Listen to Al Pacino Narrate His Life Story in New Memoir, ‘Sonny Boy’
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Al Pacino‘s career has been one of legend, with the Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner widely considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time. But in his new memoir, “Sonny Boy,” Pacino admits that while he found success in Hollywood, he was paying the price with his personal life, writing openly about his battles with drugs and alcoholism, his troubled relationships, and his mother’s mental health. He also reveals that he “almost died” during Covid.
While much has been written about Pacino over the years, “Sonny Boy” is his first book release, and the first time fans are hearing the story in the actor’s own words… literally.
Sonny Boy: A Memoir
“Sonny Boy” was released October 15 and has shot to the top of Amazon’s actor biographies chart.
In addition to the hardcover release, from Penguin Press, Pacino narrates the audiobook version of his memoir, offering another layer to the story — one that feels like an intimate conversation with a friend.
With his distinctive voice and stage-honed delivery, Pacino’s audiobook reveals itself like a theater play, with the actor weaving in and out of characters, anecdotes and personal recollections, many of them divulged for the first time. As one reviewer writes, “It feels very much like Pacino invited you to his home on a lazy Sunday afternoon” to tell you his story. “Remember that phrase about actors and their voices and you say, ‘I can listen to him or her read the phone book?’ Trust me,” the reviewer writes, “this is one of those times.”
Pacino’s audiobook version of “Sonny Boy” runs for 12 hours and 28 minutes and is available now on Audible. For a limited time, you can listen to Pacino’s audiobook (and thousands of other titles) for only $0.99, as part of an Audible promotion on Amazon, which gets you three months of access for just $3. You can see full details here.
Pacino says he titled the book after a childhood nickname given to him by his mother, who loved the Al Jolson song of the same name. In addition to writing about his acting career, Pacino also opens up about his famous friendships with people like Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and longtime pal Robert De Niro, who the actor said was often pitted against him for roles in the early parts of their careers.
As for why he decided to narrate his own audiobook? The 84-year-old says he wanted to leave a record for his loved ones, including his four children, the youngest of whom is just a toddler.
As the publisher notes state, “‘Sonny Boy’ is the memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide. All the great roles, the essential collaborations, and the important relationships are given their full due, as is the vexed marriage between creativity and commerce at the highest levels. The book’s golden thread, however, is the spirit of love and purpose. Love can fail you, and you can be defeated in your ambitions—the same lights that shine bright can also dim. But Al Pacino was lucky enough to fall deeply in love with a craft before he had the foggiest idea of any of its earthly rewards, and he never fell out of love. That has made all the difference.”
Listen to Pacino reading his audiobook now through Audible. Your limited-time deal gets you access to the streaming service for just $0.99 — that’s more than 90% off the regular $14.95/month price. See full details here.