It was rumored for years that Robert De Niro turned down the lead role for Scarface, and while it wasn't entirely accurate it wasn't far from the truth. In an interview the two did with one another for GQ, they opened up about what actually happened with the 1983 Brian De Palma-directed classic.
"I remember we talked about...We were on the street one night outside of Cafe Centro or something. This is how I remember it. I could be wrong," De Niro explained. "We were talking about Scarface and you were considering who to do it–what director. And I was saying, 'You should really do it with Brian [de Palma],' of the choices that you had." Pacino was instrumental in getting Scarface made, as he called his manager after he caught the 1932 film of the same name in a theater and expressed interest in doing a remake.
"And I said: 'If you don't do it, I'm going to do it," De Niro said of their conversation about Scarface. "They were going to do a Scarface," Pacino interjected, explaining that Martin Scorsese and De Niro had considered remaking the 1932 film themselves. "They didn't do it yet, they were playing with the idea. [...] I didn't know that Marty and Bob were interested in it."
De Niro and Pacino reunite onscreen for Scorsese's The Irishman, which hits Netflix on Nov. 27. Watch the full interview between the two actors above.
