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De Niro: Godfather role I almost took
9 Nov
Summary
- Robert De Niro was offered Paulie Gatto's role in The Godfather Part II.
- He also auditioned for Sonny Corleone, a role ultimately played by James Caan.
- De Niro later starred as a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II.
Robert De Niro was almost cast in 'The Godfather Part II' for a role significantly different from his eventual portrayal of Vito Corleone. While De Niro famously played a young Vito Corleone in the 1974 sequel, he initially auditioned for the part of Sonny Corleone, a role that went to James Caan. Director Francis Ford Coppola later revealed that De Niro was offered the role of Paulie Gatto.
Paulie Gatto was a soldier in the Corleone family who betrayed Vito Corleone. De Niro declined this role, opting instead for a part in 'The Gang Who Couldn't Shoot Straight,' which did not achieve critical success. This decision proved fortuitous, paving the way for his Oscar-winning performance as the younger Vito Corleone in 'The Godfather Part II.'
