If a certain legendary actor had gotten the small role he was considered for inThe Godfather, then it would’ve prevented one of the best castings inThe Godfather Part II. Francis Ford Coppola ended up choosing the perfect actor to play every part inThe Godfather’s ensemble cast. James Caan brought the ideal hot-headed energy to Sonny, John Cazale perfectly captured Fredo’s ineptness, and Diane Keaton brought a fierce independence to Kay as a stark contrast to the other mob wives in the film.
But most ofThe Godfather’s major players weren’t the first choice for their respective roles. From Ernest Borgnine to Elvis Presley, plenty ofother actors were considered to play Vito Corleonebefore the iconic Marlon Brando was cast. While Coppola wanted Al Pacino for the role of Michael,Paramount objected to Pacino’s casting. The cast ofThe Godfatheralmost looked very different. If one of the early castings had gone through, it would’ve prevented the best casting in the sequel.
Robert De Niro Was Considered For Paulie In The Godfather
De Niro’s Paulie Casting Would’ve Prevented Him From Playing Vito In Part II
At a Q&A before the New York premiere ofMegalopolis(viaIndieWire), Coppola revealed thatDe Niro originally auditioned to play SonnyinThe Godfather. He gave “an unforgettable audition” that “nailed” the character. At the time, De Niro was an unknown actor, so Paramount decided to give the role of Sonny to the more established Caan instead. As a consolation prize,Coppola offered De Niro the much smaller role of Paulie Gatto, a soldier in the Corleone crime family.
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However,De Niro turned down the roleof Paulie to take a bigger part inthe gangster comedyThe Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.Johnny Martino stepped in to play Paulie, and whileThe Godfatherbecame a blockbuster hit and a beloved classic,The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straightwas quickly forgotten about. But the decision to turn downThe Godfatherstill worked out great for De Niro, becauseit freed him up to take the much larger role of young Vito inThe Godfather Part II.
It’s Hard To Imagine The Godfather Part II Without Robert De Niro As Young Vito
De Niro’s Young Vito Provides A Fascinating Counterpoint To Al Pacino’s Michael
Now thatDe Niro’s Oscar-winning performanceas young Vito has become so iconic, it’s impossible to imagineThe Godfather Part IIwithout it.Brando left some pretty hefty shoes to fill, and it would take an equally legendary actor to replicate his captivating screen presence and the depth that he brought to the character. De Niro is one of the only actors in Hollywood — maybe the only one, period — capable of giving a performance that would live up to Brando’s. And if he’d played Paulie inThe Godfather, it never would’ve happened.
