20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Godfather

19. Elvis Auditioned For The Movie

The Godfather
PA/PA Archive

Robert Duvall's character, Tom Hagen, serves as the Corleone family's solicitor and adviser, as well as Vito's adoptive son. Since he's not much of a fighter, Tom relies on civil negotiations anytime the Corleones are in trouble.

Even though Duvall was perfect in the role, Tom could've been played by Elvis Presley! The King of Rock n' Roll was an enormous fan of Mario Puzo's work and jumped at the opportunity when he was asked to audition for Tom. Known for his insurmountable ambition, Elvis also lobbied for the Godfather himself, Vito Corleone. Obviously, Coppola never considered him for the titular character, knowing he wasn't right for the role.

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Contributor

James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85