Where Is “The Godfather” Trilogy Cast Now? All About Their Lives More Than 50 Years After the Release of “The Godfather Part II”
- - Where Is “The Godfather” Trilogy Cast Now? All About Their Lives More Than 50 Years After the Release of “The Godfather Part II”
Alex Heigl, Christopher McKittrick, Carson BlackwelderDecember 20, 2025 at 9:00 PM
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Moviestore/Shutterstock
From left: Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, James Caan as Sonny Corleone and John Cazale as Fredo Corleone in 1972's 'The Godfather'
Get ready to kiss the ring.
There are few film series as celebrated in cinema as The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola's decades-spanning crime saga inspired by Mario Puzo's 1969 novel of the same name. The Godfather was the first in the trilogy, premiering earlier in New York City before its wide release in the U.S. on March 24, 1972. It introduced moviegoers to the Corleones, a Mafia family led by patriarch Vito (Marlon Brando). Through the film's ensuing drama, Vito turns over the reins of the business to his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino).
The Godfather Part II hit theaters in the U.S. on Dec. 20, 1974, continuing the story of the Corleone family. This time, however, it split its storytelling into both a prequel and a sequel to the original: The story follows Michael's reign as the new Don and how his father, a young Vito (Robert De Niro), builds the family business.
After years of Paramount Pictures asking Francis to resume the family's story, the filmmaker finally agreed. The Godfather Part III was released on Dec. 25, 1990, following its premiere in Beverly Hills on Dec. 20, concluding the Mafia-centric epic.
While all three movies are revered, the first two won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and the Library of Congress selected the original and second installment for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry. Thanks to a 2020 edited version, The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, Francis' third Godfather film endured a cultural re-examination.
To celebrate the 51st anniversary of The Godfather Part II, here's everything to know about where the cast of the franchise is today.
01 of 12
Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone
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Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in 1972's 'The Godfather'; Marlon Brando attends Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sept. 7, 2001.
After getting his start on Broadway, Brando transitioned to movies, where he later earned Best Actor Oscar nominations for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Viva Zapata! (1952), Julius Caesar (1953) and Sayonara (1957). In 1955, he took home a statuette for On the Waterfront before he was cast in The Godfather as Mafia boss Don Vito Corleone.
The role revitalized Brando's career, yielding him a second Oscar for Best Actor, though he famously refused the award to protest the film industry's treatment of Native Americans.
Brando contributed to many of his character's defining traits in The Godfather, including his iconic voice and mannerisms. He even had a hand in his character's death scene.
"As for Brando himself, what an improviser!" Francis told Playboy for its July 1975 issue (via Scraps from the Loft). "I told him at one point that I didn't really know how to shoot his final scene, just before he dies. What could we do to make his playing with his grandson believable? He said, 'Here's how I play with kids,' and took an orange peel, cut it into pieces that looked like fangs and slipped them into his mouth."
The Hollywood icon went on to earn Oscar nods for Last Tango in Paris (1972) and A Dry White Season (1989) and starred in the 1978 hit Superman. He reunited with Francis for 1979's Apocalypse Now and won an Emmy for his role in Roots: The Next Generations that same year.
Brando's career slowed down in the '80s and '90s amid personal issues, though he parodied his Godfather role in the 1990 comedy The Freshman opposite Matthew Broderick.
Brando died of lung failure at the age of 80 in July 2004; he had at least 11 children.
02 of 12
Al Pacino as Michael Corleone
Paramount Pictures; Anna Webber/Getty
Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in 1972's 'The Godfather'; Al Pacino attends the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Francis Ford Coppola in Hollywood, Calif. on April 26, 2025.
Francis struggled with casting the then-little-known Pacino in the lead role of Michael Corleone because the studio initially refused. The casting decision was the right choice, resulting in a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Pacino at the 1973 Oscars.
In March 2022, Pacino told The New York Times he was "deeply honored" by the reverence the film has received over the years, adding that it's a piece of work he "was so fortunate to be in."
Following his iconic performance as Vito's youngest son and successor, Pacino received more Oscar nominations, including Serpico (1973), The Godfather Part II (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), ...And Justice for All (1979), Dick Tracy (1990) and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992). He won his first for Best Actor for 1992's Scent of a Woman. Decades later, Pacino received another Best Supporting Actor nomination for 2019's The Irishman.
