By Wonderwall.com Editors
9:54pm PDT, Mar 27, 2022
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When "The Godfather" came out on March 24, 1972, the film — which follows a Mafia family undergoing a shift in power with deadly consequences — featured a cast of mostly unknowns. Over the next half-century, many would go on to become screen legends. The movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Mario Puzo is now widely considered one of the best in American cinematic history. In honor of its 50th anniversary, join Wonderwall.com as we take a look back at the cast of the classic crime epic.
Keep reading to see what happened to the actors who brought Don Vito Corleone, his family and the rest of their mob underworld to life…
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Al Pacino played Michael Corleone, who in the first installment of the "Godfather" trilogy reluctantly takes on the family business. Director Francis Ford Coppola saw the then-unknown on Broadway and instantly knew he'd found his star. But the studio pushed back, suggesting established actors like Robert Redford or Warren Beatty. Al got the role — and earned his first Oscar nomination for it.
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Al Pacino shot to stardom with "The Godfather," going on to star in such classics as "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Scarface" and more — and returned as Michael Corleone in both sequels, 1974's "The Godfather Part II" and 1990's "The Godfather Part III." During his more than five-decade career, the actor has racked up nine Oscar nods and won one, for his turn as a blind military veteran in the 1992 film "Scent of a Woman." Later came well-received projects including "Carlito's Way," "The Insider," "Heat" and the HBO productions of "Angels in America" and "You Don't Know Jack" (he won an Emmy for each). The New York native, who's never been married, dated his "Godfather" co-star Diane Keaton after filming the trilogy's third installment. He has three kids: daughter Julie, born in 1989 to acting coach Jan Tarrant, and twins Anton and Olivia, whose mom is actress Beverly D'Angelo, who dated the actor from 1996 to 2003.
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James Caan played hot-tempered eldest son Sonny Corleone. He originally screen-tested for the role of Michael, according to the book "The Godfather" by Jon Lewis, but director Francis Ford Coppola wanted him to play Sonny. James earned an Oscar nomination for his work.
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James Caan has stayed busy ever since "The Godfather," racking up more than 90 film and TV credits across genres including the 1990 horror-thriller "Misery" and the 2003 holiday-comedy classic "Elf." He also pursued notable extracurricular activities, spending nine years on the pro rodeo circuit and earning a black belt in karate. The Bronx native, who's been married and divorced four times, has five children including "Hawaii Five-O" star Scott Caan. James (pictured here at a "Godfather" 50th anniversary screening in February 2022) is set to re-team with director Francis Ford Coppola for the fifth time in "Megalopolis," which begins filming in late 2022.
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Diane Keaton had mainly appeared on stage and TV when she was tapped to play Kay Adams, the wholesome wife of Michael Corleone.
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Diane Keaton's big-screen career exploded after "The Godfather," first with her future frequent collaborator Woody Allen on 1977's "Annie Hall," for which she won an Academy Award, and 1979's "Manhattan." Many of the actress's most popular films — "Baby Boom," "Father of the Bride," "First Wives Club," "Something's Gotta Give" — showed off her breezy comedic chops, but she also returned for dramatic turns in both "Godfather" sequels. In recent years, Diane jumped to the small screen on HBO's 2016 series "The Young Pope" and starred in the 2018 hit "Book Club." The Los Angeles native, who's dated Hollywood heavies including Warren Beatty and Al Pacino, never married but adopted daughter Dexter in 1996 and son Duke in 2011. "Motherhood has completely changed me," she later said. "It's just about the most completely humbling experience that I've ever had."
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Talia Shire, who played Connie Corleone, had a special connection to director Francis Ford Coppola: She's his sister! Talia had limited acting experience but she nailed the role of Don Vito Corleone's daughter — and the wife of abusive Carlo Rizzi (played by Gianni Russo, pictured here with her on their wedding day) — and she ended up nabbing an Oscar nomination for her part in the 1974 sequel "The Godfather Part II."
