Al Pacino, 2006. I went pretty quick from local bands and young actors to some of the biggest names in pop culture history. I’ve been so lucky to have photographed some of my idols...one of the greats being Al Pacino. The Godfather, Scarface, Dog Day Afternoon—all burned into my brain, a part of my personal library. He’s always been this great influence on me—his career, his work ethic, and his approach to really just giving himself totally to his craft.I’ve always been in awe of him. His stature is small, physically, but his on-screen stature transcends most actors, for sure, and most roles. So to get the opportunity to work with him for Scent of a Woman was really special. It was humanizing, shooting with him. He was playing this blind man and yelling out constantly for capuccinos. We’d get a shot and you’d hear “I want another cappuccino!” Either from Al himself or someone else on the cast doing an impression. He allowed me to direct him, and he was totally open to my direction. It was one of those life-changing moments for me. I got to be one of Al Pacino’s collaborators. It was a big deal.Later I shot him again for Ocean’s Thirteen. The room was stacked—George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon—this group of super important people. Al walks right up and he’s like, “Okay what do you want me to do?” Out of that came this one picture, a tight headshot of him completely locked in to that Pacino character. Years after that I had an exhibition at the Bel Air Hotel and hung that shot, huge, 50x60, right over the fireplace in the lobby. I went back a few days later and the concierge pulled me aside and told me that the day before Al was in the lobby, just standing in front of that picture for a good five minutes. Just staring at it, with this smirk on his face. That’s the thing about him. He can play killers and gangsters and make it feel so real, then turn around and be this little guy grinning at a picture of himself. He’s eighty now, still making movies, making babies, strolling Beverly Hills like nothing’s slowing him down. I’m still in awe of him today.
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