What became of the actors from "The Godfather" trilogy?

October 15 marks the 105th anniversary of the birth of Mario Puzo - a writer and screenwriter who made gangsters an integral part of world pop culture.

On this occasion, we tell you about how, after the release of the cult "The Godfather," a trilogy adaptation of Puzo's main work, the fates of the author himself, as well as the performers of the main roles, unfolded.

Marlon Brando (Vito Corleone)

The actor who played the head of the mafia clan was not that old at the time of the film's release - he was 48 years old. He was already a famous actor with an Oscar for his role in "On the Waterfront," received in 1954, numerous nominations for major film awards, and difficult for directors and producers to work with due to his hot temper. For the final audition, Brando, whom Coppola told was just testing equipment, stuffed cotton balls in his cheeks, smeared his hair with shoe polish, and rolled up his collar. Impressed by the screen test, the producers agreed to cast Brando as Vito Corleone, a role that ultimately earned him his second Oscar (though he declined the award).

Marlon Brando only appeared in the first part of the trilogy but continued to work with Coppola - a few years later he starred in "Apocalypse Now." In 1980, Brando announced his retirement from cinema, but continued to appear in supporting roles. His last film was "The Score" in 2001. The actor died in 2004.

Al Pacino (Michael Corleone)

The role of Vito Corleone's youngest son, who has to take over the "family business," went to Al Pacino, who was 32 in 1972. At that time, he was primarily a theater actor with one major film role - in 1971, he played a drug addict in "The Panic in Needle Park," where Coppola noticed him. The producers, by the way, didn't want to cast Pacino because of his short stature. But the director convinced them - and the actor played one of the main roles of his life in all parts of the trilogy.

This year, the actor turned 85. After "The Godfather," his career included many great roles - in "Scent of a Woman," "Donnie Brasco," "The Devil's Advocate," "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," "The Irishman," "House of Gucci." And the actor continues to work - several films with his participation are currently in production.

Robert De Niro (young Vito Corleone)

The actor was supposed to play in the first "Godfather" - he was successively approved for the role of first one of Vito Corleone's bodyguards, Paulie Gatto, and later - Sonny Corleone. However, De Niro preferred to star in "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight," where Al Pacino was supposed to play. As a result, the actor got a role in "The Godfather Part II," where in the retrospective part about the fate of Vito Corleone, he played the role of the young founder of the clan.

De Niro received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was just the beginning of his successful acting career - followed by "Taxi Driver," "The Deer Hunter," "Once Upon a Time in America," "Angel Heart," "Wag the Dog," "Analyze This," and the recent "Killers of the Flower Moon." Currently, five projects with the actor are in post-production. And in 2023, he had his seventh child.

Robert Duvall (Tom Hagen, Vito Corleone's adopted son)

At the time of filming the