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After "The Godfather," up-and-coming actress Talia Shire scored a part in another major movie franchise in 1976: She played Adrian in "Rocky" with Sylvester Stallone. She was nominated for an Oscar for that performance and went on to appear in all four sequels. Later projects included "I Heart Huckabees" and "Palo Alto" and in 2018, she appeared on the small screen in Netflix's "Grace and Frankie" and Bravo's "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce." Talia is part of a famous family tree — beyond brother Francis Ford Coppola, she's the mom of actor Jason Schwartzman and the aunt of actor Nicolas Cage and director Sofia Coppola.
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Marlon Brando was one of the few established names in "The Godfather," having won an Oscar in 1955 for his work in "On The Waterfront" and starred in widely acclaimed films like "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Julius Caesar." But after several poorly received movies and claims he was difficult to work with, his career faltered — until director Francis Ford Coppola tapped him to play Mafia family patriarch Don Vito Corleone (pictured here with Robert Duvall's Tom Hagen in the background). Marlon went on to win an Oscar for the career-defining role.
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Marlon Brando refused to appear in "The Godfather Part II" but he did take a tongue-in-cheek role as a mob boss in the 1990 comedy "The Freshman." Other post-"Godfather" projects included "Last Tango in Paris" and "Apocalypse Now," and during his six-decade career, he won countless accolades including two Academy Awards. But he also developed a reputation for strange and unprofessional behavior. On one of his last movies, 1996's "The Island of Dr. Moreau," the star acted like a "monster" who was "way beyond bored with the making of movies… Overweight, unprepared, mocking, dismissive," screenwriter Ron Hutchinson wrote in a 2017 essay about his former idol. Still, when Marlon died in 2004 at 80, his status as an acting legend was never in doubt. "Simply put, in film acting, there is before Brando, and there is after Brando," read The New York Times obituary. "And they are like different worlds." Marlon — pictured in 2001, three years before his death, at an event celebrating his close friend Michael Jackson's 30 years as a solo artist — married three times and was a father to at least 11 children.
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Before "The Godfather," Simonetta Stefanelli — who portrayed Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone, the wife of Al Pacino's Michael Corleone — had only appeared in films in her native Italy.
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Despite her role in one of the most celebrated American movies of all time, Simonetta Stefanelli didn't pursue a career in Hollywood. "They wanted nothing more than to expose my body," she told People magazine in 1997. "I refused so much work." She appeared in several European films before retiring from acting in 1992 and opening a boutique in Rome, along with designing purses and shoes. Simonetta has three children with her ex-husband, Italian actor-director Michele Placido.
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Robert Duvall played Tom Hagen, the consigliere (or legal counsel) for the Corleone family. He received an Oscar nod for his performance.
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After his breakout role in "The Godfather," Robert Duvall became one of the most prolific and respected actors in American cinema. He's amassed seven Oscar nominations, winning in 1984 for "Tender Mercies," and in 1989 starred in one of his personal favorite projects, the miniseries "Lonesome Dove," for which he earned an Emmy nod and a Golden Globe Award. The actor, who also is a skilled tango dancer, has been married to his fourth wife, Argentine actress and filmmaker Luciana Pedraza, since 2004. Next up for the San Diego native? The Netflix basketball drama "Hustle," also starring Adam Sandler, due out in June 2022.
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Before he was cast as Carlo Rizzi, the abusive son-in-law of Don Vito Corleone, Gianni Russo worked in real-life organize crime as a messenger for New York City mob boss Frank Costello.
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After making his movie debut in "The Godfather," Gianni Russo snagged small roles in films like "Rush Hour 2" and "Seabiscuit" while leading a very colorful life outside of acting. In 1988, he killed a man inside a Las Vegas nightclub after trying to stop the man from harassing a female patron. Gianni was stabbed with a broken bottle and then shot the man in the head. He wasn't charged in the killing, which Nevada authorities ruled was a justifiable homicide. In 2019, he published his memoir, "Hollywood Godfather: My Life in the Movies and the Mob," and made headlines with claims that Marilyn Monroe took his virginity at 15. According to his website, Gianni is now a motivational speaker, singer, businessman and co-host of the weekly "Hollywood Godfather" podcast.
