Al Pacino. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
Mystery solved. Al PacinoHe was the focus of headlines when eagle-eyed supporters saw that he had a Shrek phone case — but there’s actually a great explanation for the odd accessory.
“My daughter gave me that,” the Oscar winner, 82, revealed during a TodayShow interview that aired Wednesday, June 22, “My youngest daughter put that on my phone.”
The GodfatherStar shares daughter Julie, 32 with ex Jan TarrantFormer girlfriend of twins Anton & Olivia, 21 years old Beverly D’AngeloHe was with, whom the couple dated from 1997 to2003.
Pacino explained that he didn’t notice what kind of case Olivia had given him until Jason MomoaThe now-viral Instagram photo, which showed the case in all of its green glory, was shared by the actor. “I didn’t even look at it until social media told me what was on my phone,” the Heat actor said. “And I took a look and said, ‘Oh, that’s Shrek.’”
When Today‘s Harry Smith noted that Pacino kept the case after realizing who was on it, the New York native replied, “Of course. It was a gift!”
Al Pacino. Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
After the Game of Thrones alum, 42, posted the photo in April, social media users went into a frenzy over the fact that a legendary — and very serious — actor like Pacino had a Shrek phone case. “Ain’t no way, ain’t no f–kin way,” tweeted one observer after fans realized that the case seemed to show the beloved green ogre.
Shortly after the photo went viral, however, an Instagram user reached out to Olivia via direct message to ask if that was really a Shrek case on her dad’s phone. “Yes it is hahah!!” she replied.
Pacino is known as one of the greatest actors of all time, but he’s said that having children completely shifted his priorities. “Kids changed my perspective,” he told The GuardianApril 2015. “Before I had my three, I’d walk around in my own head, not noticing anything. Acting used to be everything; now, because of them, it’s just a small part.”
His eldest child, Julie, is also in film production, but she is a director and producer. In a November 2020 interview, Julie revealed that she was a child who accompanied her dad to work. This influenced her decision later to become a filmmaker.
“I grew up on film sets, so I was exposed to the art form at a very young age,” she told Toronto Film Magazine. “It was always so fascinating — this experience of stepping into an alternate reality, in a way. My earliest memories are of being on the set The Devil’s AdvocateI was shocked to see a burned-up corpse of a prop in the middle a huge oriental rug. I was by myself just staring at this thing and I remember thinking, ‘This is awesome.’ I must’ve been around 5 years old.”
