Summary
- The Godfather Part II is considered one of the greatest films and movie sequels ever made, boasting an iconic cast including Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro.
- Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Diane Keaton have all had successful careers in film, starring in numerous acclaimed movies after their roles in The Godfather Part II.
- The cast of The Godfather Part II has worked on a wide range of projects, with many actors receiving critical acclaim and prestigious awards throughout their careers.
of The Godfather Part II's legendary cast have also appeared in numerous other significant films and television series. Nearly 50 years after its 1974 original release, The Godfather Part II continues to be heralded as one of the greatest films and movie sequels ever made. The Godfather Part II features many returning actors from the cast of 1972's The Godfather led by Marlon Brando's iconic performance as the sympathetic yet dangerous Don Vito Corleone. While Brando does not appear in The Godfather Part II, his character is depicted by another Hollywood giant, Robert De Niro.
The Godfather Part II depicts the early life of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City while also portraying his son Michael's (Al Pacino) reign as the head of the Corleone family. The central plot of The Godfather Part II revolves around the mystery of who is behind an attempted hit on Michael and the rising suspicions that a traitor exists within the Corleone family. An epic tale of two generations of power, The Godfather Part II is on par with the masterful The Godfather in suspense, performance, and cinematic quality. Here are all the key actors from The Godfather Part II with their notable works and current status.
10 Al Pacino
Al Pacino has starred in dozens of outstanding films after The Godfather Part II including Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Scarface (1983), Carlito's Way (1993), Heat (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), and The Irishman (2019). Pacino has received nine Oscar nominations and one Academy Award for Best Actor in 1992's Scent of A Woman. The 83-year-old Pacino recently starred in the notable Amazon series Hunters and has several films in production including Sniff and Billy Knight.
9 Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro has also starred in a fair share of Hollywood classics after The Godfather Part II. His most notable works include Taxi Driver (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978), Raging Bull (1980), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995), Heat (1995), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and Joker (2019). At 80 years old, the two-time Oscar winner currently has several projects such as Nada, Wise Guys, Tin Soldier, and Zero Day.
8 Robert Duvall
After his role as Tom Hagen in The Godfather saga, Robert Duvall appeared in several critically acclaimed films such as Network (1976), Apocalypse Now (1979), The Natural (1984), Sling Blade (1996), Crazy Heart (2009), and The Road (2009). Duvall won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1983's Tender Mercies and received six other nominations throughout his career. The 92-year-old actor's recent works include ing roles in Hustle (2022) and The Pale Blue Eye (2022).
7 Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton became one of the most famous actors in film history after her performances in The Godfather saga. She later appeared in over 70 feature films including Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), Reds (1981), Radio Days (1987), Something's Gotta Give (2003), and Finding Dory (2016). Keaton won Best Actress for her role as the titular Annie Hall. The 77-year-old actor has several projects in production including Summer Camp, Arthur's Whisky, and Artist in Residence.
6 John Cazale
Actor of the infamous Fredo in The Godfather Part II, John Cazale starred in Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation the very same year. Cazale also starred in two other New Hollywood classics Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter before his untimely death in 1978 from lung cancer. Cazale had a brief but incredibly impactful career an as actor, also appearing in one episode of the TV series N.Y.P.D. in 1968.
5 Michael V. Gazzo
Michael V. Gazzo played Frankie Pentangeli in The Godfather Part II before making onscreen appearances in Fingers (1978), Starsky and Hutch (1977), Columbo (1978), Taxi (1979), Magnum P.I. (1981), and Sudden Impact (1983). Gazzo's final acting works include Last Action Hero (1993) and L.A. Law (1994) before he died in 1995 at the age of 71. Gazzo was also a screenwriter before emerging as an actor in the 1970s, having written 1958's King Creole starring Elvis Presley and 1957's A Hatful of Rain.
4 Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg played Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II before appearing in The Cassandra Crossing (1976), Boardwalk (1979), And Justice For All (1979), and Going in Style (1979). Before The Godfather Part II, Strasberg had only acted in two other films in his life, 1937's Parnell and 1953's China Venture. He is best known as a theatre director and a significant proponent and teacher of method acting in the United States, having mentored Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, Jane Fonda, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe. Strasberg died at the age of 80 in 1982.
3 Talia Shire
Talia Shire starred in several Hollywood classics after her performance as Connie Corleone in The Godfather saga. In what is arguably her most famous role, Shire starred as Adrian in Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Rocky V (1990). She also appeared in the TV series Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), Faerie Tale Theatre (1987), Kingdom (2017), and Grace and Frankie (2018). The 77-year-old Shire has two prominent projects in post-production, Stephen Chbosky's comedy Nonnas and Francis Ford Coppola's epic Megalopolis.
2 Gianni Russo
Gianni Russo played Carlo in The Godfather saga before acting in dozens of feature films and TV shows. Russo appeared in multiple television series including Kojack (1978), The Greatest American Hero (1981), Wiseguy (1987), Over My Dead Body (1990), The Hat Squad (1992), Time Trax (1993), Reasonable Doubts (1993), and Prison Break (2005). His other notable film performances include Any Given Sunday (1999), Rush Hour 2 (2001), Red Dragon (2002), and Seabiscuit (2003). The 79-year-old Russo co-hosted The Hollywood Godfather Podcast from 2019-2021 and has two projects, Charlie Lucky and The Godmother.
1 Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda played Sal Tessio in The Godfather saga before appearing in multiple other notable projects before his death in 2016 at the age of 94. His television credits include The Rockford Files (1978), The Love Boat (1979), Barney Miller (1974-81), Murder, She Wrote (1991), Law & Order (1996), Wings (1996), and Family Guy (2001). Abe's most prominent contributions to film outside The Godfather Part II include Prancer (1989), Good Burger (1997), A Brooklyn State of Mind (1998), and Just the Ticket (1998).
