It's True!

It was the 1971 film “The Panic in Needle Park”, in which he played a heroin addict that brought Al Pacino to the attention of director Francis Ford Coppola, who cast him as Michael Corleone in the blockbuster Mafia film “The Godfather” (1972), ahead of several established actors — including Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, and then little-known Robert De Niro — also tried out for the part, Coppola selected the relatively unknown Pacino, to the dismay of studio executives. Pacino was teased on the set because of his short stature. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination, but he boycotted the Academy Award ceremony, insulted at being nominated for the Supporting Acting award, noting that he had more screen time than co-star and Best Actor winner Marlon Brando—who also boycotted the awards, but for unrelated reasons.