“The camera can film my face, but until it captures my soul, you don’t have a movie.”
“It’s easy to fool the eye, but it’s hard to fool the heart.”
“I believe in one day at a time; you’ve got today, that’s what you’ve got.”
“You never open your mouth until you know what the shot is.”
“I always tell the truth, even when I lie.” (from Scarface)
“The problem with me is, I forget things.”
“I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So, I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.”
“I don’t need bodyguards. I’m from the South Bronx.”
“I’m an actor, not a star. Stars are people who live in Hollywood and have heart-shaped swimming pools.”
“The actor becomes an emotional athlete. The process is painful—my personal life suffers.”
“Vanity is my favorite sin.” (from The Devil’s Advocate)
“I like women who can cook. That’s an old-fashioned thing.”
“The only way you survive in Hollywood is not to believe anything anybody says.”
“Acting is about communicating something about who you are.”
“Sometimes you have to accept you can’t win all the time.”
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” (from The Godfather Part III)
“You do get very tired, and sometimes your focus goes off, but I love acting.”
“I’d like to be remembered as the person who says: ‘Yes, I can.’”
“You know what? I lie for a living.”
“I always had this thing where I couldn’t watch myself in movies.”
“A kiss can be a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation point.”
“I don’t need to be made to look evil. I can do that on my own.”
“I was in the right place at the right time.”
“The hardest thing to do is to be true to yourself, especially when everybody is watching.”
“I try to do what I think is best at the time.”
“Sometimes it’s better to have a real fall than to stay on the ground.”
“We can always change who we are. Life is always just beginning.”
“I don’t think the roles choose you; I think you choose them.”
“Hoo-ah!” (from Scent of a Woman)
“I say what I think, not what I think people want to hear.”
“I’m not afraid to be seen as vulnerable. Vulnerability is strength.”
“I’ve often said there’s two kinds of actors: the ones who say they’re actors and the ones who lie about it.”
“What I’m doing is the best I can do.”
“One of the things about acting that gives me the most satisfaction is when I feel I’m putting part of myself in a role.”
“Every emotion I have is bigger because of the parts I play.”
“It’s not personal, it’s strictly business.” (from The Godfather)
“There’s no formula for success in acting, only passion and love for the work.”
“I’m always working on myself; you can’t stay the same in this business.”
“I don’t regret anything I’ve done.”
“I believe in life after death. No doubt about it. But also I think it’s important to live the life you have.”
“Any role that gets my heart racing, I want to do it.”
“You learn more about yourself from the people you’re around.”
“You never waste your time if you’re doing what you love.”
“You need people who can guide you. They’re like mirrors.”
“I think acting is a reflection of who you are. That’s how I approach my roles.”
“When you go on stage, you can be whoever you want to be.”
“It’s a mistake not to give people a second chance.”
“Acting has always been about truth.”
“My weaknesses have always been food and men—in that order.”
“Say hello to my little friend!” (from Scarface)
“I think we all have the right to pursue happiness in our own way.”
“I’m fascinated by all kinds of people. I love being around different minds.”
“I’ve always been a seeker of truth.”
“Sometimes you’re playing a character and you’re also finding yourself in them.”
“The thing about acting is that it’s hard not to become attached to the character.”
“There’s only one Al Pacino.”
“When I’m not working, I miss it.”
“I’m inspired by life, by the beauty and difficulty of it.”
“The theater is who I am.”
“The job of the actor is to find out who you are, to dig into your own identity, to expose yourself.”