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The Godfatherremains one of the most iconic crime dramas in film history and many of its dialogues were often repeatedly quoted in pop culture. One such line, that didn’t necessarily carry the gravitas of the others, was Richard Castellano’s famous line after Peter Clemenza had Paulie Gatto killed.
After Rocco Lampone murders his former protégé Gatto upon his orders, Clemenza says in the film,“Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”Fans would be surprised to learn that the famous line was ad-libbed by Castellano, an interesting fact recently revealed by director Francis Ford Coppola.
Richard Castellano’s Famous Line InThe GodfatherWasn’t Scripted
Marlon Brando andAl Pacinoare two of the names that immediately come to mind when fans think ofThe Godfather. However, the most popular actor hired by Paramount at the time for the film wasRichard Castellano, who was thriving on the fame brought byLovers and Other Strangers.
While Brando and Pacino won several accolades and went on to become big names in the industry afterThe Godfathertrilogy, Castellano’s role was cut short after the first film. However, he has the famous line in the film that will forever stay in the fans’ minds,“Leave the gun, take the cannoli.”It was cold, especially after a murder, yet it was also funny.
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Francis Ford Coppola, the director of the classic film, recently revealed the story behind how the Sicilian pastry made it into such an iconic line. According to Coppola, it was Castellano who ad-libbed the line for the film. Speaking toReelBlend, Coppola shared that he only had written the line where Peter Clemenza’s wife says,“Don’t forget the cannoli.”
In the film, Clemenza replies in a rather dismissive tone,“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.”However, when Coppola didn’t address the cannoli later, Castellano took it upon himself to remember the cannoli his character’s wife (played by Castellano’s actual wife) wanted. Coppola shared with ReelBlend:
You know the great line that Clemenza says, ‘Leave the gun, take the cannoli.’ He made that line up. I did the part where his wife says, ‘Don’t forget the cannoli,’ so they wouldn’t have been a cannoli without me. But he said that line. A lot of great things that happen in your films is not because you did it… unfortunately.
Castellano didn’t have a major role in the film as his character was a capo to the Corleone family. However, he proved with this one line why he was the most popular actor on the set,with the biggest paycheck.
Richard Castellano Was The Highest-Paid Actor InThe Godfather
Richard Castellano was riding high on his fame after his remarkable performance inLovers and Other Strangers. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for a Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor for the Broadway version of the film.
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He used his popularity from the project to negotiate a salary, which made him the highest-paid actor in the film. While his salary is not exactly known, it is higher than $250,000 which is the reported salary ofMarlon Brando(via Smithsonian Magazine). Brando had to accept a pay cut from Paramount, for the studio tocast him despite his past troubles.
Castellano was written out of the second film after he allegedly wanted more creative control over the project. His wife Ardell Sheridan later claimed that he dropped out of the project after he refused to regain the 50-pound required to play the role (via WhatCulture).
The Godfatheris now available for streaming on Paramount+ and Prime Video.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