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Abe Vigoda, who played wily mob capo Sal Tessio, had just one uncredited screen appearance on his resumé before "The Godfather."
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Abe Vigoda reprised the role of Sal Tessio in a flashback scene in "The Godfather Part II." While he appeared in many films and TV shows before his death in 2016, the Brooklyn native's most famous role was as grouchy Detective Phil Fish on the '70s sitcom "Barney Miller."
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Theater actor John Cazale won his first feature film role — family black sheep Fredo Corleone — after "The Godfather" casting director Fred Roos saw him perform in a play.
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After "The Godfather," John Cazale was cast in a flurry of juicy roles in projects including "The Conversation" and "Dog Day Afternoon." He filmed 1978's acclaimed "The Deer Hunter" but died of lung cancer at 42 just months after wrapping the movie. (He was in a relationship with his "Deer Hunter" co-star Meryl Streep at the time.) He appeared in "The Godfather Part III" via archival footage of Fredo Corleone. The film received a best picture nod at the 1991 Academy Awards, earning the late actor a unique Hollywood distinction: All six films he appeared in were nominated for a best picture Oscar.
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Singer Al Martino, once described as "one of the great Italian American pop crooners," transitioned into acting with his role as Johnny Fontane and also sang the film's theme, "Speak Softly Love."
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Al Martino (real name: Jasper Cini) reprised the role of singer Johnny Fontane in "The Godfather Part III" and "The Godfather Trilogy: 1901–1980," the TV miniseries that combines parts one and two into one film. Al — seen here in June 2007, two years before his death at 82 — was married three times and had three children.
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Richard Castellano played Peter Clemenza (seen here with Al Pacino's Michael Corleone), a capo and close friend of family patriarch Don Vito Corleone.
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Post-"Godfather," Richard Castellano snagged a TV lead role playing Joe Girelli on the 1972 sitcom "The Super," on which his real-life daughter Margaret Castellano portrayed his character's daughter, Joanne. He also starred on the 1975 sitcom "Joe and Sons." The New York City native didn't reprise his role in "The Godfather Part II," reportedly over disagreements with director Francis Ford Coppola over everything from the character's personal choices to the weight gain required for the role. The actor died in 1988 at 55 after suffering a heart attack at his New Jersey home.
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Morgana King was a successful jazz singer when she was cast as the Corleone family matriarch, Carmela, pictured here on the far left. After "The Godfather" was released in 1972, the Pleasantville, New York, native had only a few more acting credits, including a 1993 guest role on the soap opera "All My Children." She married twice — both times to fellow jazz musicians — and died in 2018 at 87.
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Francis Ford Coppola was a young director when "The Godfather" became a smash success, both critically and commercially, and revolutionized the cinematic gangster genre. The film won three Oscars: best picture, best actor and best adapted screenplay. It was just the beginning of an incredible career for the filmmaker, seen here on set with James Caan, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and John Cazale.
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After "The Godfather," Francis Ford Coppola went on to become one of the most celebrated filmmakers in American cinema, with five Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Palmes d'Or and a British Academy Film Award under his belt. Francis — pictured at a 50th anniversary "Godfather" screening in February 2022 — made multiple acclaimed '80s films including "The Outsiders," "Rumble Fish" and "The Cotton Club" and in the '90s helmed "The Godfather Part III" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula." His family is full of cinematic talent: There's his actress sister, Talia Shire (aka Connie Corleone); his director daughter, Sofia Coppola, and director granddaughter, Gia Coppola; his screenwriter son, Roman Coppola; and his actor nephews, Jason Schwartzman and Nicolas Cage. The legendary director also is a passionate vintner with wineries in Oregon and California's Napa Valley.
