Tom Hagen
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tom" Feargal Hagen is a fictional character
in the Godfather
books and films. He was portrayed by Robert Duvall
in the films. He is the informally adopted
son of Don Vito Corleone
and serves as the family lawyer
and consigliere
(legal advisor). Mild-mannered and soft-spoken, he often serves as a voice of reason within the family. The novel and first film establish that he is of German-Irish
ancestry.
. As a child he grew up in a broken family, the son of an abusive
alcoholic. Hagen is saved by Sonny Corleone
, who finds him on the street and takes him in to live with the Corleone family. Vito Corleone
becomes a surrogate father to Hagen, but does not officially adopt him out of respect for the boy's father.
In the novel, Hagen offers to work for Vito after going through law school, knowing full well that his adoptive father is the most powerful Mafia
chief in the nation. Vito is more than willing to take Hagen into his employ, telling him that lawyers can steal more than a phalanx of gangsters. Hagen marries an Italian
, Theresa, and has two sons, Frank and Andrew.
After longtime consigliere Genco Abbandando
is diagnosed with terminal cancer
, Tom becomes acting consigliere, succeeding to the post formally after Abbadando's death. Vito is initially reluctant to give Hagen the post full-time, considering that he is not Italian.
After Connie Corleone
's wedding, Vito dispatches Hagen to Hollywood in order to convince Jack Woltz
, a big-time movie studio head, to give singer/actor Johnny Fontane
(Vito's godson) the lead role in his new war film
. When Hagen first approaches Woltz, he offers help with some union trouble. Hagen then tells Woltz that one of his actors has moved from marijuana to heroin; a deleted scene in the movie shows that this information was going to be used to expose the star and thus hurt Woltz's studio. Woltz at first angrily refuses, but becomes more cordial once he finds out who Hagen works for. Woltz invites him over to his palatial estate for dinner, and shows him his prized stud horse, Khartoum. During the dinner, Woltz tries to work out another deal with Hagen, but in the end refuses to cast Fontane, who had slept with one of his protégées, and angrily tells Hagen to leave his house. Hagen complies, but men working for the Corleones break into Woltz's stables and decapitate Khartoum, placing the horse's severed head in Woltz's bed. The next day Hagen receives a call from a ranting Woltz, who threatens to bring the law down on the Corleones' heads; Hagen responds nonchalantly and hangs up. Shortly afterwards, Woltz realizes that with Vito's connections, he is unlikely to win in court, and will likely be murdered himself. He thus gives in to the Corleones' wishes and casts Fontane in his new war film.
Hagen next sets up a meeting between Vito (who is accompanied by underboss
Sonny and caporegime
s Peter Clemenza and Sal Tessio) and drug lord Virgil Sollozzo
, where Sollozzo requests Vito's help in financing and protecting his drug business. Sollozzo raises his glass in respect to Hagen for having discovered that he is under the protection of the Tattaglia Family
, a rival to the Corleones. Vito ultimately rejects the deal, however.
That December, Sollozzo and his bodyguards kidnap Hagen. At an undisclosed location, Sollozzo informs Hagen that Don Corleone has been shot and killed, and tells Hagen to convince Sonny, who is running the family in his father's absence, to go along with the original deal. Hagen promises to calm Sonny down, but warns Sollozzo about inevitable reprisal from Luca Brasi
, the Don's fanatically loyal bodyguard and hitman. Unbeknownst to Hagen, Brasi has already been killed by Sollozzo and Bruno Tattaglia
. The meeting is interrupted when Sollozzo receives word that Don Corleone survived the shooting, ruining Sollozzo's plans. While Sonny initially appeared receptive to the Sollozzo deal, Sollozo knew that he would not listen to any deal while his father was still alive.
While he loves all the Corleones, Hagen is especially fond of Sonny and considers him a true brother for helping him as a child, and blames himself when Sonny is murdered by the Barzini Family
. Vito goes into semi-retirement in 1954, and his youngest son and new heir apparent, Michael
, becomes operating head of the family. On his father's advice, Michael removes Hagen as consigliere in favor of having his father take the position on an informal basis, restricting Hagen to handling the Family's legal business in Nevada
, Chicago
, and Los Angeles
. Michael and Vito explain that the Corleones might have a fight on their hands with the planned move to Nevada, and they need a "wartime consigliere". Though hurt, Hagen accepts the decision and remains loyal. In truth, Michael and Vito have been planning to wipe out New York's other Dons to avenge Sonny and establish the Corleones' supremacy — an operation they have kept secret even from Hagen. In the book (and in a deleted scene from the film), Hagen asks why bodyguard Rocco Lampone
has been secretly promoted to caporegime and why hitman Al Neri
reports directly to Michael and not through Clemenza and Tessio. Neri and Lampone will play a key role in the assassination of the rival Dons that Michael is planning.
