Watching Robert De Niro’s audition tape for “The Godfather,” it’s hard to remember the guy was an Off-Broadway actor pretty much unknown in Hollywood circles. In just a few moments, he presents a fully lived-in character, bouncing off the unseen reader with equal parts charm and cunning. He clearly belongs in the film’s universe.
De Niro is so poised and natural in the role of Sonny Corleone, you almost forget the part eventually went to James Caan. He read for multiple characters in the film; director Francis Ford Coppola eventually decided to hold off and offer him the part of Vito Corleone—the younger version of Marlon Brando’s character—in “The Godfather Part II.” That movie, of course, made De Niro internationally recognizable and the first actor to win an Academy Award for speaking mainly a foreign language. To think it all started with this audition!
Want to see more? Check out “9 Great Actors’ Audition Tapes!”