Al Pacino is to receive SAG-AFTRA’s Life Achievement Award in recognition of a career spanning more than six decades, during which he has become one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors through performances in The Godfather, Scarface and Scent of a Woman.
The 86-year-old Oscar winner will be presented with the union’s highest honour at the Actor Awards on 28 February 2027 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
The award recognises both his achievements across film, television and theatre and his humanitarian work, adding to a collection of accolades that includes an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Actor Awards.
Responding to the announcement, Al said: “I wondered and wandered most of my life but have always felt at home with a script and my fellow actors. It’s the work and the actors along the way that have been among the greatest joys of my life. It’s an honour to be recognized by SAG-AFTRA in celebrating the journey.”
The honour is awarded annually to a performer whose career embodies what the actors’ union describes as “the finest ideals of the acting profession”.
In announcing the award, SAG-AFTRA praised Al’s contribution to cinema, television and the stage, highlighting the influence of his performances on successive generations of actors.
The union said: “Across film, television and the stage, Pacino has captivated audiences with transformative performances, creating some of the most memorable characters in entertainment history and has profoundly influenced generations of actors and culture itself.”
SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and appeared in The Goonies and Stranger Things, also paid tribute to the actor.
Sean said: “Like so many actors, I have spent my life in awe and appreciation of the force of nature that is Al Pacino.”
He added: “When you watch him perform, you are witnessing a student and a master. Al Pacino is an artist of extraordinary courage, intensity and heart whose work has always set an exceptional standard of skill and talent. All of that and he’s just plain fun to watch. SAG-AFTRA is proud to celebrate Al Pacino with our union’s highest honour.”
Al achieved international recognition through his portrayal of Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather in 1972, opposite Marlon Brando, and returned to the role in The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III.
He subsequently starred as the title character in Serpico, played a bank robber in Dog Day Afternoon and portrayed Cuban-American gangster Tony Montana in Brian De Palma’s 1983 crime drama Scarface.
His performance as a blind former army officer in Scent of a Woman earned him the Academy Award for best actor in 1993, following earlier nominations for The Godfather, Serpico, The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and …And Justice for All.
Further Oscar nominations followed for Dick Tracy, Glengarry Glen Ross and The Irishman, bringing his career total to nine.
In The Irishman, directed by Martin Scorsese, 83, Al portrayed union leader Jimmy Hoffa opposite Robert De Niro, 83, and Joe Pesci, 83.
His other notable films include Heat, Carlito’s Way, Donnie Brasco, The Devil’s Advocate, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and House of Gucci.
Al has also maintained a substantial television career, winning Emmy Awards for his performances in HBO’s Angels in America and You Don’t Know Jack.
He subsequently portrayed music producer Phil Spector in an HBO television film and starred in the Amazon Prime Video drama Hunters.
His recent film work includes The Ritual, Dead Man’s Wire, In the Hand of Dante and Killing Castro, while he has also been associated with the forthcoming biographical drama Maserati: The Brothers.
Earlier this year, Al received the Sam Wanamaker Award from Shakespeare’s Globe in recognition of his contribution to theatre and film, particularly his interpretations of Shakespeare.
His stage career has included Broadway productions of The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, The Merchant of Venice, Glengarry Glen Ross and China Doll.
Alongside his acting career, Al has supported humanitarian initiatives including disaster relief, campaigns addressing poverty and hunger, and organisations promoting theatre and arts education.
His charitable activities have included supporting the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, participating in fundraising following the September 11 attacks and contributing to relief efforts after Hurricane Sandy.
He also received the Jane Wyman Humanitarian Award from the Southern California Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation in 2009.
Al will become the 62nd recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, joining previous honourees including Harrison Ford, 84, Jane Fonda, 88, Barbra Streisand, 84, and Robert De Niro.
Harrison received the award at the 2026 ceremony, with Woody Harrelson, 65, presenting the tribute.
The 33rd Actor Awards ceremony will be streamed live on Netflix from the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on 28 February 2027.