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Al Pacino Donated His Earnings from 1980’s Cruising, Calling the Film ‘Exploitative’ of the Gay Community.Linh

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Al Pacino wrote in his new memoir, ‘Sonny Boy,’ that he “just wanted one positive thing to come out of” making his 1980 film, ‘Cruising,’ by donating his salary

Al Pacino filming "Cruising" circa 1980 in New York City.
Al Pacino filming ‘Cruising,’ circa 1980. Photo: PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty

Al Pacino revealed in his new memoir that he donated his paycheck from the 1980 movie Cruising because he felt the film proved to be “exploitative” of the LGBTQ+ community.

In Sonny Boy, which is out now, the actor, 84, recalled that he was interested in “pushing the envelope” when he agreed to make Cruising with the late director William Friedkin. The crime thriller starred Pacino as a New York City police officer who goes undercover at gay bars throughout the city in the hopes of tracking down a serial killer suspected of killing gay men.

Pacino, who was 39 at the time, wrote that the movie “became very controversial during its production,” recalling seeing protestors at shooting locations “almost every day” who believed the movie would not portray the LGBTQ+ community in a positive light. While the Academy Award winner said he did not view Cruising as exploitative while he was making the movie, he realized that it had problems after seeing the film when it released and “remained quiet” after its release in 1980 rather than promote the movie.

Al Pacino Sonny Boy book cover.
Al Pacino’s memoir ‘Sonny Boy’.Penguin Press

“I took the money, and it was a lot, and I put it in an irrevocable trust fund,” Pacino wrote in his memoir. “I gave it to charities, and with the interest, it was able to last a couple of decades. I don’t know if it eased my conscience, but at least the money did some good.”

Pacino clarified that he always donated the money anonymously because he did not want charitable efforts to come across as a publicity stunt. “I just wanted one positive thing to come out of that whole experience,” he wrote. Cruising was loosely adapted from author Gerald Walker’s 1970 novel of the same name. Pacino costarred in the film with Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen, Richard Cox, Don Scardino, Ed O’Neill and Joe Spinell, among others.

American actor Al Pacino on the set of Cruising, written and directed by William Friedkin.
Al Pacino on the set of 1980’s Cruising.United Artists/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty

Friedkin, who died in 2023 at 87, admitted to The Wrap in a 2013 interview that the movie “was not the best foot forward for the gay rights movement, but I never intended the film to be critical” of the LGTBQ+ community. He also claimed that Pacino “gave me a rough time” while making the movie “for reasons other than the normal actor-director relationship.”

“He wasn’t on time and often didn’t know what we were doing on a particular day,” he told the outlet, claiming he originally wanted Richard Gere to star in the movie.