Widely considered one of the greatest actors of his generation, Pacino's got an Oscar sitting on his mantle to prove it.

Raised by his grandparents in the South Bronx, the slight of frame Pacino acted in school plays before heading off to study under the legendary Lee Strasberg. He nabbed an Obie in 1966 for The Indian Wants the Bronx, and as a virtual unknown beat out Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, and Robert De Niro for the highly coveted role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather. It was Pacino's big break, and he followed up with the similarly-gritty Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon, before appearing in what may be his most famous role: Tony Montana in Scarface—making him a legend in the hip hop community.

Pacino's career faltered in the mid-'80s when he starred in the critically-detested historical epic Revolution. He dropped off the film radar for four years, during which he focused on off-Broadway productions. The early '90s saw Pacino went on to win an Oscar for 1992's Scent of a Woman. While Pacino has continued to work in film, from Any Given Sunday to Ocean's Thirteen, Pacino has diversified to work in television so acclaim in Angels in America and You Don't Know Jack and returned to his home on Broadway in The Merchant of Venice in 2011. [Image via Getty]