Happy Birthday Al Pacino: From The Insider to Cruisin, 6 underrated performances by the Hollywood legend

Al Pacino is one of the greatest actors of his generation. Giving some powerhouse performances in classic movies like The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface and Scent of a Woman to name a few, but some performances from the Hollywood legend have slipped through the cracks. So, as Al Pacino celebrates his 85th birthday, let's take a look at six of his most underrated performances.

Based on the book Ladies' Man, Al Pacino stars as New York City homicide detective Frank Keller, who is on the trail of a vicious serial killer. Pacino's take on the classic detective noir genre and his portrayal of Keller was praised by critics.

This sci-fi movie was truly ahead of its time. Pacino starred as Viktor Taransky, a down-on-his-luck Hollywood director, who is forced to use a computer-generated woman to replace the lead actress of his movie after she walks out of the project halfway.

In this adaptation of the critically acclaimed Broadway play, Pacino took on the role of the cut-throat salesman Richard Roma and was a standout in the film's star-studded ensemble cast.

Al Pacino is no stranger to crime dramas, having starred in iconic movies like The Godfather, Donnie Brasco, and Scarface. Here he plays the role of career criminal Carlito Brigante, which was not appreciated at the time, but the movie and his role would go on to become cult classics.

Based on true events, Pacino stars as journalist Lowell Bergman, who stood his ground against big tobacco and media censorship, for his interview with whistle-blower Dr Jeffrey Wigand, which exposed how tobacco companies used toxic chemicals in their products.

Arguably, the most underrated performance of Al Pacino's long and illustrious career. Pacino stars as Detective Steve Burns, who goes undercover to catch a vicious serial killer who targets gay men.