‘The Godfather’, is regarded as one of the best films of all time, especially because it outperformed the book it was inspired by like no other film had ever done before.

Mario Puzo’s novel was not quite as well-received or appreciated as Francis Ford Coppola’s picture. A new miniseries about the film’s making and the whole story behind it, ‘The Offer,’ has drawn new attention to the contrasts between the book and the film.

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‘The Offer’, which debuted on April 28, chronicles the turbulent true story of Coppola’s 1972 blockbuster ‘The Godfather’.

Patrick Gallo, who plays Mario Puzo on the Paramount+ miniseries, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about how his distinct ties with the book and the film informed his acting.

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Gallo acquired a profound admiration for Puzo while researching for the part. Gallo prioritised reading Puzo’s literature as he prepared, choosing to build his own interpretation of the guy based on what his work revealed.

Gallo said, “I didn’t read the book until many years after seeing the film, which I think is probably true for a lot of people. But I always loved the film. I probably watch it twice a year. The book is good, I don’t think the book is great. And I don’t think Puzo thought the book was great either. He wrote it to pay off debts. I think the book was written so the film could be birthed. The film is just genius, and it’s just a spectacular example of filmmaking and true storytelling.”

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Puzo primarily wrote the novel out of financial obligations, but it also served as Puzo’s gateway into Hollywood. Gallo was surprised to learn the details of Puzo’s Hollywood endeavours and says he believes it was a place where the author truly thrived.

“I think what was surprising to me was him being such an artist, but he also really loved Hollywood. He loved all the people that whom he interacted in Hollywood. Him being from New York, you think he’d be saying, ‘I just want to go back! I want to get the hell out of here! Get these people off me!’ But he said, ‘The people out in California, they’re great!’”

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He continued “I did not want to do an impersonation of Mario, but rather use his work as a road map. He was such an amazing writer, a poet.”

 ‘The Offer’ is available on Paramount+.

Juno Temple plays Bettye McCartt, Justin Chambers plays Marlin Brando, Anthony Ippolito plays Al Pacino, Cynthia Aileen-Strahan plays Talia Shire, and Damion Conrad-Davis plays James Caan in the 10-episode limited series. The show is based on Albert S. Ruddy’s experiences, who also serves as one of the series’ executive producers.