Al Pacino, Hollywood legend known for his magnetic intensity and commanding performances, has a quiet ritual that has reportedly accompanied him through more than two decades of filmmaking: listening to Mary J. Blige’s soulful rendition of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” before stepping on set.
Insiders say the tradition began during the filming of The Recruit (2003). A longtime crew member recalled, “We’d show up on set at 6 a.m., and before the cameras rolled, you’d hear Mary J. Blige’s ‘Natural Woman’ echoing from Al’s trailer. He’d sit there, eyes closed, headphones on, completely still. It was his way of centering himself.”
The ritual, which continued through projects like The Irishman and House of Gucci, reportedly helps Pacino ground himself before diving into demanding performances. “He’d have his coffee, his script, and that song,” said a colleague. “It was like his meditation. He wouldn’t talk to anyone until the last note faded.”
Friends and former assistants suggest Pacino’s connection to the song runs deeper than a mere pre-film routine. “Al fell in love with Mary’s voice,” one said. “He said it reminded him of the things actors forget about — softness, humility, the soul underneath the performance.” The actor reportedly first encountered the song during the grueling shoot of Any Given Sunday (1999), and it left a lasting impression.
Though Pacino has never publicly confirmed the habit, those close to him describe the song as a source of balance and emotional clarity. “Even the loudest characters start from something quiet,” a friend explained. “It’s a reminder that you need to feel before you can perform.”
The irony isn’t lost on those around him: the same man famous for cinematic intensity and explosive performances finds calm in a song about love and vulnerability. “He never saw ‘Natural Woman’ as a love song for women,” said an insider. “He saw it as a song about being seen — about someone reminding you that you’re human, even when the world only wants to see the mask.”
More than 20 years later, Pacino reportedly continues the ritual, playing the song from an old iPod before every shoot. “It’s not superstition,” one source said. “It’s soul maintenance.”
Pacino himself once said, “You need to feel before you can perform.” Perhaps that’s why, before every storm of dialogue and camera flash, he still lets Mary J. Blige remind him what feeling really sounds like.
If you like, I can also create a shorter, punchy feature version suitable for magazines or entertainment sites that emphasizes the unexpected contrast between Pacino’s intense screen presence and his tender pre-film ritual.