From White Powder to 'The White Lotus,' the Cast of 'Scarface' Has Kept Busy
Published March 8 2024, 6:41 p.m. ET
Did you know Scarface is actually a movie and not just a poster dudes have been putting on their dorm room wall for the last 40-plus years? Did you know Scarface is actually a movie and not just a series of memes?
Scarface, the 1983 remake of the 1932 gangster film, has been glorified nearly since its release. The Brian DePalma film starring Al Pacino as drug lord Tony Montana is probably more popular now than when it was initially released. With at 20-year reunion in 2003 and 35-year reunion in 2018, the public’s desire to revisit these characters hasn’t waned. But what have the actors been up to in the last four decades?
Al Pacino was already a critically acclaimed actor before playing Tony Montana.
Al may be most identified as Tony Montana but he had already garnered five Academy Award nominations for acting before 1983: The Godfather in 1973, Serpico in 1974, The Godfather Part II in 1975, Dog Day Afternoon in 1976, and …And Justice for All in 1980 (what a run!). Since Scarface he was nominated for Dick Tracy in 1991, Glengarry Glen Ross in 1993, and The Irishman in 2020. He did take home the gold for best actor in 1993 for Scent of a Woman (yes, he was nominated twice in 1993).
In addition the Oscars, Al has taken home some awards for acting on television, including Emmys, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for Angels in America in 2004 and You Don’t Know Jack in 2011.
Steven Bauer has been very busy since ‘Scarface.’
The right-hand man of Tony Montana, Steven Bauer played Manolo "Manny" Ribera. If you still associate Steven with drugs, there might be a good reason for that. Steven played drug cartel leader Eladio Vuente in Breaking Bad and in Better Call Saul. He’s also been in more than 60 films and 35 television series since Scarface. And let’s not forget he’s in the 2006 Scarface: The World Is Yours video game.
Michelle Pfeiffer IS Catwoman.
The only name maybe as big as Al Pacino, Michelle is stunning in Scarface but probably most associated with her version of Catwoman in 1992’s Batman Returns. Her work in 1989’s The Fabulous Baker Boys won her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination. She’s recently been busy in the MCU, appearing as Janet Van Dyne / Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp, Avengers: Endgame, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's first role was 'Scarface.'
Mary Elizabeth’s first credited role was Gina Montana, Tony’s sister, in Scarface. First role! Her 1980s film run was pretty great; following Scarface was 1986’s The Color of Money as Carman, a role she earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress. Younger viewers may remember her more for being part of the Dick Wolf Universe (she played Capt. Zoe Callas on Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and the Netflix Marvel Universe (she played Marion James in The Punisher).
F. Murray Abraham went from white powder to 'The White Lotus.'
Somehow, F. Murray Abraham may be the most successful actor from Scarface directly after the film and most recently. He won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for best actor for 1984’s Amadeus and has recently been part of some of cable’s best shows: Homeland (he got two Primetime Emmy Award nominations). He's also in Mythic Quest, Moon Knight, and The White Lotus. From white powder to The White Lotus, that’s a pretty great trajectory.
