The 50 Best Al Pacino Movie Quotes
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Over the past five decades, Al Pacino has enjoyed a prolific film and stage career, with nine Oscar nominations (and one win for Best Actor) under his belt. And he's had a lot to say about his long-lasting career, as these famous Al Pacino quotes show.
Pacino made his major break in 1972’s The Godfather, but his role as Michael Corleone in the classic mob movie almost didn’t happen. In fact, he was nearly fired from The Godfather during the first few weeks of filming.
“They wanted to fire me when I was on the picture ... [during] the shooting, first couple of weeks,” Pacino told ABC News in 2015. “Because they kept seeing the rushes, you know, or the footage that was shot, and they kept looking at it and thinking, ‘What is he doing?’” Luckily, director Francis Ford Coppola believed in his vision for the role, and fought to keep him.
“I was so confused at that time, and Francis was so supportive, you know, and so helping me in it, all of it,” Pacino told ABC News. “If it wasn't for Francis, I would’ve just not showed up one day and said, ‘Hey, look man, I don't want to be where I'm not wanted.’”
The rest, of course, was history. Pacino scored his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather, and went on to star in epic dramas including the two Godfather sequels, Heat, Scarface, Glengarry Glen Ross and The Irishman, to name just a few of his memorable roles.
Now, in his 80s, Pacino is as busy as ever. He appeared in the Amazon Prime Video drama series Hunters and, at age 83, welcomed his fourth child in June 2023.
Related: Your Guide to All of Al Pacino's Kids—Including His New Baby
In honor of Pacino's long-lasting career, we’re looking back at some of our favorite Al Pacino quotes from the Godfather trilogy, Glengarry Glen Ross, Heat and more of his classic films.
Al Pacino Scarface Quotes
1. “Say hello to my little friend!” —Tony Montana, Scarface
2. “I always tell the truth. Even when I lie.” —Tony Montana, Scarface
3. “I work hard for this. I want you to know that.” —Tony Montana, Scarface
4. “Every dog has his day.” —Tony Montana, Scarface
5. “Sanitation? I told you to tell 'em that you was in a sanitarium. Not sanitation, sanitarium.” —Tony Montana, Scarface
6. “Say goodnight to the bad guy! Come on. The last time you gonna see a bad guy like this again, let me tell you. Come on. Make way for the bad guy. There's a bad guy comin' through! Better get outta his way!” —Tony Montana, Scarface
7. “You wanna waste my time? OK. I call my lawyer. He's the best lawyer in Miami. He's such a good lawyer, that by tomorrow morning, you’re gonna be working in Alaska. So dress warm.” —Tony Montana, Scarface
Al Pacino The Godfather Quotes
8. “My father held a gun to his head, and my father assured the bandleader that either his signature or his brains would be on the contract.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather
9. “There are many things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather: Part II
10. “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather: Part III
11. “Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather: Part III
12. “Only don’t tell me that you’re innocent. Because it insults my intelligence and it makes me very angry.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather
13. “Fredo, you’re my older brother, and I love you. But don’t ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather
14. “Get him a drink. Don’t be afraid, Carlo. Come on, you think I’d make my sister a widow? I’m godfather to your son.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather
15. “Ah, that little farce you played with my sister. You think that would fool a Corleone?” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather
16. “I’m here, Pop. I’ll take care of you now. I’m with you now. I’m with you.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather
17. “It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business.” —Michael Corleone, The Godfather
Al Pacino Quotes from Scent of a Woman
18. “No, I'm just getting warmed up. I don't know who went to this place, William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryan, William Tell, whoever. Their spirit is dead, if they ever had one. It's gone. You're building a rat ship here. A vessel for seagoing snitches, and if you think you're preparing these minnows for manhood, you better think again, because I say you are killing the very spirit this institution proclaims it instills.” —Frank Slade, Scent of a Woman
19. “There are two kinds of people in this world: those who stand up and face the music, and those who run for cover. Cover is better.” —Frank Slade, Scent of a Woman
20. “I don't know if Charlie's silence here today is right or wrong; I'm not a judge or jury. But I can tell you this: he won't sell anybody out to buy his future.” —Frank Slade, Scent of a Woman
