Al Pacino has been named the next recipient of the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award.
Known for starring roles in "Dog Day Afternoon," "Scent of a Woman," and "The Godfather" trilogy, the 86-year-old actor is the 62nd person to receive the highest honor awarded by the Screen Actors Guild -American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
"I wondered and wandered most of my life but have always felt at home with a script and my fellow actors. It’s the work and the actors along the way that have been among the greatest joys of my life," Pacino said in a statement Thursday.
"It’s an honor to be recognized by SAG-AFTRA in celebrating the journey."
He will accept the honor on Feb. 28 at the 33rd annual Actor Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
The ceremony will stream live on Netflix.
The award also recognizes humanitarian efforts.
The guild pointed to Pacino’s charitable support for disaster relief, fighting hunger and poverty, and funding local theater companies including the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles.
The native New Yorker was known mainly for his stage work when director Francis Ford Coppola cast him as Michael Corleone in 1972’s "The Godfather."
The choice came over the objections of a studio seeking a proven star for the role.
He earned an Oscar nomination for the part, establishing himself as one of his generation’s top actors.
Consecutive nominations followed for "Serpico," "The Godfather Part II," and "Dog Day Afternoon."
He won best actor in 1993 for "Scent of a Woman," the same year he was nominated for supporting actor in "Glengarry Glen Ross." Overall, he has nine nominations, most recently in 2020 for "The Irishman."
Pacino’s awards also include two competitive SAG-AFTRA Actor Awards, two Emmys, four Golden Globes, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.
"I have spent my life in awe and appreciation of the force of nature that is Al Pacino," SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said in a statement.
"When you watch him perform, you are witnessing a student and a master. Al Pacino is an artist of extraordinary courage, intensity and heart whose work has always set an exceptional standard of skill and talent. All of that and he’s just plain fun to watch."
The SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award was created in 1962. Previous recipients include Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Pearl Bailey, Frank Sinatra, James Cagney, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Paul Newman, James Earl Jones, Jane Fonda and Harrison Ford.
Read MorePee-wee Herman’s most iconic possessions go up for auction after his death
Drake Bell becomes latest actor to criticise SAG-AFTRA over health insurance struggle
New Linkin Park documentary takes fans inside the grief behind their return
Halle Berry’s daughter Nahla defends her mom amid child abuse claims
Danny Trejo’s son says father ‘cant say how he feels’ about starring in new ICE movie
Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary box office predictions revealed