After Vito's death, Michael gives Hagen back his old post as consigliere. Hagen is present when Tessio is taken away to be executed for betraying the family, and is also present when Connie's husband, Carlo Rizzi, is executed for setting up Sonny's death seven years earlier.
When Michael's wife, Kay, finds out that Michael ordered Carlo's death, she flees to New Hampshire
. Michael dispatches Hagen to New Hampshire to convince Kay to come back.
, Hagen remains as Michael's consigliere. After his Nevada
estate is raked with automatic gunfire, Michael realizes he cannot trust anyone in his inner circle and reluctantly proclaims Hagen as acting Don while he tries to find out who has betrayed him. Although his role was initially greatly reduced after the move west, Tom's promotion marks his renewed influence in the family and he goes on to be instrumental in both securing the loyalty of Senator Pat Geary
and defending Michael during the Senate
hearings on the Mafia. The fall of Fulgencio Batista
's regime in Cuba
forces Michael to temporarily abandon his dream of becoming a legitimate businessman and retake his place as the Don of the Corleone family.
Near the end of the film Hagen is unable to hide his unhappiness with Michael's increasing ruthlessness and paranoia, questioning the need to kill rival Hyman Roth
. In response, Michael confronts Hagen about listening to competing job offers, and obliquely threatens to inform Hagen's wife about his mistress. Challenged point blank by Michael to confirm his loyalty to the Corleone Family, Hagen responds (in Sicilian
) that he will remain loyal. He dutifully fulfills his role as not just a legal adviser, but in the consigliere's traditonal role as dispassionate envoy for the Family. For instance, he gives Frank Pentangeli
, who had betrayed Michael, the "idea" of committing suicide
so that Pentangeli's family would continue to be taken care of after his death, while wistfully agreeing with Pentangeli that the Corleone Family are no longer "like the Roman Empire
".
, Hagen has already died before the timeframe of the film, 1979–1980. There is no specific indication in the film as to when or how he died, except that it was before the ordination of his son, Andrew, a Roman Catholic priest
.
This was not the original plan for the Hagen character. Originally, Hagen was to be the chief antagonist to Michael in The Godfather Part III
, as Hagen, the adopted German-Irish son, vied for control of the Corelone Empire over the dwindling family and aging Michael. However, a salary dispute arose, as actor Robert Duvall
, who played Hagen, demanded the same salary as Al Pacino
, since Duvall was to be seen as Pacino's equal in the film. The producers balked, and Duvall refused to reprise his role. Rather than replace Duvall, who had come to be identified with the character (and thus risk later lawsuits by Duvall), the producers instead quietly wrote Duvall out, having him killed offscreen, and setting up an entirely new (and much disliked) plot involving Michael Corleone versus the Vatican
.
's 2004 sequel The Godfather
portrays Hagen's role as consigliere in the first few years after Michael ascends to the head of the family. The novel, which covers the period from 1955-1962, portrays Hagen once again acting as Michael's right-hand adviser and taking an important role in the Corleones' dealings with a powerful political family, the Sheas (analogous to the Kennedys
). Hagen makes a deal with patriarch Mickey Shea
that the Corleone family would help get his son James (analogous to John F. Kennedy
) elected President on the condition that his youngest son, Danny
(Robert Kennedy), the new attorney general, would take a soft stance on organized crime
. Meanwhile, Hagen has sights on a political career of his own, running for a Congressional seat in Nevada
with the ultimate goal of becoming the state's governor; he is badly defeated, however, and abandons any hopes of holding public office. Finally, Hagen personally murders Corleone rival Louie Russo
, who is found to have conspired with the novel's antagonist, traitorous Corleone caporegime Nick Geraci
, and is indirectly responsible for Fredo Corleone
's betrayal of the family during the events of Godfather Part II.
explains that Hagen is murdered in August 1964 by former Corleone underboss Nick Geraci
, who drowns him in the Florida Everglades. Geraci then sends Michael a package containing a dead baby alligator
along with Hagen's wallet. This message is similar to the one that is sent to Sonny in the original novel following Luca Brasi
's death, which was a package delivered to the Corleones in the form of a bulletproof vest wrapped around a dead fish.
