When we talk about the films that have marked the history of cinema, masterpieces like 'Citizen Kane', 'Casablanca', 'Vertigo' or, of course, 'The Godfather' always come to mind.
Francis Ford Coppola's magnum opus occupies a well-deserved place of honor among the greatest films ever made, and this year it also celebrates the 50th anniversary of its release day. One of the most remembered aspects of 'The Godfather' is its iconic cast, led by true legends of the seventh art such as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino or Diane Keaton among many others. However, as in any other film, the casting process was complicated, and before finding the actors who finally starred in the film, many other names were heard to play these iconic characters.
Jack Nicholson as Michael Corleone
Michael Corleone is the great character of 'The Godfather', the protagonist of the saga although in the first installment he is under the long shadow of his father Vito. Nowadays it is impossible to think of any actor other than Al Pacino playing Michael, but the truth is that the producers' first choice for the role was none other than Jack Nicholson. Nicholson was very excited about the project, since he knew it was going to be a great film, but he finally ended up rejecting the role of Michael Corleone, according to him because it had to be played by an Italian actor.
Elvis Presley as Tom Hagen
Several of the actors who were considered for the role of Michael Corleone, such as Jack Nicholson, were also the main choices to play Tom Hagen, Vito's adopted son and family consigliere. Some actors who auditioned for the role were Bruce Dern, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. However, the most unexpected audition was that of the singer Elvis Presley, who had already made several films and was a big fan of the novel on which 'The Godfather' was based. Finally, neither the producers saw it as the right choice nor was Elvis particularly enthusiastic about that character, since he wanted to play Vito Corleone.
Frank Sinatra as Vito Corleone
When 'The Godfather' film began to be produced, both Coppola and the producers were clear that the character of Vito Corleone, patriarch of the family, had to be played by a big star. One of the first ideas was to hire Orson Welles, but the director rejected it because he preferred Frank Sinatra himself to play the mafia boss. Although the singer sounded for a time like the great favorite for the role, they finally chose Marlon Brando, who gave us one of the most memorable performances of all time.
Mia Farrow as Kay Corleone
Kay Corleone is the most important female character in the entire 'Godfather' trilogy, Michael's second wife who does not lack courage to confront her dangerous husband when necessary. Diane Keaton turned out to be a perfect choice for the character, since she also had a relationship with Al Pacino behind the cameras. However, Keaton was not the first choice to play Kay, but rather Mia Farrow, who had just risen to Hollywood stardom thanks to her performance in Roman Polanski's 'The Devil's Seed'.
Franco Nero as Virgil Sollozzo
One of the great enemies of the Corleone family in the first installment of the trilogy is Virgil Sollozzo, a mobster who teams up with a rival boss to bring down Vito and his men. Al Lettieri composed a character much loved by 'The Godfather' fans, but he was not the first choice for the role either. Franco Nero, the star of the original 'Django' directed by Sergio Corbucci, was in talks to play the gangster, but ultimately did not get the role.
