Get able to kiss the ring.
There are few movie collection as celebrated in cinema as The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-spanning crime saga impressed by Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel of the identical title. The Godfather was the primary within the trilogy, premiering earlier in New York Metropolis earlier than its extensive launch within the U.S. on March 24, 1972. It launched moviegoers to the Corleones, a Mafia household led by patriarch Vito (Marlon Brando). By the movie’s ensuing drama, Vito turns over the reins of the enterprise to his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino).
The Godfather Half II hit theaters within the U.S. on Dec. 20, 1974, persevering with the story of the Corleone household. This time, nevertheless, it cut up its storytelling into each a prequel and a sequel to the unique: The story follows Michael’s reign as the brand new Don and the way his father, a younger Vito (Robert De Niro), builds the household enterprise.
After years of Paramount Photos asking Francis to renew the household’s story, the filmmaker lastly agreed. The Godfather Half III was launched on Dec. 25, 1990, following its premiere in Beverly Hills on Dec. 20, concluding the Mafia-centric epic.
Whereas all three motion pictures are revered, the primary two gained Finest Image on the Academy Awards, and the Library of Congress chosen the unique and second installment for preservation within the U.S. Nationwide Movie Registry. Due to a 2020 edited model, The Godfather Coda: The Demise of Michael Corleone, Francis’ third Godfather movie endured a cultural re-examination.
To have a good time the 51st anniversary of The Godfather Half II, this is every part to find out about the place the forged of the franchise is at this time.
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone
After getting his begin on Broadway, Brando transitioned to motion pictures, the place he later earned Finest Actor Oscar nominations for A Streetcar Named Want (1951), Viva Zapata! (1952), Julius Caesar (1953) and Sayonara (1957). In 1955, he took residence a statuette for On the Waterfront earlier than he was forged in The Godfather as Mafia boss Don Vito Corleone.
The position revitalized Brando’s profession, yielding him a second Oscar for Finest Actor, although he famously refused the award to protest the movie business’s therapy of Native People.
Brando contributed to lots of his character’s defining traits in The Godfather, together with his iconic voice and mannerisms. He even had a hand in his character’s loss of life scene.
“As for Brando himself, what an improviser!” Francis informed Playboy for its July 1975 difficulty (by way of Scraps from the Loft). “I informed him at one level that I did not actually know the best way to shoot his remaining scene, simply earlier than he dies. What may we do to make his taking part in along with his grandson plausible? He stated, ‘This is how I play with children,’ and took an orange peel, lower it into items that regarded like fangs and slipped them into his mouth.”
The Hollywood icon went on to earn Oscar nods for Final Tango in Paris (1972) and A Dry White Season (1989) and starred within the 1978 hit Superman. He reunited with Francis for 1979’s Apocalypse Now and gained an Emmy for his position in Roots: The Subsequent Generations that very same 12 months.
Brando’s profession slowed down within the ’80s and ’90s amid private points, although he parodied his Godfather position within the 1990 comedy The Freshman reverse Matthew Broderick.
Brando died of lung failure on the age of 80 in July 2004; he had at the least 11 youngsters.
Al Pacino as Michael Corleone
Francis struggled with casting the then-little-known Pacino within the lead position of Michael Corleone as a result of the studio initially refused. The casting determination was the best alternative, leading to a Finest Supporting Actor nomination for Pacino on the 1973 Oscars.
In March 2022, Pacino informed The New York Occasions he was “deeply honored” by the reverence the movie has acquired over time, including that it is a piece of labor he “was so lucky to be in.”
Following his iconic efficiency as Vito’s youngest son and successor, Pacino acquired extra Oscar nominations, together with Serpico (1973), The Godfather Half II (1974), Canine Day Afternoon (1975), …And Justice for All (1979), Dick Tracy (1990) and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). He gained his first for Finest Actor for 1992’s Scent of a Girl. A long time later, Pacino acquired one other Finest Supporting Actor nomination for 2019’s The Irishman.
