Actor Al Pacino discloses his near-death encounter with Covid-19 and shares his perspectives on the afterlife.
In chats with The New York Times and People magazine, the Academy Award-winning actor shared his account of battling the virus and momentarily losing his pulse.
At 84, Pacino shared with the Times in an extensive interview that he started feeling "pretty off" and then developed a fever, becoming dehydrated. "I was just there in my house, and I was out," he said. "I didn't have a heartbeat."
The "Godfather" star described his near-death encounter as "Wow, you don't even have your recollections. Nothing. Weird oatmeal."
Within minutes, an ambulance arrived at Pacino's residence, and he regained awareness surrounded by six paramedics and two doctors, according to his account.
"They had costumes on that looked like they were from an alien world or something," he shared with the paper. "It was a bit of a shock to open your eyes and see them all there, saying: 'He's back. He's here.'"
During an interview with People, Pacino talked about returning to consciousness with a sensation of confusion. "I wondered, what happened to me?"
The cinematic veteran pondered if he actually perished, despite everyone considering him dead. "I think I experienced death. Perhaps I didn't. I haven't, I believe. I made it out," he confessed.
Pacino credited his "fantastic assistant" for promptly calling the paramedics following his nurse's confirmation of no pulse.
"He got them on the line, because the nurse taking care of me said, 'I can't detect a pulse on this guy,'" Pacino recalled.
When questioned if the health scare transformed his lifestyle, Pacino told People: "Not at all."
However, the incident left him unaffected but changed in certain ways.
Pacino, who is now preparing for a film adaptation of Shakespeare's "King Lear," confirmed to The New York Times that the experience had a profound metaphysical impact.
"I didn't see any light or anything. There's nothing there," he elaborated. "As Hamlet says, 'To be or not to be'; 'The uncharted territory from which no voyager returns.' And he says two words: 'no more.' It was 'no more,'" added Pacino.
"You're gone. I never thought about it before. But you know actors: It sounds good to say I died once. What's it known as when it's 'no more'?"
Pacino's tale is chronicled in his upcoming autobiography, "Sonny Boy," set for release on Tuesday.
Despite his near-death experience, Pacino shares that he continues to find joy in his passion for acting, revealing, "I'm still entertaining people." (Following from the first sentence in the People magazine interview)
In his upcoming autobiography, Pacino reflects on his brush with death, acknowledging that it has given him a unique perspective on life and his love for entertainment, stating, "I've learned even more about the power of storytelling and entertainment to heal and inspire."
