Al Pacino revealed in 2020 that he had a near-death experience and lost his pulse.
The legendary actor explained in an interview: new york times On October 5th, it was announced that he had contracted the coronavirus and almost lost his life. Starr said the terrifying ordeal happened before a vaccine was available and scared those around him who thought they had lost him forever.
“They said my pulse was gone,” Pacino told the magazine. “So, you’re here and you’re not there. I thought, ‘Wow, you don’t even have a memory.’ You don’t have anything. Strange porridge. ”
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 19: Al Pacino attends The Conversation with Al Pacino at the New York 92nd Street Y on April 19, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dominique Bindle/Getty Images)
The Oscar-winning star recalled that it all started when he started feeling “unusually unwell.”
“So I had someone call a nurse to give me some fluids. I was sitting in the house and he was gone. Just like that. There was no pulse,” Pacino said. told the New York Times.
That was Pacino’s last memory before he died. My health has changed completely.
The star explained that his assistant Michael Quinn acted quickly to seek medical help.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – DECEMBER 5: Al Pacino attends the 2019 GQ Men of the Year at the West Hollywood Edition on December 5, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo Credit: Axel/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) Getty Images
“In just a few minutes, an ambulance was in front of my house. There were about six paramedics in the living room, two doctors, and they were dressed like they were from outer space or something. ” Pacino said of the harrowing experience.
“It was kind of shocking to open my eyes and see it. Everyone was around me saying, ‘He’s back.’ He’s here,” he said.
Pacino said facing death gave him a new perspective on life after death.
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 10: Al Pacino is seen at Giorgio Baldi Restaurant on April 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo Credit: Hollywood Curtain/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) Getty Images
“I didn’t see any white light or anything. There was nothing there,” he said. “As Hamlet says, “To be or not to be.” “An undiscovered country from which neither born nor traveler returns.”
“It’s gone. It’s gone. You’re gone. I never thought about that in my life.” (Related: Jeff Bridges talks about what it was like to return to work after near-death experience)
Reflecting on the magnitude of that experience, Pacino stayed true to his roots by linking dramatic medical horror to his career.
“But actors, it sounds good when I say I’m dead once. What happens when I’m gone?”