No stranger to crime dramas, Pacino's other major movie roles in the genre include Scarface (1983), Heat (1995) and House of Gucci (2021). The actor's legendary career also includes Emmy-winning performances on the 2003 limited series Angels in America and in the 2010 TV movie You Don't Know Jack. Additionally, Pacino is a Tony Award recipient for 1969's Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and 1977's The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. In 2007, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award by the American Film Institute and a Kennedy Center Honors in 2016.
From 2020 to 2023, Pacino led the cast of Prime Video's thriller series Hunters and was featured in several films throughout 2025 such as The Ritual, Billy Knight, In the Hand of Dante, Dead Man's Wire and Easy's Waltz.
Pacino is the father of four kids: He shares daughter Julie, born in 1989, with ex-girlfriend Jan Tarrant and has twins with National Lampoon's Vacation actress Beverly D'Angelo, son Anton and daughter Olivia, both born in 2001. In 2023, he welcomed son Roman with ex-girlfriend Noor Alfallah.
03 of 12
Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone
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Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone in 1974's 'The Godfather Part II'; Robert De Niro at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in France on May 13, 2025.
De Niro was cast as the younger version of Vito Corleone, the character made famous by Brando, during the flashback sequences of the 1974 film. The actor spent months learning Sicilian to play the younger Vito, as nearly all of the character's dialogue is in the dialect.
De Niro won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the role — the first time in Oscars' history that two actors won an Academy Award for portraying the same character. He also won Best Actor for 1980's Raging Bull.
Long recognized as one of Hollywood's greatest actors, De Niro's career has included many critically acclaimed films, including Taxi Driver (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978), The King of Comedy (1982), Awakenings (1990), Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), The Irishman (2019) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), among others. He also led the casts of the 2023 series Nada and the 2025 Netflix political thriller Zero Day.
Like Pacino, De Niro was honored with the lifetime achievement award by the American Film Institute in 2003 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009. He was also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. The star has also been the driving force of the Tribeca Film Festival since its inception in 2002.
De Niro was married to actress Diahnne Abbott from 1976 to 1988. He later married Grace Hightower in 1997, but they separated in 2018. De Niro is father to seven children, including daughter Gia, whom he welcomed in 2023 with girlfriend Tiffany Chen.
04 of 12
Talia Shire as Connie Corleone
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Talia Shire as Connie Corleone in 1972's 'The Godfather'; Talia Shire attends the 47th Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 22, 2024.
Talia Shire played Vito's only daughter, Connie, whose extravagant wedding scene opens The Godfather.
The actress had only appeared in a few films before her brother, director Francis, cast her in his Mafia epic. She reprised her role in The Godfather Part II — for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress — and The Godfather Part III.
Shire's other notable role was as the love interest for Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa in 1976's Rocky and its four sequels, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for the original film.
While those remain Shire's best-known roles, she also appeared in 2004's I Heart Huckabees and reunited with her brother for his 2024 film Megalopolis. After a guest appearance on an episode of Abbott Elementary in 2024, the actress starred in the 2025 Emmy-nominated flick Nonnas, alongside Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon and Lorraine Bracco.
Shire was married to songwriter David Shire from 1970 to 1980 and then to film producer Jack Schwartzman from 1980 until his death in 1994. She has three children, including actor Jason Schwartzman and Rooney lead singer Robert Schwartzman.
05 of 12
Diane Keaton as Kay Adams-Corleone
Paramount Pictures; Sophie Sahara/WWD via Getty
Diane Keaton as Kay Adams in 1972's 'The Godfather'; Diane Keaton attends New York Fashion Week in N.Y.C. on Sept. 8, 2023.
Diane Keaton had only appeared in one feature film before playing Kay Adams, who becomes Michael's second wife, in The Godfather.
The breakout role kicked off her career as one of Hollywood's most celebrated actresses. She reprised her role in the two sequels — at one point admitting that her opinion on the third installment had evolved over the years.
Keaton won an Oscar for Best Actress for another defining film of '70s Hollywood — Annie Hall (1977) — which was written and directed by her then-partner, Woody Allen.
