The actor Al Pacino called his “favourite in the world”: “I love her, she’s the most poetic of all”
The realm of the Hollywood movie machine has been dominated by some of the biggest film stars, and only a fool would argue that Al Pacino hasn’t made one of the most significant impacts of all. The second half of the 20th century saw Pacino give some of American cinema’s greatest-ever performances, with each showcasing his intensity and profound versatility.
The course of cinematic medium might have looked incredibly different were it not for Pacino’s eternally memorable efforts on screen. From his perfect effort as Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy to further turns in the likes of Serpico, Scarface, Heat and Dog Day Afternoon, Pacino has always proven himself to be a master of his craft.
Such performances have led Pacino to be considered several cinema fans’ favourite actor of all time, and Pacino himself is no stranger to considering which of his fellow actors are his favourite of all time. The New York City-born star has previously stated his admiration for the likes of Dick Van Dyke, Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton, Robert Mitchum and Jack Nicholson.
As far as female actors go, though, it looks as though few stars captured Pacino’s attention as Julie Christie. In a 1979 interview with Playboy, Pacino noted, “Julie Christie is just about my favourite actress in the world. I love her. She’s the most poetic of all the actresses.”
It was often that case that Christie managed to mesmerise her audiences with her ability to imbue her widely varying characters with simmering intensity. From her breakthrough role in 1963’s Billy Liar, Christie set about becoming one of the greatest actors of her generation, drawing acclaim from cinema fans and her fellow stars in equal weight.
A true icon of the ‘Swinging Sixties’, the British actress received the Academy Award for ‘Best Actress’ for her effort in John Schlesiner’s 1965 romantic drama Darling, in which she played a young successful model actress in London who is considering the affection of two older men played by Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Harvey.
1965 proved to be a magnificent year for Christie as she also gave another of her most memorable performances in David Lean’s epic historical romance Doctor Zhivago as Lara Antipova, the love interest of the titular physician and poet, played by Omar Sharif. Elsewhere, Christie was nominated for further Academy Awards for the likes of McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Afterglow and Away from Her.
Pacino has never starred alongside his favourite actor, Christie, and in the Playboy interview, he was asked about acting with such bankable stars. Interestingly, though, Pacino admitted that he’d be unsure about working with an actress like Christie until any kind of prospective film was actually completed.
“You don’t get to know anybody in a movie until after it’s over,” he said. “You work less together in a film than you do onstage. Onstage, you’re out there together, but in a film, they shoot her, they shoot me. Unless the project is originated together or you have rehearsal time to develop something.”
Evidently, Pacino was hesitant in that he wanted to make sure his films possessed interpersonal chemistry with his fellow actors, regardless of his admiration for their respective careers.
Check out a scene of Christie in action in Doctor Zhivago below.