(who portrayed Michael Corleone). However, Duvall said in an interview that he was happy for Pacino to earn twice his salary, but not three or four times his salary for the film.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Godfather
The Godfather (novel)
The Godfather is a crime novel written by Italian American author Mario Puzo, originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. It details the story of a fictitious Sicilian Mafia family based in New York City and headed by Don Vito Corleone, who became synonymous with the Italian Mafia...
books and films. He was portrayed by Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
in the films. He is the informally adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
son of Don Vito Corleone
Vito Corleone
Vito Andolini Corleone is a fictional character and the main character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy, where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in The Godfather and by Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. Premiere Magazine listed Vito...
and serves as the family lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and consigliere
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
(legal advisor). Mild-mannered and soft-spoken, he often serves as a voice of reason within the family. The novel and first film establish that he is of German-Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry.
The Godfather
Hagen is introduced as an unofficial but important part of the Corleone familyCorleone family
The Corleone family is a fictional Sicilian Mafia family settled in New York City. The family was created by Mario Puzo and appears in his 1969 novel The Godfather, as well as the acclaimed film trilogy of the same name directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The family was founded by Vito Corleone , who...
. As a child he grew up in a broken family, the son of an abusive
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
alcoholic. Hagen is saved by Sonny Corleone
Sonny Corleone
Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation. He also appears as an infant, as a young boy, and an adult in The Godfather Part II....
, who finds him on the street and takes him in to live with the Corleone family. Vito Corleone
Vito Corleone
Vito Andolini Corleone is a fictional character and the main character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy, where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in The Godfather and by Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. Premiere Magazine listed Vito...
becomes a surrogate father to Hagen, but does not officially adopt him out of respect for the boy's father.
In the novel, Hagen offers to work for Vito after going through law school, knowing full well that his adoptive father is the most powerful Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
chief in the nation. Vito is more than willing to take Hagen into his employ, telling him that lawyers can steal more than a phalanx of gangsters. Hagen marries an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, Theresa, and has two sons, Frank and Andrew.
After longtime consigliere Genco Abbandando
Genco Abbandando
Genco Abbandando is a fictional character from the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo, and the film adaptations The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. He serves as Don Vito Corleone's first consigliere for 20 years until he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. As Genco's health worsens he is...
is diagnosed with terminal cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, Tom becomes acting consigliere, succeeding to the post formally after Abbadando's death. Vito is initially reluctant to give Hagen the post full-time, considering that he is not Italian.
After Connie Corleone
Connie Corleone
Constanzia "Connie" Corleone , is a fictional character from The Godfather by Mario Puzo. In the films, Connie is portrayed by Talia Shire, the sister of director Francis Ford Coppola....
's wedding, Vito dispatches Hagen to Hollywood in order to convince Jack Woltz
Jack Woltz
Jack Woltz is a fictional character from the Mario Puzo novel The Godfather and the 1972 film adaptation. In the film, he is portrayed by John Marley.-In the film:...
, a big-time movie studio head, to give singer/actor Johnny Fontane
Johnny Fontane
John "Johnny" Fontane is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and the series of films based upon it. In Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of the novel, he was portrayed by Al Martino, the role having been turned down by Vic Damone....
(Vito's godson) the lead role in his new war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
. When Hagen first approaches Woltz, he offers help with some union trouble. Hagen then tells Woltz that one of his actors has moved from marijuana to heroin; a deleted scene in the movie shows that this information was going to be used to expose the star and thus hurt Woltz's studio. Woltz at first angrily refuses, but becomes more cordial once he finds out who Hagen works for. Woltz invites him over to his palatial estate for dinner, and shows him his prized stud horse, Khartoum. During the dinner, Woltz tries to work out another deal with Hagen, but in the end refuses to cast Fontane, who had slept with one of his protégées, and angrily tells Hagen to leave his house. Hagen complies, but men working for the Corleones break into Woltz's stables and decapitate Khartoum, placing the horse's severed head in Woltz's bed. The next day Hagen receives a call from a ranting Woltz, who threatens to bring the law down on the Corleones' heads; Hagen responds nonchalantly and hangs up. Shortly afterwards, Woltz realizes that with Vito's connections, he is unlikely to win in court, and will likely be murdered himself. He thus gives in to the Corleones' wishes and casts Fontane in his new war film.
