Robert De Niro honored his longtime friend and co-actor, Al Pacino, at the American Icon Awards gala in Beverly Hills.
Hollywood’s elite came together earlier this week at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills for the first American Icon Awards that aimed to raise funds for three children’s charities, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Autism Movement Therapy/Autism Works Now! and Ignited.
The brain child of veteran nonprofit fundraising and Hollywood event producer Joseph Clapsaddle, the gala fundraiser honored the iconic actor Al Pacino, former pro boxer Evander Holyfield and music legend Quincy Jones among others.
To mark the beginning of the awards night, Clapsaddle asked Al Pacino, who made his major breakthrough when he was given the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather in 1972, to be the event’s first icon honoree.
The Godfather actor was paid a tribute through a congratulatory video from filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who directed Pacino and De Niro in the upcoming Netflix film The Irishman. Later in the evening, Robert De Niro delivered a fond tribute to his fellow actor following a clip package filled with some intense Pacino screen moments from throughout his career.
“‘The term icon is overused, but not tonight,’ said Robert DeNiro from the stage of the inaugural American Icon Awards, where he was on hand to present a trophy to his longtime friend, colleague and friendly rival Al Pacino, who was being honored along with music titan Quincy Jones and boxing champion Evander Holyfield,” reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Referring to the clips, De Niro said sarcastically, “Looking at those clips from Al’s career, I can’t help but think, ‘How did I not get those parts?’ I guess they were going for someone older.”
The actor also recalled first meeting Pacino in their early 20s and revealed, “Al and I got to be friends over the years, hanging out from time to time, talking about work, life, whatever, competing viciously with each other for parts. Al’s career exploded with The Godfather and two years later in Godfather 2 Al reprised his role of Michael Corleone; I played the young old Vito Corleone in the flashbacks. In other words, I played Al’s father. And that’s when I think I became a father figure to Al, and he’s looked up to me in that way ever since.”
De Niro further went on to say that in Godfather 2 the two were never shared the screen together. “We weren’t even on set together. That didn’t happen until 21 years later in the movie Heat, and in that movie Al’s character spends the whole time trying to take down my character, which when you think about it is really kind of a shitty thing to do your own father.”
De Niro later called his friend onstage, offering up the Icon Award with another classic Pacino screen quote from Scarface: “Say hello to your little friend!”
On receiving the honour, Pacino said, “I am so grateful for this honor — I feel humbled by it. I’m not a man of many words, especially in these situations.” He added, “Bob [De Niro] is a great artist and a dear friend – that combination just makes it easier for me – because I’m an innately shy person. When I’m in a public situation and don’t have a character to play, I have a tendency to get a bit tongue tied and have a difficult time expressing myself. So if God willing, there’s another event like this, I will make sure I have someone who can write a speech for me!”
– With information from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety
