Hollywood actor Al Pacino is set to celebrate his 85th birthday today - just two years after welcoming a new life into the world. The Godfather star became a father for a fourth time in 2023, aged 83 - to a young boy, who is now two years old, called Roman.

When welcoming the new life into the world, the legendary actor decided to put his life down on paper and released his own autobiography, titled Sonny Boy, as a way of guaranteeing that the baby will have the opportunity to learn about his father’s iconic story. It is more than 50 years since Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather made Pacino famous and he worries that he won't be around to tell his son of his success himself.

Speaking about his fatherhood at such a late age, Al told the press: "I want to be around for this child. And I hope I am. I hope I stay healthy, and he knows who his dad is, of course.”

He also noted that giving little Roman something tangible to learn about his dad is "of course" one of the reasons he wrote the book, and further said: "That has been a campaign for me to stick around a little longer if it’s possible."

Asked whether having had a child at his age was perhaps "a reaction to the recognition of your own mortality," he reflected: "When I saw the little baby there and the way he was just — you look at it differently now. You look at it like, what is this? This is so amazing!"

Al has now resorted to co-parenting Roman after he and the child's mum, film producer Noor Alfallah, 31, broke up. The couple had actually been quietly dating since the pandemic, but decided to go their separate ways not long after the birth. However, Al shared that he still spends ample time with his son.

“Everything he does is real. Everything he does is interesting to me. So, we talk. I play the harmonica with him on the other video thing, and we have made this kind of contact." Giving his two-word verdict on their father-son relationship, Al added: "It’s fun."

Pacino also shares 24-year-old twins Anton and Olivia with ex Beverly D'Angelo, and daughter Julie Marie, 35, with his ex-girlfriend, acting coach Jan Tarrant.