Keaton has since received Oscar nominations for Reds (1981), Marvin's Room (1996) and Something's Gotta Give (2003). In addition to several collaborations with Allen, Keaton also starred in Crimes of the Heart (1986), Father of the Bride (1991), The First Wives Club (1996), The Family Stone (2005), Book Club (2018), Poms (2019), Maybe I Do (2023), Book Club: The Next Chapter (2023) and Summer Camp (2024).
The actress — who was as well known for her eccentric fashion as for her work on-screen — often doled out inspiring life advice.
"Don't take too much time on yourself," she told PEOPLE in April 2017. "Keep looking outward — that's where the amazing part of life is."
While she had high-profile relationships with Allen, Pacino and Warren Beatty, Keaton never married. She had two adopted children: daughter Dexter and son Duke.
Keaton died at the age of 79 in October 2025, with her family revealing that she had been battling pneumonia.
06 of 12
Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen
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Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen in 1972's 'The Godfather'; Robert Duvall appears on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' on June 24, 2021.
Robert Duvall, who played Corleone family consigliere Tom Hagen, had been acting in films for a decade before being cast in The Godfather, including starring in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Bullitt (1968), True Grit (1969), M*A*S*H (1970) and THX 1138 (1971).
Though he had previously worked with James Caan on Francis' 1969 film The Rain People, Duvall was one of four actors — the others were Pacino, Caan and even Brando — who flew to the director's home to do private screen tests for The Godfather. He returned for a larger role in The Godfather Part II, but he turned down starring in The Godfather Part III due to a pay dispute, and his character was written out of the film, per CBS News' 60 Minutes.
He received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather and was named Best Actor for 1983's Tender Mercies. Duvall also earned Oscar nominations for Francis' Apocalypse Now (1979), The Great Santini (1979), The Apostle (1997), A Civil Action (1998) and The Judge (2014). In 2007, he won two Emmys for his performance in Broken Trail.
Celebrated as a versatile actor, he has appeared in comedies and dramas. His other films include Network (1976), The Natural (1984), Days of Thunder (1990), Sling Blade (1996), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), John Q. (2002), Four Christmases (2008), Crazy Heart (2009), Widows (2018), Hustle (2022) and The Pale Blue Eye (2022).
Duvall has been married four times. He and Argentine actress Luciana Pedraza tied the knot in 2005.
07 of 12
James Caan as Sonny Corleone
Paramount Pictures; Jon Kopaloff/Getty
James Caan as Sonny Corleone in 1972's 'The Godfather'; James Caan attends the 50th anniversary celebration for 'The Godfather' at Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 22, 2022.
As the fiery Sonny in The Godfather, Caan won over audiences and received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
He made a brief cameo in a flashback sequence in The Godfather Part II and appeared in several popular films throughout the '70s, including The Gambler (1974), Funny Lady (1975), Rollerball (1975) and A Bridge Too Far (1978).
Though he acted less frequently in the '80s, he received critical acclaim for his role in the 1990 horror film adaptation Misery and reached a whole new generation with his comedic turn in the 2003 classic Christmas movie Elf.
On the small screen, he had a leading role on NBC's Las Vegas and the short-lived ABC sitcom Back in the Game.
Caan died in July 2022 at the age of 82 from a combination of heart issues. He is survived by his five children, including actor and Hawaii Five-0 star Scott Caan.
08 of 12
John Cazale as Fredo Corleone
CBS/Getty ; Abner Symons/WWD/Penske Media/Getty John Cazale as Fredo Corleone in 1974's 'The Godfather Part II'; John Cazale attends a party at Hotel Pierre in N.Y.C. on Nov. 19, 1976.
John Cazale, who played the black sheep of the Corleone family, Fredo, died of lung cancer at age 42 in 1978.
Cazale appeared in just three other films aside from The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, including Francis' The Conversation (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and The Deer Hunter (1978). Every film in which he appeared was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, with three winning the trophy.
At the time of his death, Cazale was in a relationship with actress Meryl Streep, whom he starred alongside in the 1976 Shakespeare Festival production Measure for Measure and The Deer Hunter.
09 of 12
Sofia Coppola as Mary Corleone
Paramount Pictures; Taylor Hill/WireImage
Sofia Coppola as Mary Corleone in 1990's 'The Godfather Part III'; Sofia Coppola attends the Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit at the MoMA in N.Y.C. on Nov. 12, 2025.
