Even though Al Pacino is easily one of the most legendary actors of the past 50 years, that doesn’t mean everything he touched turned to gold. There are some real stinkers in his filmography. And one of those films is Adam Sandler’s “Jack and Jill.” While, at the time, there were people confused as to why Pacino would take on such a role, he’s coming clean now about the real reasons.
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Speaking to The New York Times, Al Pacino talked about various things regarding his life and career. And one topic that came up was his reasoning for taking on a role in “Jack and Jill.” According to the actor, there’s a very good reason why he agreed to star in the film—he needed a paycheck.
“It came at a time in my life that I needed it, because it was after I found out I had no more money,” said Pacino. “My accountant was in prison, and I needed something quickly. So I took this.”
Perhaps the most (in)famous scene in “Jack and Jill” involves Al Pacino playing himself in a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial. It’s supposed to be funny, but it really just comes across as the height of cringe. But now that we know he took the film due to his need of funds, it’s unclear if it’s still a funny scene or if it’s just really… sad.
Thankfully, “Jack and Jill” wasn’t enough to crater Pacino’s career. He would go on to do many other film roles. His most recent film is “Modi,” a biopic directed by none other than Johnny Depp.