One legendary actor wasn’t even ready to audition for Donnie Brasco until he met Al Pacino

Al Pacino is known for his gangster roles in films such as The godfather trilogy, but the actor played against type in the film Donnie BrascoPacino co-starred with Johnny Depp in the title role, playing Lefty Ruggiero, a New York crime family mob boss, to universal acclaim.

While the main cast featured two legends, the supporting roles were also played by stalwarts. Michael Madsen, who was known for his role as Mr. Blonde in Reservoir dogsplayed Sonny Black in the film. He reportedly refused to audition for the role and only went for it after meeting Al Pacino.

Michael Madsen refused to audition for Al Pacino’s Donnie Brasco

Based on the nonfiction book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafiathe movie Donnie Brasco is a story of betrayal, crime and friendship starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. Depp played the role of Joseph D. Pistone, also known as Donnie Brasco, an undercover FBI agent tasked with taking down the Bonanno Crime Family.

While Pacino played the family enforcer and Pistone’s main contact, Lefty, other members of the crime family were played by stalwarts such as Michael Madsen, Tim Bake Nelson, Bruno Kirby and James Russo, among others. And Madsen, who played Sonny Black, reportedly refused to audition.

Madsen revealed in an interview with the AV Club that there was a lot of back and forth between the casting team and him regarding the audition process. Eventually, the team reportedly gave in and asked him to meet Al Pacino. He said:

And I said, ‘Well, sure. But if you’re trying to get me to read, please, that’s not going to happen. I’d love to say hi to Al, and I understand he’d probably want to meet me, given the material, but I’m not going to read for you. That’s not going to happen.’

The Reservoir dogs The star was then reportedly put on a plane to the St. Regis, where he met Al Pacino and subsequently landed the role.

Michael Madsen previously had a bizarre encounter with Al Pacino Donnie Brasco

Actor Michael Madsen was reportedly adamant about auditioning for roles because he felt he wouldn’t get them if he did. He repeatedly turned down the Donnie Brasco casting team to audition for the role. Ultimately, they decided to put him on a plane to meet Al Pacino at the St. Regis to see if he would fit the part.

Madsen told the AV Club that when he went to the hotel to meet Pacino, it was an odd setting with multiple bodyguards leading him to his room. When he finally got inside, Madsen recalled that Pacino didn’t even turn around to greet him. He said:

And he says, “So, do you like the script?” And I say, “Yeah! Yeah, it’s a good script.” “What do you think?” “Well, it’s a good story. It’s a good story.” I wanted the birds. Because Sonny had birds that he kept on the roof. He had pigeons, and I wanted the pigeons.

And I asked Al, “How come the pigeons aren’t in the script?” And he said, “Well, because if you have the birds, your character will have too much sympathy. And nobody wants to have sympathy for Sonny Black, you know? So you can’t have the birds.”

The actor reportedly returned home when he got the call that Al Pacino had really liked him and that he had gotten the part.

Donnie Brasco is currently available to stream on Fubo TV.