Al Pacino is, perhaps, one of the most famous and respected actors of all time. Having made a name for himself through his immense dedication to his craft and talent, he immerses himself into any role he plays, going above and beyond to make sure his vision for a character is brought to life in the best way possible. He has showcased this skill on many different occasions through his work in massively successful projects like Scarface, The Godfather franchise, Heat, The Irishmen, and The Devil Advocate.
He has also been nominated for a considerable number of Oscars, winning one for his work in the 1993 film, Scent of a Woman. This Oscar did not come easy as the actor had to go through some challenges when it came to his preferred method of acting, playing a visually impaired character.
Al Pacino’s Scent of a Woman
Al Pacino’s Scent of a Woman is an incredible masterpiece directed by the exceptionally talented Martin Brest. The drama film follows the story of a preparatory school student, named Charlie, who takes up a job to become an assistant to a visually impaired, medically retired Army lieutenant colonel, Frank, who is known for his irritability and is impossible to get along with. What starts off as a film about two people finding communication difficult to navigate, subtlety turns into a story about the friendship between a young man and an old man, both of which have hidden pains and conflicts within their existence.
Naturally, this film did very well amongst audiences and critics, becoming highly critically acclaimed and when onto bring even more recognition to its already A-list cast, including actors like Chris O’Donnell, Gabrielle Anwar, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film also went on to win a huge number of accolades, including being nominated for four Academy Awards, out of which, one was won, in the category of Best Actor for Al Pacino.
How Did Al Pacino Get Into Character For Scent Of a Woman
Having won an Oscar for this role, one tends to wonder what was Al Pacino’s process to get into character for Scent of a Woman. It would surprise many to find out that the actor used very extreme methods of method acting to prepare for the character of Frank. Having to play a character who is blind is no easy task and Pacino knew this, doing his very best to make sure that he represents the visually impaired community in the most accurate way possible.
This started with the actor taking advice from the visually impaired, even going as far as to attend a school for the sight impaired. He also started to increase this when he got closer to the filming of the film. He even asked the crew on set to act as though he was blind for the sake of the role.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