No stranger to crime dramas, Pacino’s different main film roles within the style embrace Scarface (1983), Warmth (1995) and Home of Gucci (2021). The actor’s legendary profession additionally consists of Emmy-winning performances on the 2003 restricted collection Angels in America and within the 2010 TV film You Do not Know Jack. Moreover, Pacino is a Tony Award recipient for 1969’s Does a Tiger Put on a Necktie? and 1977’s The Primary Coaching of Pavlo Hummel. In 2007, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the American Movie Institute and a Kennedy Heart Honors in 2016.
From 2020 to 2023, Pacino led the forged of Prime Video’s thriller collection Hunters and was featured in a number of movies all through 2025 equivalent to The Ritual, Billy Knight, Within the Hand of Dante, Lifeless Man’s Wire and Straightforward’s Waltz.
Pacino is the daddy of 4 children: He shares daughter Julie, born in 1989, with ex-girlfriend Jan Tarrant and has twins with Nationwide Lampoon’s Trip actress Beverly D’Angelo, son Anton and daughter Olivia, each born in 2001. In 2023, he welcomed son Roman with ex-girlfriend Noor Alfallah.
Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone
De Niro was forged because the youthful model of Vito Corleone, the character made well-known by Brando, through the flashback sequences of the 1974 movie. The actor spent months studying Sicilian to play the youthful Vito, as almost the entire character’s dialogue is within the dialect.
De Niro gained the Oscar for Finest Supporting Actor for the position — the primary time in Oscars’ historical past that two actors gained an Academy Award for portraying the identical character. He additionally gained Finest Actor for 1980’s Raging Bull.
Lengthy acknowledged as considered one of Hollywood’s biggest actors, De Niro’s profession has included many critically acclaimed movies, together with Taxi Driver (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978), The King of Comedy (1982), Awakenings (1990), Goodfellas (1990), Cape Worry (1991), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), The Irishman (2019) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), amongst others. He additionally led the casts of the 2023 collection Nada and the 2025 Netflix political thriller Zero Day.
Like Pacino, De Niro was honored with the lifetime achievement award by the American Movie Institute in 2003 and the Kennedy Heart Honors in 2009. He was additionally the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. The star has additionally been the driving pressure of the Tribeca Movie Competition since its inception in 2002.
De Niro was married to actress Diahnne Abbott from 1976 to 1988. He later married Grace Hightower in 1997, however they separated in 2018. De Niro is father to seven youngsters, together with daughter Gia, whom he welcomed in 2023 with girlfriend Tiffany Chen.
Talia Shire as Connie Corleone
Talia Shire performed Vito’s solely daughter, Connie, whose extravagant wedding ceremony scene opens The Godfather.
The actress had solely appeared in just a few movies earlier than her brother, director Francis, forged her in his Mafia epic. She reprised her position in The Godfather Half II — for which she acquired an Academy Award nomination for Finest Supporting Actress — and The Godfather Half III.
Shire’s different notable position was because the love curiosity for Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa in 1976’s Rocky and its 4 sequels, incomes an Oscar nomination for Finest Actress for the unique movie.
Whereas these stay Shire’s best-known roles, she additionally appeared in 2004’s I Coronary heart Huckabees and reunited together with her brother for his 2024 movie Megalopolis. After a visitor look on an episode of Abbott Elementary in 2024, the actress starred within the 2025 Emmy-nominated flick Nonnas, alongside Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon and Lorraine Bracco.
Shire was married to songwriter David Shire from 1970 to 1980 after which to movie producer Jack Schwartzman from 1980 till his loss of life in 1994. She has three youngsters, together with actor Jason Schwartzman and Rooney lead singer Robert Schwartzman.
Diane Keaton as Kay Adams-Corleone
Diane Keaton had solely appeared in a single characteristic movie earlier than taking part in Kay Adams, who turns into Michael’s second spouse, in The Godfather.
The breakout position kicked off her profession as considered one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses. She reprised her position within the two sequels — at one level admitting that her opinion on the third installment had advanced over time.
Keaton gained an Oscar for Finest Actress for one more defining movie of ’70s Hollywood — Annie Corridor (1977) — which was written and directed by her then-partner, Woody Allen.
