The Indian actor says he admired Al Pacino for years and finally met his cinematic idol during the London premiere of The Irishman.
Indian actor Ali Fazal has revealed that meeting Hollywood legend Al Pacino remains the most memorable moment of his international career, despite working alongside several Oscar-winning stars.
Fazal has appeared with Dame Judi Dench in Victoria & Abdul, Vin Diesel in Furious 7, and Gerard Butler in Kandahar. However, he said meeting Pacino left the biggest impression on him.
A surprise encounter in London
Fazal recalled that he was in London filming Death on the Nile when he realised he had mixed up the date for The Irishman premiere.
With only 20 minutes to spare, he rushed to the venue on foot after failing to find a taxi.
“I wore my suit, and I ran,” Fazal said.
After arriving, he headed to the bar for water before unexpectedly finding himself face-to-face with Pacino.
“I turned to my right, and he was standing there, smiling at me,” he recalled.
‘I was just a fan’
Fazal described the meeting as the only time he had truly felt starstruck.
“When you’re working with someone, it’s different because you’re focused on the job,” he said. “But here, I wasn’t working with him. I was just a fan.”
He added that he spoke with Pacino about theatre, a subject both actors appreciate.
According to Fazal, Pacino responded warmly after learning about his theatre background and spoke about his own passion for Shakespeare.
Long-time admiration
Fazal admitted he has admired Pacino’s work for years and often discusses the actor’s career with friends.
He said he became fascinated by Pacino’s journey to success, including the numerous auditions he completed before landing his breakthrough role in The Godfather.
“I was really obsessed with him,” Fazal said.
Latest project
Most recently, Fazal starred in the investigative crime thriller series Raakh.
In the eight-episode drama, he plays Sub-Inspector Jayprakash, a police officer investigating the disappearance and murder of two teenagers in Delhi in 1978.
