Al Pacino Says He’s Never Taken Cocaine Despite “General Belief” He Was an Addict

After playing his fair share of characters that were known for doing cocaine, Al Pacino wants you to know he has never taken it in real life.

While appearing on the New York Times podcast The Daily to promote his upcoming memoir, Sonny Boy, Pacino was asked about a line from the book in which he wrote, “There’s the general belief that I’m a cocaine addict or was one.”

“I assumed it. I heard it somewhere,” Pacino said. “They’re shocked when they find out I don’t take cocaine. I never took it in my life.” Then, he joked about having a “grapevine over at my house.”

Besides, the 84-year-old actor claims he doesn’t need the extra boost anyway. “I’m not the kind of guy who should take coke,” he explained. “Any upper, I don’t need. I’m up!”

Some of Pacino’s most memorable film roles have involved portraying heavy cocaine users. Tony Montana in 1983’s Scarface famously surrounds himself with a mountain of coke and Pacino has confirmed his Heat character Lieutenant Vincent Hanna was “chipping cocaine” in the film.

Pacino has openly admitted to having an alcohol addiction in the 1970s — particularly after the success of The Godfather — but stopped drinking in 1977.

In another bit from the interview, Pacino revealed he nearly died from COVID-19 in 2020, saying he temporarily “didn’t have a pulse.”

Still an active actor, Pacino recently starred in Prime Video’s Hunters and the Johnny Depp-directed Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness.

Sonny Boy will hit bookshelves on October 15th. Pre-orders are ongoing.