Keaton has since acquired Oscar nominations for Reds (1981), Marvin’s Room (1996) and One thing’s Gotta Give (2003). Along with a number of collaborations with Allen, Keaton additionally starred in Crimes of the Coronary heart (1986), Father of the Bride (1991), The First Wives Membership (1996), The Household Stone (2005), E-book Membership (2018), Poms (2019), Perhaps I Do (2023), E-book Membership: The Subsequent Chapter (2023) and Summer season Camp (2024).
The actress — who was as well-known for her eccentric vogue as for her work on-screen — typically doled out inspiring life recommendation.
“Do not take an excessive amount of time on your self,” she informed ipromiseyoumedia in April 2017. “Preserve trying outward — that is the place the superb a part of life is.”
Whereas she had high-profile relationships with Allen, Pacino and Warren Beatty, Keaton by no means married. She had two adopted youngsters: daughter Dexter and son Duke.
Keaton died on the age of 79 in October 2025, together with her household revealing that she had been battling pneumonia.
Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen
Robert Duvall, who performed Corleone household consigliere Tom Hagen, had been performing in movies for a decade earlier than being forged in The Godfather, together with starring in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Bullitt (1968), True Grit (1969), M*A*S*H (1970) and THX 1138 (1971).
Although he had beforehand labored with James Caan on Francis’ 1969 movie The Rain Folks, Duvall was considered one of 4 actors — the others have been Pacino, Caan and even Brando — who flew to the director’s residence to do non-public display screen assessments for The Godfather. He returned for a bigger position in The Godfather Half II, however he turned down starring in The Godfather Half III as a consequence of a pay dispute, and his character was written out of the movie, per CBS Information’ 60 Minutes.
He acquired an Oscar nomination for Finest Supporting Actor for The Godfather and was named Finest Actor for 1983’s Tender Mercies. Duvall additionally earned Oscar nominations for Francis’ Apocalypse Now (1979), The Nice Santini (1979), The Apostle (1997), A Civil Motion (1998) and The Choose (2014). In 2007, he gained two Emmys for his efficiency in Damaged Path.
Celebrated as a flexible actor, he has appeared in comedies and dramas. His different movies embrace Community (1976), The Pure (1984), Days of Thunder (1990), Sling Blade (1996), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), John Q. (2002), 4 Christmases (2008), Loopy Coronary heart (2009), Widows (2018), Hustle (2022) and The Pale Blue Eye (2022).
Duvall has been married 4 instances. He and Argentine actress Luciana Pedraza tied the knot in 2005.
James Caan as Sonny Corleone
Because the fiery Sonny in The Godfather, Caan gained over audiences and acquired an Oscar nomination for Finest Supporting Actor.
He made a quick cameo in a flashback sequence in The Godfather Half II and appeared in a number of in style movies all through the ’70s, together with The Gambler (1974), Humorous Girl (1975), Rollerball (1975) and A Bridge Too Far (1978).
Although he acted much less continuously within the ’80s, he acquired important approval for his position within the 1990 horror movie adaptation Distress and reached an entire new technology along with his comedic flip within the 2003 basic Christmas film Elf.
On the small display screen, he had a number one position on NBC’s Las Vegas and the short-lived ABC sitcom Again within the Recreation.
Caan died in July 2022 on the age of 82 from a mixture of coronary heart points. He’s survived by his 5 youngsters, together with actor and Hawaii 5-0 star Scott Caan.
John Cazale as Fredo Corleone
John Cazale, who performed the black sheep of the Corleone household, Fredo, died of lung most cancers at age 42 in 1978.
Cazale appeared in simply three different movies other than The Godfather and The Godfather Half II, together with Francis’ The Dialog (1974), Canine Day Afternoon (1975) and The Deer Hunter (1978). Each movie through which he appeared was nominated for an Oscar for Finest Image, with three profitable the trophy.
On the time of his loss of life, Cazale was in a relationship with actress Meryl Streep, whom he starred alongside within the 1976 Shakespeare Competition manufacturing Measure for Measure and The Deer Hunter.