Hagen next sets up a meeting between Vito (who is accompanied by underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
Sonny and caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
s Peter Clemenza and Sal Tessio) and drug lord Virgil Sollozzo
Virgil Sollozzo
Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo is a fictional character and one of the main antagonists in Mario Puzo's The Godfather.In the novel, it is said that he got his nickname because he has a nose like a Turkish scimitar, has a Turkish wife and kids and also because he does much of his business in Turkey...
, where Sollozzo requests Vito's help in financing and protecting his drug business. Sollozzo raises his glass in respect to Hagen for having discovered that he is under the protection of the Tattaglia Family
Philip Tattaglia
Philip Tattaglia is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, the first installment of The Godfather film trilogy and The Godfather video game. He was portrayed by actor Victor Rendina.-In the story:...
, a rival to the Corleones. Vito ultimately rejects the deal, however.
That December, Sollozzo and his bodyguards kidnap Hagen. At an undisclosed location, Sollozzo informs Hagen that Don Corleone has been shot and killed, and tells Hagen to convince Sonny, who is running the family in his father's absence, to go along with the original deal. Hagen promises to calm Sonny down, but warns Sollozzo about inevitable reprisal from Luca Brasi
Luca Brasi
Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation .-In the novel and film:In The Godfather, Luca Brasi is one of Don Vito Corleone's personal enforcers...
, the Don's fanatically loyal bodyguard and hitman. Unbeknownst to Hagen, Brasi has already been killed by Sollozzo and Bruno Tattaglia
Bruno Tattaglia
Bruno Tattaglia is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and the first installment of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy of films. He also appeared in The Godfather: The Game, where the player kills him in an act of revenge...
. The meeting is interrupted when Sollozzo receives word that Don Corleone survived the shooting, ruining Sollozzo's plans. While Sonny initially appeared receptive to the Sollozzo deal, Sollozo knew that he would not listen to any deal while his father was still alive.
While he loves all the Corleones, Hagen is especially fond of Sonny and considers him a true brother for helping him as a child, and blames himself when Sonny is murdered by the Barzini Family
Emilio Barzini
Don Emilio Barzini is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and in its film adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Richard Conte-In the novel:...
. Vito goes into semi-retirement in 1954, and his youngest son and new heir apparent, Michael
Michael Corleone
Michael Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novels, The Godfather and The Sicilian. He is also the main character of the Godfather film trilogy that was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino, who was twice nominated for an Academy Award for his...
, becomes operating head of the family. On his father's advice, Michael removes Hagen as consigliere in favor of having his father take the position on an informal basis, restricting Hagen to handling the Family's legal business in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Michael and Vito explain that the Corleones might have a fight on their hands with the planned move to Nevada, and they need a "wartime consigliere". Though hurt, Hagen accepts the decision and remains loyal. In truth, Michael and Vito have been planning to wipe out New York's other Dons to avenge Sonny and establish the Corleones' supremacy — an operation they have kept secret even from Hagen. In the book (and in a deleted scene from the film), Hagen asks why bodyguard Rocco Lampone
Rocco Lampone
Rocco Lampone is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and its film adaptation, as well as the sequel, The Godfather Part II. He was portrayed in the films by actor Tom Rosqui.-In the films:...
has been secretly promoted to caporegime and why hitman Al Neri
Al Neri
Albert "Al" Neri is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and the three films based on it. In all three motion pictures, he is portrayed by actor Richard Bright. In The Godfather: The Game, he is voiced by Gary Chalk...
reports directly to Michael and not through Clemenza and Tessio. Neri and Lampone will play a key role in the assassination of the rival Dons that Michael is planning.
After Vito's death, Michael gives Hagen back his old post as consigliere. Hagen is present when Tessio is taken away to be executed for betraying the family, and is also present when Connie's husband, Carlo Rizzi, is executed for setting up Sonny's death seven years earlier.
When Michael's wife, Kay, finds out that Michael ordered Carlo's death, she flees to New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Michael dispatches Hagen to New Hampshire to convince Kay to come back.
The Godfather Part II
In The Godfather Part IIThe Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, chronicling the story of the Corleone family following the events of the first film while also depicting the...
