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Al Pacino felt like he'd been shot out of a cannon when he first became famous.
The 74-year-old actor is still going strong after making his movie debut with a brief appearance in 1969's Me, Natalie and has won accolades including an Oscar and five Golden Globes throughout his career. But despite starring in hits such as The Godfather trilogy and Scarface in his heyday, Al admits a lot of that period was a blur due to his use of drugs and drinking.
“I was alright in the 60s, but in the 70s, I felt as though I was shot out of a cannon because I became very famous in a matter of minutes,” he explained to British newspaper The Telegraph.
“People always said the 70s was about pretty boys – then I came along. I never intended to be a movie star. That wasn’t on my agenda and it came as a shock, and I think that was part of what complicated the 70s for me. I was a bit of a wild guy and I was living a life in this kind of explosion, so my memory of it was kind of... as they say, I was in different states at different times."
Al previously revealed he began smoking and drinking aged nine but insists he's much better now; but if he were to write a book about his life, he'd need some help with his hazy decade.
Al has never been married but does have daughter Julie with former flame Jan Tarrant and 13-year-old twins, Anton and Olivia, with ex-girlfriend Beverly D'Angelo. He makes a big effort to visit his younger kids on the West Coast and often flies out from his home in Manhattan to keep the relationships strong.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on and it’s a bit compounded because my ex and I have always lived in separate homes, so that becomes an added element we have to deal with,” he sighed. “The children have one home and then they come to my home and have to move a lot of stuff from one home to the next, but they have got used to that over the years because I have been with them since they were born.”
The star is currently dating model Lucila Solá, 35, and says he's happy as the romance is "working".