Sofia Coppola, daughter of the Godfather director himself, wasn't originally intended to star in The Godfather Part III but did so after Winona Ryder dropped out of the film as Mary Corleone, Michael's daughter.
After minor roles in the first and second Godfather films — not to mention several of her father's other projects — Sofia's larger role in the third was widely panned by critics at the time.
Over the years, she has gained a sense of humor about the experience.
"When I started, I was in my 20s, and it was the '90s in L.A., where I was known as the daughter of — this was before nepo babies were charming and most of them ended up in rehab — and I was the amateur actress who single-handedly ruined The Godfather," Sofia said in November 2025.
She went on to become a prolific director in her own right, stepping behind the camera for The Virgin Suicides (1999), Marie Antoinette (2006), The Bling Ring (2013), The Beguiled (2017) and Priscilla (2023), to name a few. In 2004, she took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation.
The filmmaker also directed the 2015 Netflix Christmas musical comedy special A Very Murray Christmas, featuring Lost in Translation actor Bill Murray. The special earned an Emmy nod for outstanding television movie.
Sofia has been married twice, first to fellow director Spike Jonze from 1999 to 2003 and to Thomas Mars, the lead singer of Phoenix, since 2011. She shares two daughters, Romy and Cosima, with Mars.
10 of 12
Andy García as Vincent Mancini
Paramount Pictures; Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Andy García as Vincent Mancini in 1990's 'The Godfather Part III'; Andy García attends 'Landman' event at Pacific Design Center in L.A. on Dec. 13, 2025.
Before playing Vincent Mancini in The Godfather Part III, Andy García starred in 8 Million Ways to Die (1986), The Untouchables (1987), Stand and Deliver (1988) and Internal Affairs (1990).
He earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance in Francis' Godfather finale, playing the illegitimate son of Sonny and Lucy Mancini (Jeannie Linero). Fiercely loyal, Vincent eventually succeeds Michael as the head of the Corleone family.
García then starred in Hero (1992), When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), Desperate Measures (1998), Ocean's Eleven (2001), Ocean's Twelve (2004), The Lost City (2005), Ocean's Thirteen (2007), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) and Father of the Bride (2022).
He also appeared opposite former Godfather cast member Keaton in the Book Club film series. Since 2025, the Grammy Award winner has appeared on episodes of Taylor Sheridan's Paramount+ series Landman.
García and wife Marivi Lorido García wed in 1982 and share four children, including Magic City actress Dominik García-Lorido.
11 of 12
Bridget Fonda as Grace Hamilton
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Bridget Fonda as Grace Hamilton in 1990's 'The Godfather Part III'; Bridget Fonda is photographed shopping at Glen Center in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Dec. 5, 2025.
Bridget Fonda, a member of the Fonda acting dynasty, had her breakthrough role as Grace Hamilton, a journalist angling for an interview with Michael, in The Godfather Part III.
Following her experience in the Godfather franchise, Fonda went on to star in Single White Female (1992), Jackie Brown (1997) and Lake Placid (1999). Her most recent acting credit is as the titular character in the 2002 TV movie Snow Queen.
Fonda married film composer Danny Elfman in 2003, and the couple welcomed son Oliver in 2005. After becoming a mother, she stepped away from acting to focus on family life.
In April 2023, the Daily Mail asked Fonda if she wanted to return to Hollywood, to which she replied, "No." Elaborating on her reasoning, she added, "I don't think so, it's too nice being a civilian."
Fonda and Elfman — who tend to keep their relationship out of the spotlight — were photographed in public in December 2025 for the first time in more than a decade.
12 of 12
Franc D'Ambrosio as Anthony 'Tony' Corleone
Paramount Pictures
Franc D'Ambrosio as Anthony 'Tony' Corleone in 1990's 'The Godfather Part III'; Franc D'Ambrosio attends Terry Fator's 10th anniversary show at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on March 15, 2019
Franc D'Ambrosio played Tony Corleone, the son of Michael and Kay, in The Godfather Part III. The character had been featured in the previous installments, but as a young child. In the third film, Tony is finally an adult and is an accomplished opera singer.
Having already appeared on Broadway in Sweeney Todd and studied under legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti in Italy, D'Ambrosio's other stage credits include The Phantom of the Opera and Copacabana, among others.
He continues to tour and perform worldwide as a solo artist.
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