21. “When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall. And it has fallen here. It has fallen.” —Frank Slade, Scent of a Woman
22. “There is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There's no prosthetic for that. You think you're merely sending this splendid foot soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs, but I say you are executing his soul! And why? Because he's not a Baird man. Baird men. You hurt this boy, you're gonna be Baird bums, the lot of ya.” —Frank Slade, Scent of a Woman
23. “Now I have come to the cross-roads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew, but I never took it. You know why? It was too damn hard. Now here's Charlie. He's come to the cross-roads. He has chosen a path. It's the right path. It's a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey.” —Frank Slade, Scent of a Woman
Al Pacino Heat Quotes
24. “You know, we are sitting here, you and I, like a couple of regular fellas. You do what you do, and I do what I gotta do. And now that we've been face to face, if I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it. But I tell you, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down.” —Vincent Hanna, Heat
25. “I say what I mean, and I do what I say.” —Vincent Hanna, Heat
26. “I gotta hold on to my angst. I preserve it because I need it. It keeps me sharp, on the edge, where I gotta be.” —Vincent Hanna, Heat
27. “When these guys walk out the door of whatever score they're gonna take next, they're gonna have the surprise of a lifetime.” —Vincent Hanna, Heat
28. “It's like you said. All I am is what I'm going after.” —Vincent Hanna, Heat
Al Pacino Donnie Brasco Quotes
29. “The army is some guy you don't know telling you to go whack some other guy you don't know.” —Lefty, Donnie Brasco
30. “When I introduce you, I'm gonna say, ‘This is a friend of mine.’ That means you're a connected guy. Now if I said instead, this is a friend of ours that would mean you a made guy. A Capiche?” —Lefty, Donnie Brasco
31. “A wise guy's always right; even when he's wrong, he's right.” —Lefty, Donnie Brasco
32. “Whackin' the boss...another thing I get left out of.” —Lefty, Donnie Brasco
33. “You're calling me a dumbski? You know who you're talking to? Lefty from Mulberry Street!” —Lefty, Donnie Brasco
34. “Why'd you pay for that drink? A wiseguy never pays for his drinks.” Lefty, Donnie Brasco
Related: Al Pacino’s Wisest Quotes on Art and Being An Outsider
Al Pacino Insomnia Quotes
35. “It's all about small stuff. You know, small lies, small mistakes. People give themselves away, same in misdemeanors as they do on murder cases. It's just human nature.” —Will Dormer, Insomnia
36. “Are you trying to impress me, Finch? Because it ain't gonna work.” —Will Dormer, Insomnia
37. “I'm a good cop, yeah. But there's always something they could use to get at your credibility.” —Will Dormer, Insomnia
Al Pacino Glengarry Glen Ross Quotes
38. “You never open your mouth until you know what the shot is.” —Ricky Roma, Glengarry Glen Ross
39. “I'm going to tell you something. Your life is your own.” —Ricky Roma, Glengarry Glen Ross
Al Pacino Serpico Quotes
40. “You know what they say, don't you? If you love a man's garden, you gotta love the man!” —Frank Serpico, Serpico
41. “All day long I work with cops, right? When I go out, I see Mary Ann. Her father is a cop, her brother is a cop, her uncle is a cop and I got a feeling she's a cop too.” —Frank Serpico, Serpico
Al Pacino The Insider Quotes
42. “Ordinary people under extraordinary pressure, Mike. What the hell do you expect? Grace and consistency?” —Lowell Bergman, The Insider
43. “I fought for you and I still fight for you!” —Lowell Bergman, The Insider
44. “When I tell someone I'm gonna do something, I deliver.” —Lowell Bergman, The Insider
Related: 15 Things You Didn't Know About Al Pacino, Star of Amazon Prime's Hunters
Al Pacino The Irishman Quotes
45. “If I said it once, I said it a thousand times, I don't care they're Irish. I don't care they're Catholic. If there's one person you can't trust in this life, it's millionaires' kids.” —Jimmy Hoffa, The Irishman
46. “Would you like to be a part of this history?” —Jimmy Hoffa, The Irishman
Al Pacino Frankie and Johnny Quotes
47. “You don't have to be afraid anymore.” —Johnny, Frankie and Johnny
48. “I know I can't the make the bad go away. You're right, I can't. But when the bad comes again, I am gonna be next to you.” —Johnny, Frankie and Johnny
Al Pacino And Justice for All Quotes
49. “I wish he could remember that I am a lawyer.” —Arthur Kirkland, And Justice for All
50. “The one thing that bothered me, the one thing that stayed in my mind and I couldn't get rid of it, that haunted me, was 'why?' Why would she lie? What was her motive for lyin'? If my client is innocent, she's lying. Why? Was it blackmail? No. Was it jealousy? No. Yesterday, I found out why. She doesn't have a motive. You know why? Because she's not lying.” —Arthur Kirkland, And Justice for All
Looking for something a little lighter? Try these Legally Blonde quotes.
