Al Pacino has opened up about why he ‘shied away’ from marriage in his new memoir, admitting that his decision not to commit caused him years of ‘hurt.’
The Godfather actor, 84, has had a string of high-profile relationships throughout his illustrious career, including Diane Keaton, Jill Clayburgh, Penelope Ann Miller, Lyndall Hobbs, and Lucila Solá – but famously never wed.
Writing in his memoir, Sonny Boy, Al revealed he stood strongly against such a union because he never thought it would ‘help anything.’
But he did come close to proposing to his ex-girlfriend and Apollo 13 actress Kathleen Quinlan, now 69.
‘My time with Kathleen was the closest I’ve ever come to getting married,’ he wrote. ‘But I’ve always shied away from marriage.
Al Pacino has opened up about why he never got married
The Godfather actor, 84, had a string of high-profile relationships – but famously never wed
‘I guess I didn’t see how it would help anything. I just wanted to avoid what I thought, at the time, was the inevitable, an entrance to the pain train.’
He went on to add: ‘I thank God that Kathleen is still my friend to this day and I love her. But it wasn’t easy to say no to marriage with a woman I loved.
‘She knew what she wanted and she got it, only it was with someone else. It hurt when she left and I carried the hurt with me for years.’
Al dated Kathleen for approximately two years from 1979 to 1981.
After their relationship, she went on to wed artist Warren Long in 1987. Their marriage didn’t last and they divorced years later.
She then tied the knot with actor Bruce Abbott in 1994. They divorced in 2022.
Despite never marrying, Al has fathered four children from three different relationships.
He shares daughter Julie Marie, 34, with acting coach Jan Tarrant, and has fraternal twins Anton and Olivia, 23, with National Lampoon’s Vacation actress Beverly D’Angelo.
Al dated Kathleen Quinlan for approximately two years from 1979 to 1981 (pictured in 1983)
The actor shares fraternal twins Anton and Olivia with National Lampoon’s Vacation actress Beverly D’Angelo
More recently in June 2023, Al welcomed son Roman with 30-year-old producer and executive Noor Alfallah at the age of 83.
In August, while out and about in Beverly Hills, Noor was asked whether she would ever consider marrying Al, to which she replied: ‘I don’t know.’
She had previously remarked that she had no intention of walking down the aisle with the Oscar winner, describing herself as ‘not the marrying type’ in November 2023.
In a recent interview, Al said that becoming a parent later in life was no different to when he was in his younger years.
‘It’s always the same,’ the octogenarian acting legend told People. ‘It’s always the same. It’s a mini miracle. That’s all I can say.
‘It’s just so wonderful to have children. For me, I loved it. It changed me for, if you want to say, the better.
‘It changed me for life. And the idea that you’re throwing your focus on other humans who happen to be your children… there’s the love.’
He remains ‘good friends and co-parent’ with the mother of his son Noor Alfallah (pictured)
Al and Noor welcomed son Roman in June 2023, making Al one of the oldest fathers in history
The Hollywood legend’s memoir Sonny Boy was released on October 8
Al remains ‘good friends and co-parent’ with Noor despite ending their two-year romance just months after their son was born.
Since splitting from Noor, she has been on ‘several dates’ with Real Time host Bill Maher who, at 68, is 38 years her senior.
Penguin Press published Pacino’s first-ever memoir Sonny Boy on October 8.
Al was nicknamed ‘Sonny’ back when he was a rebellious teenager attending High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, which was made famous in Alan Parker’s 1980 film Fame.
His memoir also details his time on the seat of Scarface and The Godfather, in which he played mobster Michael Corleone.
The film may have won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but he was so anxious about the possibility of being fired that he secretly hoped an ankle injury on set would provide an opportunity to exit the film.
