Al Pacino has reflected on shooting his “controversial” film Cruising.
Released in 1980, Cruising starred then-39-year-old Al as a police officer who went undercover at underground gay bars in New York to catch a serial killer suspected of killing gay men. It was directed by William Friedkin, who died last August.
Noting that he was interested in “pushing the envelope” when he signed on to shoot Cruising, Al recalls the film becoming "very controversial" during its production.
Per People, Al writes that “almost every day” while filming, he came across protestors who felt that the film would portray the LGBTQ+ community negatively.
Al admits that he didn’t initially see anything wrong with Cruising. However, once it was released, he found it “exploitative” and, as a result, “remained quiet” instead of promoting it.
What’s more, Al decided to donate all of his earnings from the film to charity.
“I took the money, and it was a lot, and I put it in an irrevocable trust fund,” he writes.
“I gave it to charities, and with the interest, it was able to last a couple of decades. I don't know if it eased my conscience, but at least the money did some good,” he says, adding that he always donated anonymously because he didn’t want it to come across as a publicity stunt.
“I just wanted one positive thing to come out of that whole experience,” he adds.
Can you think of other times actors expressed regret over participating in a controversial project? Let us know below in the comments.
Al Pacino’s memoir, Sonny Boy, is available to purchase now.
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