Al Pacino has reportedly been sober for over 40 years, but the actor has never revealed what pushed him to stay clean – until now.
Pacino, 84, shared details about his relationship with alcohol and drug use in a book about his life, Al Pacino: The Authorized Biography. The book stated how the Scent of a Woman star dabbled with drinking at age 9, started smoking marijuana casually at 13, and lost two of his closest friends to drug abuse.
In a recent interview with People, which was published on Tuesday, October 9, the Scarface lead talked about his new memoir, Sonny Boy, which covers various aspects of his life, including past battles with addiction. During the interview, he shared that he recognized his issues stemmed from using drugs and alcohol to cope with his sudden rise to fame and the negative reputation he garnered from snubbing interview opportunities and skipping award shows.
Actor Al Pacino arrives in the press after presenting the Oscar for Best Picture to “Oppenheimer” during the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 10, 2024. Pacino recently opened up about his struggles with addiction and the reason he kicked the booze and drugs.
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
In that same interview, the father of four revealed the real reason he finally decided to cut the booze and drugs, admitting, “I started to forget things at a very young age — they called them blackouts, so I got nervous.” He later added, “I went to AA for a while. It’s a great place, but it was not for me.” The Godfather actor has reportedly been sober since 1977, with the help of his teacher, mentor, and sponsor of sorts, Charlie Laughton.
Pacino shares daughter Julie Marie, 34, with ex-girlfriend, acting coach Jan Tarrant. He also has twins Anton and Olivia, 22, with ex Beverly D’Angelo. Most recently, the actor had been linked to Noor Alfallah, and they welcomed a son named Roman in 2023.
The two-time Tony Award winner’s rep made a statement about his client’s relationship status on October 7 with Alfallah, 30, after she was spotted leaving the famed hotel Chateau Marmont with comedian Bill Maher, 68, in the early morning of Monday, October 6. “Al and Noor are very good friends, have been for years, and are co-parents to their son Roman,” the rep told People.
