Al Pacino
Francis Ford Coppola made a risky decision casting Pacino in his Godfather films as far as the studios were concerned, but the gamble paid off and Pacino turned in iconic roles in these films that would launch him as a star. He'd become a darling of the New Hollywood movement with iconic turns in Serpico (1973), Scarecrow (1973), and Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Pacino's most iconic roles, however, would be his ones in gangster movies, and many know him best for his starring turn in Brian De Palma's 1983 remake of Scarface.
Robert De Niro
De Niro was another relative unknown until getting cast by Francis Ford Coppola in this film. De Niro would win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role, just as Marlon Brando did for the older Vito in the first Godfather film. De Niro subscribed to the school of method acting, still relatively new in the 1970s, and spent time in Sicily studying the Sicilian dialect in order to prepare for the film. Of course, De Niro would eventually receive the most acclaim for his work with another Italian-American luminary of the New Hollywood movement, Martin Scorcese, including star turns in Raging Bull and Taxi Driver.
Robert Duvall
Though many critics consider Duvall’s performance in The Godfather, Part II to be more subtly shaded and dimensional than his performance in the first film, his only Oscar nomination as Tom Hagen resulted from the first film in the saga. Duvall was a known quantity before being cast in the Godfather films, thanks to his beloved roles in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Bullitt (1968), and True Grit (1968).
John Cazale
Cazale garnered a reputation as one of the greatest character actors of all time despite the fact that he only appeared in five films: both Godfather movies, The Conversation (1974), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), and The Deer Hunter (1978). All of these films were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars and are considered classics in American cinema. Cazale's career was cut tragically short when he died of cancer in 1978 at age 42, while in the care of his then-girlfriend Meryl Streep.
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton was another unknown catapulted into a storied Hollywood career by the Godfather films. Of course, she'd become best known for her long-standing collaboration with Woody Allen, ultimately winning an Oscar for her starring role in his 1977 film Annie Hall. There's a seemingly endless list of popularly- and critically-successful films Diane Keaton has starred in, including Manhattan (1979), Father of the Bride (1991), and The First Wives Club (1996).
Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg was arguably the most historically significant and influential teacher of the method acting style. At his famous Actor's Studio (yes, of James Lipton's Inside the Actor's Studio) he taught the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, James Dean, Jane Fonda, and Paul Newman, as well as Godfather Part II costars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Despite this impressive list of alumni, The Godfather Part II was only the third film Strasberg had acted in, and the first since the 1950s.
Talia Shire
Francis Ford Coppola involved several of his nuclear family members in the Godfather films, including his sister Talia Shire. Like many of her co-stars, she would have her career launched by the film, most famously appearing as Rocky Balboa's girlfriend and later wife in the smash hit Rocky series.
