In another feather in his crowded cap, legendary actor Al Pacino has been selected to be the recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, a top honor by the American Film Institute that has previously been bestowed on Hollywood greats like Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg, Elizabeth Taylor and Sean Connery. The award will be handed to the 66-year-old actor in a ceremony in Los Angeles in June 2007.
Calling Pacino 'an icon of American film', AFI chairman Sir Howard Stringer said: He has created some of the great characters in the movies from Michael Corleone to Tony Montana to Roy Cohn. His career inspires audiences and artists alike, with each new performance a master class for a generation of actors to follow.
In 1992, Pacino won an Oscar for his portrayal of a visually challenged embittered retired lieutenant colonel Frank Slade planning a suicide after a day of extravagance in
Scent of a Woman. He has been nominated for the Oscars eight times and is noted for his performance in
The Godfather trilogy, where he plays Michael Corleone.
Among his other notable works are
Dog Day Afternoon,
Dick Tracy,
Scarface,
Glengarry Glen Ross,
Carlito's Way,
The Recruit, and several others. He will be seen next in
Ocean's Thirteen. I am moved and honored to be considered for such a prestigious award, Pacino said of the AFI award.
Pacino has to his credit a number of awards, including two Golden Globes, of which one was the Cecil B De Mille Award presented to the actor in 2001. He was also the recipient of the Independent Feature Project's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. Pacino has won two Tony awards for
Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? in 1969 and
The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel in 1977 and an Emmy for the TV miniseries
Angels in America in 2003.
