The director was then forced to fight tooth and nail to cast Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, with the actor admitting he’d done more screen tests for the role than he could remember, including after he was given the part.
The director reacted by (and he wasn’t sure whether this was allowed) finding 12 of his “naysayers” and firing them on the spot, in true Godfather style.
But Pacino was the only one right for the role, Coppola insisted, as: “I just saw his face.
Organised by Robert de Niro, one of the founders of Tribeca, the panel also saw Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton and Talia Shire all in attendance.