In 1980, Al Pacino worked on a controversial film and donated his entire paycheck

Following the release of the polarizing 1980 film Cruising, Al Pacino made the bold decision to donate his entire salary from the project to an irrevocable trust fund. Acknowledging that the movie offered a harmful portrayal of New York’s LGBTQ+ community, he sought to create something positive out of a difficult professional endeavor. In the years that followed, the film’s director also acknowledged the narrative shortcomings present in the work.