"I couldn't believe when I first got a fan letter from Al Pacino, it was unreal"
About this Quote
The line works because it’s disarmingly plain. No name-dropping swagger, no industry-wisdom patter. “I couldn’t believe” and “unreal” are the vocabulary of someone genuinely startled, which is the point: the emotional truth arrives before the polished anecdote. Plummer, often associated with classical training and a certain patrician gravitas, quietly admits to being moved like any working performer: validation still matters, and it hits hardest when it comes from a peer you respect.
The subtext is also about legitimacy across acting tribes. Pacino stands for a different lane - American intensity, Method heat, New Hollywood volatility. Plummer is the transatlantic craftsman, theatre-honed, controlled. A letter bridges those styles, turning “fan” into a term of mutual recognition rather than fandom-as-consumption. In an era where praise is public, monetized, and instantaneous, the image of one great actor privately writing another feels almost antique - and that’s why it lands. It’s a reminder that behind the brand, there’s still the old, needy, beautiful economy of artists cheering each other on.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Plummer, Christopher. (2026, January 16). I couldn't believe when I first got a fan letter from Al Pacino, it was unreal. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-couldnt-believe-when-i-first-got-a-fan-letter-110047/
Chicago Style
Plummer, Christopher. "I couldn't believe when I first got a fan letter from Al Pacino, it was unreal." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-couldnt-believe-when-i-first-got-a-fan-letter-110047/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I couldn't believe when I first got a fan letter from Al Pacino, it was unreal." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-couldnt-believe-when-i-first-got-a-fan-letter-110047/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.






