Al Pacino, the legendary star of The Godfather, recently opened up about his terrifying battle with COVID-19, during which he momentarily lost his pulse. The 84-year-old actor, celebrated for iconic roles in films like The Godfather trilogy, Scarface (1983), Serpico (1973), and The Irishman (2019), experienced a severe case of the virus in 2020 that nearly claimed his life.
In an interview with The New York Times, Pacino recounted the ordeal, describing how he felt increasingly unwell. As his condition worsened due to fever and dehydration, a nurse was summoned to his home to administer fluids. However, things quickly took a dangerous turn.
“I was sitting in my house, and suddenly, I was gone. No pulse,” Pacino recalled. Emergency responders arrived swiftly, with paramedics and doctors in full protective gear working to revive him. He described the eerie experience of waking up to the words, “He’s back. He’s here.”
Pacino also shared his thoughts on the near-death experience, noting that while he didn’t see a “white light,” he did sense a profound emptiness, describing it as “nothing there.” Reflecting on the moment, he quoted Hamlet, contemplating life and death with the famous line: “To be or not to be.” He mused on the fleeting nature of existence, saying, “You’re here one moment, and then you’re not.”
The ordeal gave him a new perspective, as he realized, “You don’t even have your memories. You have nothing. Strange porridge.”
Now a father to his one-year-old son, Roman, Pacino feels a renewed sense of purpose, expressing his desire to “stick around a little longer if it’s possible.” Fans of the beloved actor can look forward to seeing him return to the screen in the future.