Sonny Boy
A Memoir
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Cornerstone
Published:15th Oct '24
Should be back in stock very soon
Discover the incredible and revelatory autobiography from one of the most iconic actors in the history of film.
‘A 5 ft 7in Hollywood giant … Al Pacino’s readably eccentric memoir really preserves his Bronx-reared turn of phrase…you can imagine (every line) coming out of Pacino’s mouth’ The Times
‘Startlingly cinematic … A fine memoir’ Guardian
'Surprising, introspective … His youth was grim, his money troubles serious, his fame unlikely. Al Pacino’s friends all died in poverty. How did he survive?’ Telegraph
‘The book is a beautiful trip … (from) one of the world’s greatest, most influential actors for more than 50 years. He’s audacious. He’s outrageous. He’s Al Pacino’ The New York Times
'Funny and candid' Evening Standard
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To the wider world, Al Pacino exploded onto the scene like a supernova.
He landed his first leading role, in The Panic in Needle Park, in 1971, and by 1975, he had starred in four movies - The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon - that were not just successes, but landmarks in the history of film.
In reality, Pacino was in his mid-thirties by then, and had already lived several lives.
Growing up in New York City’s South Bronx and raised by a loving but mentally unwell mother, Pacino worked odd jobs to support himself. But, in good times and bad, in poverty and in wealth and in poverty again, through pain and joy, acting was his lifeline, its community his tribe.
Exploring his iconic roles, essential collaborations, and important relationships, as well as the ever-present struggle between creativity and commerce, Sonny Boy is the revelatory account of an incredible life.
This is the memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide.
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'Soulful…Pacino explores his life with eccentric charm…Shot through with self-deprecating honesty to with the well-worn Pacino swagger…You can almost hear him saying all of this in recognizably Pacino-like tones…Pacino has done such a high volume of great work that reading ‘Sonny Boy; often feels like hanging out within a history of American movies over the last 50 years' LA Times
'A beautiful…brilliant book' Dermot O'Leary
'Conversational, breezily...
‘The book is a beautiful trip … (from) one of the world’s greatest, most influential actors for more than 50 years. He’s audacious. He’s outrageous. He’s Al Pacino’ * The New York Times *
‘A 5 ft 7in Hollywood giant … Al Pacino’s readably eccentric memoir really preserves his Bronx-reared turn of phrase… The Godfather star recalls his tough childhood, turbulent romances and how he burnt through a $50 million fortune’ * The Times *
'Startlingly cinematic ... A fine memoir. From fish out of water to Hollywood star, the method actor traces his path to success, spending as much time on the films that flopped as the greatest hits' * Guardian *
'Surprising, introspective ... His youth was grim, his money troubles serious, his fame unlikely. Al Pacino's friends all died in poverty. How did he survive?' * Telegraph *
'A beautiful…brilliant book' * Dermot O’Leary *
"Soulful…Pacino explores his life with eccentric charm…Shot through with self-deprecating honesty to with the well-worn Pacino swagger…You can almost hear him saying all of this in recognizably Pacino-like tones…Pacino has done such a high volume of great work that reading ‘Sonny Boy; often feels like hanging out within a history of American movies over the last 50 years.'" * LA Times *
'Conversational, breezily readable, reflective…Dives deep into Pacino’s career highlights and low points' * Washington Post *
'Funny and candid' * Evening Standard *
'This disarmingly frank memoir by one of our greatest actors has the remarkable effect of making a larger-than-life figure feel more human than ever' * Empire Magazine *
‘Godfather fans will love this … Pacino is refreshingly honest' * inews *
Praise for Al Pacino * : *
‘Al Pacino is magical’ * Martin Scorsese *
‘A legend’ * Francis Ford Coppola *
‘So unique and special’ * Robert De Niro *
‘Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker. There is an aspect of him that is like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant’ * Diane Keaton *
‘As Michael in The Godfather, Pacino was everything I wanted that character to be on screen. I couldn’t believe it. It was, in my eyes, a perfect performance, a work of art’ * Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather *
‘A wicked sense of humour’ * Oliver Stone *
‘Comedic, talented, and certifiably insane’ * Johnny Depp *
‘Al is money, the man in charge, making it happen. I got to act with Al Pacino and it was worth more to me than anything’ * Samuel L Jackson *
‘The depth of Al Pacino's artistry is only more overwhelmed by the generosity of his spirit and his warmth. Al Pacino is Van Gogh. Modigliani' * Andy Garcia *
ISBN: 9781529912623
Dimensions: 240mm x 160mm x 35mm
Weight: 673g
384 pages