If a certain legendary actor had gotten the small role he was considered for in The Godfather, then it would’ve prevented one of the best castings in The Godfather Part II. Francis Ford Coppola ended up choosing the perfect actor to play every part in The Godfather’s ensemble cast. James Caan brought the ideal H๏τ-headed energy to Sonny, John Cazale perfectly captured Fredo’s ineptness, and Diane Keaton brought a fierce independence to Kay as a stark contrast to the other mob wives in the film.

But most of The Godfather’s major players weren’t the first choice for their respective roles. From Ernest Borgnine to Elvis Presley, plenty of other actors were considered to play Vito Corleone before the iconic Marlon Brando was cast. While Coppola wanted Al Pacino for the role of Michael, Paramount objected to Pacino’s casting. The cast of The Godfather almost looked very different. If one of the early castings had gone through, it would’ve prevented the best casting in the sequel.

Robert De Niro Was Considered For Paulie In The Godfather

De Niro’s Paulie Casting Would’ve Prevented Him From Playing Vito In Part II

At a Q&A before the New York premiere of Megalopolis (via IndieWire), Coppola revealed that De Niro originally auditioned to play Sonny in The Godfather. He gave “an unforgettable audition” that “nailed” the character. At the time, De Niro was an unknown actor, so Paramount decided to give the role of Sonny to the more established Caan instead. As a consolation prize, Coppola offered De Niro the much smaller role of Paulie Gatto, a soldier in the Corleone crime family.

However, De Niro turned down the role of Paulie to take a bigger part in the gangster comedy The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. Johnny Martino stepped in to play Paulie, and while The Godfather became a blockbuster hit and a beloved classic, The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight was quickly forgotten about. But the decision to turn down The Godfather still worked out great for De Niro, because it freed him up to take the much larger role of young Vito in The Godfather Part II.

It’s Hard To Imagine The Godfather Part II Without Robert De Niro As Young Vito

De Niro’s Young Vito Provides A Fascinating Counterpoint To Al Pacino’s Michael

Now that De Niro’s Oscar-winning performance as young Vito has become so iconic, it’s impossible to imagine The Godfather Part II without it. Brando left some pretty hefty shoes to fill, and it would take an equally legendary actor to replicate his captivating screen presence and the depth that he brought to the character. De Niro is one of the only actors in Hollywood — maybe the only one, period — capable of giving a performance that would live up to Brando’s. And if he’d played Paulie in The Godfather, it never would’ve happened.

Source: IndieWire