Al Pacino made 'Irishman' so he could finally work with Scorsese (and eat free ice cream)

For Al Pacino, the chance to finally work with Martin Scorsese was reason enough to do "The Irishman."

But the cherry on top was all the ice cream that his character, Teamsters Union leader Jimmy Hoffa, voraciously consumes throughout the 3?-hour gangster epic: during business meetings, prison meals, and family outings with hitman-slash-close friend Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro).

"When I took the role, I was like, 'You mean I get to eat ice cream in this part? I'm in,' " Pacino says with a laugh. "I wish I could eat ice cream every day, all day. But we just can't, can we?"

Pacino, who mostly pretended to scarf down sundaes to avoid making himself sick, found there was plenty more for him to savor during the making of "Irishman," which is now in theaters in New York and Los Angeles, and will expand nationwide throughout the month before streaming on Netflix Nov. 27.

The sprawling mob drama is based on Charles Brandt's 2004 nonfiction book "I Heard You Paint Houses," and tracks the decadeslong criminal career of Sheeran, a gun-for-hire for Hoffa and Pennsylvania mob boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci).

More: Everything you need to know about 'The Irishman,' Scorsese's 3 1/2-hour Netflix epic

As the infamous Hoffa, Pacino is disarmingly funny and larger than life: delivering many of the film's soon-to-be iconic lines as he preaches punctuality ("I never waited for anyone who was late more than 10 minutes") and proper self-defense ("You charge with a gun – with a knife, you run"). He also gives the drama its beating heart, facing a friend's possible betrayal with quiet grace, and bringing warmth and fatherly affection to scenes with Sheeran's estranged daughter, Peggy (played as an adult by Anna Paquin).

The screen legend is near-unanimously predicted to net his ninth Oscar nomination for "Irishman" by pundits on GoldDerby.com. He was last recognized in 1993, when he received dual nods for supporting actor ("Glengarry Glen Ross") and actor ("Scent of a Woman"), winning the latter.

Despite starring in crime classics "Scarface," "Dog Day Afternoon" and "The Godfather" series, Pacino, 79, somehow never worked with Scorsese, a genre icon, until "Irishman." It certainly wasn't for a lack of trying: They were introduced by Francis Ford Coppola in 1970 and discussed various projects through the years, including a biopic of painter Amedeo Modigliani. But none came to fruition due to funding and scheduling issues.

More: Review: With De Niro, Pesci and Pacino, gangster epic 'The Irishman' lives up to the hype

When they finally met about "Irishman" six years ago, "(Pacino) looked at us and said, 'Is this going to happen before we get any older?' " Scorsese told reporters following the movie's New York Film Festival premiere in September. "We said, 'Yes, it will,' but things got in the way."

"I'm certainly glad I got to work with Martin Scorsese, I'll tell you that much," Pacino says now. "So much goes into making certain films and it takes more time than you account for. That's what happened here."

One of the movie's chief obstacles to getting made was its revolutionary de-aging technology, which took years to perfect and ran up the film's $150-million-plus budget. The visual effects are used to help make the actors appear 40 and 50 years old, which Pacino fully endorses. ("Longer career, that's what I'm saying!" he jokes.)

Even more surprising than seeing a younger version of himself on screen, Pacino was struck by how emotional "Irishman" was when he watched it for the first time. The film wrestles with themes of aging, memory, consequences and regret in its haunting final third.

"After it was over, the way I felt about it was like I had read this novel that engaged me and brought up certain feelings," Pacino says. Like the best of his movies, Scorsese uses "Irishman" to better "understand where he's at in his own life and artistic journey. He's explored this (mobster) world before in all the films he's made about it, which somehow frees him up and allows him to express what he's going through."

Asked if the movie made him think about his own legacy, the actor remains vague: "That happened generally just because you are where you are in life. If you're someone who (acts), it probably reflects how you feel about things. I did three films – 'Manglehorn,' 'The Humbling' and this thing called 'Danny Collins' – and they (also) covered aspects of a certain time in life."

He maintains that "Godfather" and "Dog Day Afternoon" are two of the projects he's proudest of. And he'll occasionally watch his own films if he catches them on TV.

"I wasn't able to sleep the other night, so I turned on the television and it was Jack Lemmon in 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' " Pacino says. "I couldn't believe how great he was – it was a beautiful thing to see. But otherwise, there's no real need (to go back). I've seen it; I know what it is. If it's good, I feel lucky. If it's not, it's something you try to forget."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Al Pacino on aging, 'Irishman' and why he doesn't watch his old movies