Al Pacino, the celebrated Oscar-winning actor, is gearing up for the October release of his first memoir, Sonny Boy. This book promises an intimate look at his life, spanning his New York upbringing, illustrious Hollywood career, and his personal reflections on love and purpose.
Published by Penguin Random House, Sonny Boy is described as a candid exploration of Pacino's life. According to the publisher, the book is a “memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide. All the great roles, the essential collaborations, and the important relationships are given their full due, as is the vexed marriage between creativity and commerce at the highest levels.”
At the heart of the book is Pacino's enduring passion for his craft, a love that has guided and sustained him throughout his career.
“The book’s golden thread, however, is the spirit of love and purpose,” the statement continued. “Love can fail you, and you can be defeated in your ambitions – the same lights that shine bright can also dim. But Al Pacino was lucky enough to fall deeply in love with a craft before he had the foggiest idea of any of its earthly rewards, and he never fell out of love. That has made all the difference.”
Pacino's memoir will take readers from his childhood in New York, marked by a supportive yet challenging family environment, through his formative years in the South Bronx and at New York’s High School of Performing Arts. It will also delve into his early career in the city's avant-garde theater scene during the 1960s and 70s, leading up to his breakthrough roles in films like The Panic in Needle Park, The Godfather series, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon.
Reflecting on the purpose of his memoir, Pacino shared, "I wrote 'Sonny Boy' to express what I’ve seen and been through in my life. It has been an incredibly personal and revealing experience to reflect on this journey and what acting has allowed me to do."
The announcement of Sonny Boy follows significant anticipation, with the memoir's proposal generating excitement at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2022. Penguin Random House secured the rights to the memoir in a deal reportedly worth $5 million, drawing comparisons to Bruce Springsteen's acclaimed 2016 memoir, Born to Run.
Pacino has recently discussed the memoir-writing process in an interview. “You get to that age, you start to do things like that. I stayed away from it, but I think I’ve got to sort of talk about certain things,” he said. “It’s fine, I have kids and all, it’d be a good idea, and I’m working on it,” he added.
The actor is a father to three grown children: his daughter Julie, shared with Jan Tarrant, and twins Anton and Olivia, with Beverly D’Angelo. In June 2023, he welcomed a son, Roman, with his current partner, 29-year-old Noor Alfallah.
While Sonny Boy marks Pacino's first memoir, it isn't his first foray into publishing. He previously collaborated with journalist Lawrence Grobel on Al Pacino: In Conversation with Lawrence Grobel, a book compiling 25 years of their discussions.
