20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Godfather
18. Vito's Character Accomplished Something Unprecedented In Cinema
Marlon Brando was such a perfect fit for Vito Corleone, it seemed impossible to envision anyone else playing him. But in The Godfather: Part II, Robert De Niro showed he was just as good with his career-making performance as young Vito, which earned him an Academy Award. Upon bagging this award, it was the first time two actors had won an acting Oscar for portraying the same character. Brando and De Niro held onto this distinction until Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix won Oscars for their portrayal of the Joker.
However, Vito has another distinction that still stands to this day. Because Francis Ford Coppola directed The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II, he is the only filmmaker in history to direct two actors in an Oscar-winning performance as the same character.