Al Pacino Calls Fatherhood a ‘Mini-Miracle,’ Says Raising a Baby at 84 Feels ‘the Same’ as It Did Before (Exclusive)

Al Pacino has had many iconic roles over the course of his career — Michael Corleone in The Godfather, Tony Montana in Scarface and Frank Serpico in Serpico, to name a few.

Being a dad, however, is perhaps his most rewarding role of all. In his new memoir Sonny Boy (out Oct. 15 from Penguin Press) Pacino, 84, writes lovingly about his four children Julie, 34 (with acting coach Jan Tarrant), 23-year-old twins Anton and Olivia (with actress Beverly D’Angelo) and Roman, 16 months (with producer Noor Alfallah). 

And in an interview with PEOPLE for a story in this week’s print issue, the Oscar-winning Scent of a Woman actor expanded on the affection he has for his kids. 

“It’s just so wonderful to have children. For me, I loved it,” he says. “It changed me for, if you want to say, the better. It changed me for life. And the idea that you’re throwing your focus on other humans who happen to be your children … there’s the love.”

Pacino welcomed his youngest son in June 2023. Asked how fatherhood feels different this time around, he says. “Well, it’s always the same. It’s always the same. It’s a mini miracle. That’s all I can say.”

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“I love it, I’m very happy that I see my children. It’s great,” he adds.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Pacino said Roman has “come into the world a little more now. He’s learning things.”

Asked if Roman was behind his decision to write his memoir, Pacino told the Times, “That’s one of the reasons, of course. And that has been a campaign for me to stick around a little longer, if it’s possible.”

In Sonny Boy, Pacino tracks his incredible trajectory, from living with his mom and grandparents in a tenement apartment in the South Bronx to his rise as one of his generation’s most celebrated actors.

In his signature wry style, he shares behind-the-scenes stories from the sets of movies including The Godfather, Cruising and Dog Day Afternoon, among others. 

“I never thought that I would do it, but it was due,” Pacino tells PEOPLE of writing his life story. “I’m in my 85th year. When you get there and you start experiencing age, you understand why they do put things down.”

Sonny Boy comes out Oct. 15 from Penguin Press and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.