3. Frank Serpico Serpico (1973)
Theres really only one thing that needs to be said about Serpico to prove what an iconic role it was for Pacino back in the 1970s. Four years after the real-life story of New York police officer Frank Serpicos attempts at cleaning-up corruption in the NYPD, a poster of Al Pacino from the movie could be seen adorning the bedroom wall of another movie legend in the making, John Travolta, during his own star-making turn in Saturday Night Fever. Serpico might be somewhat dated now, and has possibly not had the longevity of Pacinos other roles from the era, but its impact at the time was enormous. The real Frank Serpico was once quoted as saying: People who know me say that Pacino was more me than I was. Whatever that means. I mean, actors are actors. But not all actors are Al Pacino, which is why Serpico certainly did become an iconic moment in his career.