Alfred James Pacino was born in Manhattan, New York, in 1940. His parents, Salvatore and Rose, divorced two years later. Al and his mother moved in with Rose's parents. His overprotective grandparents safeguarded Al. They didn't let him out of the house alone until he was past his seventh birthday.

His mother took him to local theaters for entertainment. The next day he acted out the plots for his grandparents. He performed in school plays. Often he read passages from the Bible during school assemblies.

At fourteen, he transferred to the New York High School of the Performing Arts. By seventeen his marks in everything except English were suffering terribly. He dropped out of school.

After several years of working odd jobs he started acting classes. He appeared in basement-stage plays. He managed to save enough money to enroll in the Herbert Berghof Studio. Eventually, Pacino performed in several notable plays and got magnificent reviews from critics. Finally, he made his first appearance on Broadway. The result was spectacular. He got a Tony Award for his part in "Does the Tiger Wear A Necktie?"

Three years later Pacino reached worldwide fame with "The Godfather." For his powerful performance, he got an Oscar nomination. Next he played the star role in "Serpico" a true-story movie about a New York undercover cop who refused to take bribes. Again he was astounding. He got his second Oscar nomination for his role in "The Godfather II." "Dog Day Afternoon" came next. Then, his career took a downward turn as his next few films flopped.

But "Scarface," a film about a crazed drug dealer, brought an end to the slump. Pacino was again riding high in Hollywood. He received another Oscar nomination for his role in "Dick Tracy". More unforgettable movies followed. "Godfather III", "Heat", "City Hall", and "Devil's Advocate". In all of them, Pacino's forceful, dynamic charisma is ever present.

His ability to play loud, often obnoxious, extremely high-energy characters in phenomenal. Especially when you consider how he makes these characters actually have hearts. He can be ranting and raving in almost lunatic style one minute. In the next breath, he turns into someone for whom you actually feel sorry. This isn't easy. Especially when you play the most evil of characters. Pacino makes your eyes water or your mouth scream in anger. His ability to transform a monster into a man, or a man into a monsster, is remarkable.

No one does it better.