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Al Pacino donated his entire salary to a film he made in the 1980s because of its “exploitative” nature.
The 84-year-old actor admitted that he “didn't see it when he was doing it” and that he wasn't as “sensitive” as he might have been back then.
In his memoir, Sonny Boy, he talks about his work on the 1980 crime thriller Cruising, about a serial killer who attacks gay men in a leather scene.
At the time, the film faced backlash and gay rights advocates protested during filming.
Four decades later, the Godfather star, who revealed how he avoided being kidnapped in the early days of his career, spoke out about a secret donation he made while the film was mired in controversy.
Al Pacino revealed that he donated his entire salary to a film he made in the 1980s due to its “exploitative” nature; Photographed in New York City in April 2023.
In the film directed by William Friedkin, he plays Steve Burns, a detective who becomes deeply embedded in himself. Gay S&M subculture as New York City tries to hunt down a serial killer.
He said the producers begged him to protect the film, so he agreed.
“At the end of the day, they gave me a lot of money and I am not going to abandon them,” he wrote before sharing his discomfort.
“But I wanted to go somewhere away from the madness,” he said. “I've had enough.”
Behind the scenes, he made amends and donated his entire salary in an effort to “clear my conscience.”
“I never took a salary for doing cruises,” he recalls. “I took the money, there was a lot of it, and I put it in an irrevocable trust fund, which means if I give it away, I can't get it back.”
He reported that he donated the money, plus interest, to various charities.
“I don't know if it eased my conscience,” he admitted. “But at least the money was useful for something.”
In his memoir, Sonny Boy, he talks about his work on the 1980 crime thriller Cruising, about a serial killer who attacks gay men in a skin scene; Photograph taken from Still Cruising in 1980.
At the time, the film faced backlash and gay rights advocates protested during filming; Photograph taken from Still Cruising in 1980.
The actor admitted that he 'didn't see it when he was doing it', and that he wasn't as 'sensitive' as he might have been then; Photograph taken from Still Cruising in 1980.
Four decades later, the Godfather star spoke out about his secret donation when the film was mired in controversy; Photograph taken from Still Cruising in 1980.
He said his donations were anonymous and that fact had not been revealed until now.
“I don't want this to be a public relations stunt,” he said. “I wanted something positive to come out of the whole experience.”
In his memoirs, Pacino also wrote about Scarface.
The film initially received poor reviews before the crime epic was eventually considered a classic and Tony Montana became known as his most iconic role.
“This is the most important film I have made to date,” he wrote in his memoirs.
'The rest still support me. I can live with that. That is, if I live like a normal person. But it contributes, let's put it that way.'
