Al Pacino Nearly Died From COVID and Reveals ‘My Pulse Was Gone’: ‘I Didn’t See the White Light or Anything. There’s Nothing There’

As a seasoned movie critic with over three decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen some extraordinary stories unfold both on and off the screen. Yet, Al Pacino‘s recent revelation about his near-death experience with COVID-19 during the 2020 pandemic is nothing short of astonishing.

In a conversation on “The Interview” podcast for The New York Times, Al Pacino shared that he came close to dying from COVID-19 during the 2020 pandemic. He explained that the illness caused him to become dehydrated and lose his pulse, leaving him feeling like he was no longer there. He described it as an odd sensation, saying “I thought: Wow, you don’t even have your memories. You have nothing.” He compared this experience to some sort of strange porridge.

Here’s what transpired: Pacino expressed feeling exceptionally unwell. He then developed a high temperature and started dehydrating. To address this, he had someone bring him a nurse to help with hydration. While sitting at home, suddenly, I lost consciousness. In essence, I stopped breathing as there was no pulse detectable.

Within just a few minutes, an ambulance had pulled up outside my home,” he went on. “Upon entering, I found myself surrounded by roughly six paramedics in the living room, along with two doctors, who were dressed in outfits that seemed to hail from another world. The sight was startling, to say the least. A crowd gathered around me, and they announced, ‘He’s back. He’s here.’

When asked if his near-death experience had any spiritual repercussions, Pacino responded by saying: “I didn’t perceive a bright light or anything of the sort. There was nothing there. As Hamlet says, ‘To be, or not to be’; ‘The unknown land from which no traveler returns.’ And he uses two words: ‘no more.’ It was simply ‘no more.’ You’re gone. I had never pondered such thoughts in my life. But, as actors often do, it sounds intriguing to say that I’ve died once. What is the state when there’s no more?

Pacino is making the press rounds in support of his upcoming memoir “Sonny Boy,” publishing Oct. 15. The actor most recently appeared in Johnny Depp’s directorial effort “Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness,” which premiered at this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival. Upcoming roles for the Oscar winner include “Lear Rex,” a new “King Lear” adaptation co-starring Jessica Chastain and the horror movie “The Ritual.”

Visit The New York Times’ official site to hear the full conversation from Pacino’s “The Interview” discussion.

2024-10-07 16:16

Al Pacino Nearly Died From COVID and Reveals ‘My Pulse Was Gone’: ‘I Didn’t See the White Light or Anything. There’s Nothing There’

Read More

Minority Mindset