When a Legend
Is in Front of You

Life prepared me for a lot of things, but not for what to do when you meet a legend. I went to school for all sorts of stuff, even learned proper etiquette, but I was never taught how to interact with people I've admired for years. Nevertheless, I still did well when I met Al Pacino for the first time in person.

I've been a fan since I first watched Scent of a Woman, and I loved him even more as I discovered The Godfather films, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface, and more. I've never seen a finer actor on screen. He's up there with Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, and Paul Newman.

After watching him for years, I always thought I knew what to do if I ever saw him in person. I definitely knew not to embarrass myself, ask him invasive questions, or make him uncomfortable. But I still feared that my excitement might get the best of me when he was right in front of me.

Fortunately, that didn't happen. I'm happy to report that I acted fairly well when I met him at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2016. He was finally recognized by the institution that year, though if it were up to me, he would've gotten it much earlier.

Anyway, that night was special to me in many ways. It was my first time in the iconic Kennedy Center (my friend who works in media got me a ticket), my first time seeing Al Pacino in person, and the cast of Scent of a Woman reunited for the first time in years. Chris O'Donnell and Gabrielle Anwar even re-created the film's famous tango on stage in his honor.

I thought I was just gonna get Pacino's autograph on my movie poster, but I got O'Donnell's and Anwar's, too. I figured other people like Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, and Robert Duvall would be the ones to honor him, so I didn't think the Scent of a Woman cast would be there.

Luck was really on my side because I didn't think I'd get both of their autographs, either. I would've been happy with Pacino's alone, but since they were there, I didn't hesitate to jump on the chance. The cherry on top was that they were both so nice, despite how much I geeked out when I met them.

Still, Pacino remained the highlight of my night. I'd imagined meeting him and asking for his autograph for years, but I didn't expect the real thing to go so smoothly. I met him as he walked the red carpet, asked him to sign my movie poster, and he smiled as he did.

And you know what? I was cool, calm, and collected the whole time. I asked him calmly, reached out when I knew it was safe, and shook his hand and congratulated him after he gave it back to me. I was so surprised by myself that I almost rolled over right after.

I then met him a second time at the premiere of The Irishman in New York in 2019, and I was much calmer then. I learned how to meet and interact with legends through experience, and it was a lesson I was happy to take again and again.