To the wider world, Al Pacino exploded onto the scene like a supernova. He landed his first leading role, in The Panic in Needle Park, in 1971, and by 1975, he had starred in four movies - The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon - that were not just successes, but landmarks in the history of film.

In reality, Pacino was in his mid-thirties by then, and had already lived several lives. Growing up in New York City’s South Bronx and raised by a loving but mentally unwell mother, Pacino worked odd jobs to support himself. But, in good times and bad, in poverty and in wealth and in poverty again, through pain and joy, acting was his lifeline, its community his tribe.

Exploring his iconic roles, essential collaborations, and important relationships, as well as the ever-present struggle between creativity and commerce, Sonny Boy is the revelatory account of an incredible life. This is the memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide.