Al Pacino Donated His Pay From Cruising Movie For THIS Reason: ‘At Least The Money Did Some…’

As a fervent admirer of Al Pacino‘s illustrious career, I am deeply moved by his unwavering commitment to social justice and empathy towards marginalized communities. Forty-five years ago, he took on the contentious role in Cruising, not for personal gain, but as a means to challenge societal norms and push boundaries.


Approximately four and a half decades ago, Al Pacino foresaw that his film “Cruising” might not receive positive reviews as time went on. In response, he chose to give his earnings from the movie to various charitable organizations instead.

In his autobiography titled Sonny Boy, Pacino openly shared that he felt compelled to generate a favorable outcome from the film perceived as exploitive towards the LGBT+ community. Such conviction led him to donate all his income derived from that movie to numerous charitable organizations.

The memoir detailed how the Academy Award winner came to view the 1980 film “Cruising” as an effort to depict the LGBT community in a negative manner. Rather than keeping his earnings, he set up a trust and utilized it for charitable endeavors aimed at assisting the community.

He understood that even though this didn’t provide complete resolution according to his moral standards, he still found some comfort knowing that the money was put towards a noble purpose.

Pacino stated that he had taken a substantial sum of money and placed it into an account that could not be reversed. He then donated this money to various charities, allowing the accrued interest to sustain it for several decades.

Right from the start, Pacino took on the part, driven by a desire to push boundaries. However, this endeavor sparked controversy, particularly at the filming site. Controversies soon arose, primarily due to concerns about the portrayal of the LGBTQ community, resulting in daily protests during production.

He added, “I don’t know if it eased my conscience, but at least the money did some good.”

William Friedkin’s movie, “Cruising,” draws inspiration from Gerald Walker’s 1970 novel of the same name. In essence, it tells the story of a police officer who infiltrates the hidden S&M culture within New York City’s gay community to track down a serial killer who is targeting homosexual men.

In this production, Al Pacino takes on the role of Detective Steve Burns, immersing himself in New York City’s S&M subculture as part of an investigation to track down a mysterious serial killer who targets gay men. The story portrays a series of killings that occurred among the gay community in New York City during the years 1962 to 1979.

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2024-10-22 08:52