is such a versatile actor with a host of varied performances in his repertoire that associating a specific niche with him is nigh on impossible. With an illustrious film career that began over five decades ago in 1969's Me, Natalie, he continues to be a prolific actor, having recently joined the cast of Dead Man's Wire.

The actor doesn't just show no signs of stopping; he hasn't stopped diversifying his portfolio either. Al Pacino is a supporting actor in The Ritual, marking his return to the horror genre in 2025, nearly 30 years after his appearance in The Devil's Advocate. There is practically no genre that Pacino hasn't lent his acting talents to.

Even the movies that defined Al Pacino's career aren't all the same kind, . However, there is a noticeable trend in his most popular films. His gangster movies and crime thrillers will undoubtedly continue to be associated with him, irrespective of how much he experiments with other genres.

Ridley Scott has directed some of the biggest movies in Hollywood history. Star-studded casts, extensively detailed historical backgrounds, and culturally vibrant settings characterize his epic filmmaking style, making his movies extremely memorable. However, House of Gucci is forgettable because Scott chooses a coldly clinical narrative style for a story about a forbidden romance that caused an emotionally charged mafia feud.

While the characters are difficult to care about, the , including Al Pacino as Aldo Gucci. Where some of the main cast, barring Adam Driver, fail to capture the audience's attention, Pacino, with his signature style of speaking, his charismatic screen presence, and his emotive eyes, makes every scene he's in worth watching.

Bruce Willis' role in Ocean's Twelve is one of the best surprise cameos in movie history. It represents the significance of the Ocean's trilogy, which will forever be remembered for its growing roster of talented actors, which made it the "it" franchise for Hollywood stars in the 2000s. So, of course, Al Pacino would eventually appear in an Ocean's film.

With a pun of a name, Willy Bank, Pacino's character in Ocean's Thirteen, is the wealthy owner of a casino in Las Vegas. He becomes the main crew's target in the film. Pacino's long history of playing criminals made him , as few others could shoulder the weight of the role like him.

While Christopher Reeve's Superman, one of the most perfect non-animated action movies to watch with kids, had already paved the way for comic book movies, the genre continues to be primarily reserved for superhero movies. So, Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy, based on the comic strip, in which he plays the titular detective, is still an underrated gem in the genre.

Opposite Beatty is Al Pacino as the crime boss Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice. While the film's campy style is not akin to the tone of the actor's more popular gangster movies, Pacino showcases his range by perfectly balancing the comical and terrifying sides of his character. While not his best, it is .

As the only movie in the Godfather trilogy for which Pacino wasn't nominated for an Oscar, the film is often more maligned than it should be. It is the weakest entry in the trilogy, but it is still a fantastic crime drama. Irrespective of the legacy of the movie, its treatment of the subject of legacy is memorable and compelling.

The biggest reason The Godfather Part III is still a great movie is Al Pacino's final performance as his most storied character. Michael Corleone's anger, grief, and frustration are beautifully portrayed by who is determined to leave a long-lasting legacy. He can make anyone care about Michael's desperate need to legitimize his business.

Ever since Raging Bull, which features one of the best Oscar-winning actor performances ever, Martin Scorsese has directed many incredible biopics. Much like Al Pacino, he is also most popular for his crime movies, which frequently focus on mob bosses. So, it's surprising that it took until 2019 for Pacino, who has played many real-life people, to collaborate with Scorsese.

However, the collaboration was worth the wait. Scorsese's masterful direction brings '50s to '70s Pennsylvania to life to stunning effect, while Al Pacino transforms his popular mob boss persona into the infamous Jimmy Hoffa. In one of the most perfect Martin Scorsese movie scenes, , invoking the actor's most famous gangster performances.

Even though he had already portrayed Michael Corleone twice by the time Scarface was released, Al Pacino truly became a pop culture icon with the '83 movie. Scarface will always be a cultural phenomenon, with merchandise and memes immortalizing Pacino's iconic lines from the movie and fans today continuing to imitate moments from his most popular performance of all time.

While Pacino's excessive style creates a wonderful performance that has rightfully been enshrined in the Hall of Fame and continues to be referenced, . However, Scarface's legacy is secure as Montana still inspires sincere imitations and hilarious parodies, over 40 years after he graced movie screens.

Donnie Brasco might be the most mature gangster film that Al Pacino has starred in. Both his character, Lefty, and the film are . Instead of celebrating the gangster lifestyle, Donnie Brasco investigates whether being a ruthless mob boss would actually be satisfying in real life.

Considered the anti-Godfather, Al Pacino's role in Donnie Brasco explores the loneliness of being a big-time criminal whose closest friend is an FBI informant. Lefty isn't larger-than-life or "cool"; he's insecure and lonely. Pacino's range as an actor is witnessed in the graceful way he brings such a human character to life, going against the grain of his typical character.

Brian De Palma, known for starting Tom Cruise's most famous franchise, Mission: Impossible, has a few incredible crime movies in his filmography as a director. While the beloved movie Scarface will forever be the more famous of his two collaborations with Al Pacino, the other is the more interesting film, which also gives Pacino the stage to showcase his versatility.

The titular Carlito is a gangster who wants to put his criminal life behind him after being released from prison. However, this proves difficult as people and events compel him to resort to his old ways. of Carlito's Way, where a sense of inevitability follows the man's every step.

Perhaps the greatest movie adaptation written by the original writer, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather started one of the most influential trilogies in film history. It defined an entire generation of gangster cinema and is still regularly studied for inspiration by those working in the same genre. Coppola's epic also won Marlon Brando his second Academy Award for Best Actor.

Alongside Brando was Al Pacino in one of his earliest movie roles, in a high-stakes job that he proved to be equal to. His breakout role that'll forever define Pacino's career, Michael is the rebellious son of gangster Vito Corleone, played by Brando. earned him the leading role in the next film.

Al Pacino took the leading role in The Godfather Part II, the first movie in which he collaborated with Robert De Niro. Due to the incredible quality of each film, it's difficult to categorize The Godfather as a trilogy whose second film is the best, but The Godfather Part II is often considered to be the greatest film ever made.

Pacino's performance in The Godfather Part II might be his best ever, in perhaps the best movie in his filmography. The quintessential gangster movie, the film follows Michael Corleone's rise and fall as the ultimate ruthless mob boss, played by one of the genre's most popular actors of all time in a nuanced performance that has inspired generations of actors.