, Part II (this time securing his first Oscar nod for Best Actor).

In his next projects, Pacino collaborated with director Sidney Lumet and earned two more Oscar nominations for his roles as the incorruptible cop in Serpico (1973) and as a bisexual bank robber in Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Both unconventional films were extremely well received, only further confirming Pacino’s success as a multifaceted actor. Pacino secured his fourth Academy Award nomination for his role as a crusading lawyer in … And Justice For All (1979). In Brian DePalma’s Scarface (1983), Pacino played the infamous Cuban drug lord Tony Montana, opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Loggia. After Scarface, Pacino took a four-year sabbatical from film, returning to star in 1989’s sultry thriller Sea of Love, with Ellen Barkin. Later that year, he added directing to his repertoire with a personal project titled The Local Stigmatic (1989), which was not intended for national release.

The 1990s proved to be a very productive decade for Pacino, when he made a number of acclaimed films and portrayed a wide range of characters. In 1990, he earned yet another Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy and (for the third time) played Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Part III. He captured his first Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a blind veteran in 1992’s Scent of a Woman, and simultaneously earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glen Ross. In 1993, he reunited with DePalma for Carlito’s Way. Pacino paid homage to his grandfather in the Depression-era film Two Bits (1995), in which he played a character based on his late relative. Later that year, he starred as a determined detective in Michael Mann’s Heat (1995), alongside Robert DeNiro, who played the equally determined criminal. Heat reunited Pacino and DeNiro for the first time since the The Godfather: Part II and also marked their first appearance on screen together.

In 1997, Pacino received praise for his portrayal of a small-time mobster in Donnie Brasco, which co-starred Johnny Depp.