Sofia Coppola as Mary Corleone
Sofia Coppola, daughter of the Godfather director himself, wasn’t initially meant to star in The Godfather Half III however did so after Winona Ryder dropped out of the movie as Mary Corleone, Michael’s daughter.
After minor roles within the first and second Godfather movies — to not point out a number of of her father’s different initiatives — Sofia’s bigger position within the third was extensively panned by critics on the time.
Through the years, she has gained a humorousness concerning the expertise.
“After I began, I used to be in my 20s, and it was the ’90s in L.A., the place I used to be generally known as the daughter of — this was earlier than nepo infants have been charming and most of them ended up in rehab — and I used to be the newbie actress who single-handedly ruined The Godfather,” Sofia stated in November 2025.
She went on to grow to be a prolific director in her personal proper, stepping behind the digicam for The Virgin Suicides (1999), Marie Antoinette (2006), The Bling Ring (2013), The Beguiled (2017) and Priscilla (2023), to call just a few. In 2004, she took residence the Oscar for Finest Authentic Screenplay for Misplaced in Translation.
The filmmaker additionally directed the 2015 Netflix Christmas musical comedy particular A Very Murray Christmas, that includes Misplaced in Translation actor Invoice Murray. The particular earned an Emmy nod for excellent tv film.
Sofia has been married twice, first to fellow director Spike Jonze from 1999 to 2003 and to Thomas Mars, the lead singer of Phoenix, since 2011. She shares two daughters, Romy and Cosima, with Mars.
Andy García as Vincent Mancini
Earlier than taking part in Vincent Mancini in The Godfather Half III, Andy García starred in 8 Million Methods to Die (1986), The Untouchables (1987), Stand and Ship (1988) and Inside Affairs (1990).
He earned a Finest Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his efficiency in Francis’ Godfather finale, taking part in the illegitimate son of Sonny and Lucy Mancini (Jeannie Linero). Fiercely loyal, Vincent finally succeeds Michael as the top of the Corleone household.
García then starred in Hero (1992), When a Man Loves a Girl (1994), Determined Measures (1998), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), The Misplaced Metropolis (2005), Ocean’s 13 (2007), Mamma Mia! Right here We Go Once more (2018) and Father of the Bride (2022).
He additionally appeared reverse former Godfather forged member Keaton within the E-book Membership movie collection. Since 2025, the Grammy Award winner has appeared on episodes of Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ collection Landman.
García and spouse Marivi Lorido García wed in 1982 and share 4 youngsters, together with Magic Metropolis actress Dominik García-Lorido.
Bridget Fonda as Grace Hamilton
Bridget Fonda, a member of the Fonda performing dynasty, had her breakthrough position as Grace Hamilton, a journalist angling for an interview with Michael, in The Godfather Half III.
Following her expertise within the Godfather franchise, Fonda went on to star in Single White Feminine (1992), Jackie Brown (1997) and Lake Placid (1999). Her most up-to-date performing credit score is because the titular character within the 2002 TV film Snow Queen.
Fonda married movie composer Danny Elfman in 2003, and the couple welcomed son Oliver in 2005. After changing into a mom, she stepped away from performing to deal with household life.
In April 2023, the Day by day Mail requested Fonda if she wished to return to Hollywood, to which she replied, “No.” Elaborating on her reasoning, she added, “I do not suppose so, it is too good being a civilian.”
Fonda and Elfman — who are likely to hold their relationship out of the highlight — have been photographed in public in December 2025 for the primary time in additional than a decade.
Franc D’Ambrosio as Anthony ‘Tony’ Corleone
Franc D’Ambrosio performed Tony Corleone, the son of Michael and Kay, in The Godfather Half III. The character had been featured within the earlier installments, however as a younger youngster. Within the third movie, Tony is lastly an grownup and is an achieved opera singer.
Having already appeared on Broadway in Sweeney Todd and studied underneath legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti in Italy, D’Ambrosio’s different stage credit embrace The Phantom of the Opera and Copacabana, amongst others.
He continues to tour and carry out worldwide as a solo artist.