, Hagen remains as Michael's consigliere. After his Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
estate is raked with automatic gunfire, Michael realizes he cannot trust anyone in his inner circle and reluctantly proclaims Hagen as acting Don while he tries to find out who has betrayed him. Although his role was initially greatly reduced after the move west, Tom's promotion marks his renewed influence in the family and he goes on to be instrumental in both securing the loyalty of Senator Pat Geary
Pat Geary
Pat Geary is a fictional character portrayed by G. D. Spradlin in the film The Godfather Part II. He is a U.S. senator from Nevada whose corruption and moral vices are exploited by Michael Corleone....
and defending Michael during the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
hearings on the Mafia. The fall of Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
's regime in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
forces Michael to temporarily abandon his dream of becoming a legitimate businessman and retake his place as the Don of the Corleone family.
Near the end of the film Hagen is unable to hide his unhappiness with Michael's increasing ruthlessness and paranoia, questioning the need to kill rival Hyman Roth
Hyman Roth
Hyman Roth is a fictional character, and the primary antagonist in The Godfather Part II, played by the actor and acting teacher Lee Strasberg, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role...
. In response, Michael confronts Hagen about listening to competing job offers, and obliquely threatens to inform Hagen's wife about his mistress. Challenged point blank by Michael to confirm his loyalty to the Corleone Family, Hagen responds (in Sicilian
Sicilian language
Sicilian is a Romance language. Its dialects make up the Extreme-Southern Italian language group, which are spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands; in southern and central Calabria ; in the southern parts of Apulia, the Salento ; and Campania, on the Italian mainland, where it is...
) that he will remain loyal. He dutifully fulfills his role as not just a legal adviser, but in the consigliere's traditonal role as dispassionate envoy for the Family. For instance, he gives Frank Pentangeli
Frank Pentangeli
Francesco "Frankie Five Angels" Pentangeli is a fictional character from the film The Godfather Part II. In the film, he was portrayed by Michael V. Gazzo, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance, which he lost to Robert De Niro, his co-star from the same film...
, who had betrayed Michael, the "idea" of committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
so that Pentangeli's family would continue to be taken care of after his death, while wistfully agreeing with Pentangeli that the Corleone Family are no longer "like the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
".
The Godfather Part III
According to The Godfather Part IIIThe Godfather Part III
The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American gangster film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who tries to legitimize his criminal empire...
, Hagen has already died before the timeframe of the film, 1979–1980. There is no specific indication in the film as to when or how he died, except that it was before the ordination of his son, Andrew, a Roman Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
.
This was not the original plan for the Hagen character. Originally, Hagen was to be the chief antagonist to Michael in The Godfather Part III
The Godfather Part III
The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American gangster film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who tries to legitimize his criminal empire...
, as Hagen, the adopted German-Irish son, vied for control of the Corelone Empire over the dwindling family and aging Michael. However, a salary dispute arose, as actor Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
, who played Hagen, demanded the same salary as Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
, since Duvall was to be seen as Pacino's equal in the film. The producers balked, and Duvall refused to reprise his role. Rather than replace Duvall, who had come to be identified with the character (and thus risk later lawsuits by Duvall), the producers instead quietly wrote Duvall out, having him killed offscreen, and setting up an entirely new (and much disliked) plot involving Michael Corleone versus the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
The Godfather Returns
Mark WinegardnerMark Winegardner
Mark Winegardner is an American writer born and raised in Bryan, Ohio. His novels include The Godfather Returns, Crooked River Burning, and The Veracruz Blues. He published a collection of short stories, That's True of Everybody, in 2002. His newest novel, The Godfather's Revenge, was published...
's 2004 sequel The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
portrays Hagen's role as consigliere in the first few years after Michael ascends to the head of the family. The novel, which covers the period from 1955-1962, portrays Hagen once again acting as Michael's right-hand adviser and taking an important role in the Corleones' dealings with a powerful political family, the Sheas (analogous to the Kennedys
Kennedy family
In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
). Hagen makes a deal with patriarch Mickey Shea
Mickey Shea
Michael Corbett "Mickey" Shea is a fictional character who features prominently in the novel, The Godfather Returns. He is loosely based on former Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy, the father of President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General and US Senator Robert F. Kennedy and US Senator Ted...
that the Corleone family would help get his son James (analogous to John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
) elected President on the condition that his youngest son, Danny
Danny Shea
Daniel Brandon 'Danny' Shea is a fictional character in Mark Winegardner's novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge. He is based on Attorney General and US Senator Robert F. Kennedy....
(Robert Kennedy), the new attorney general, would take a soft stance on organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
. Meanwhile, Hagen has sights on a political career of his own, running for a Congressional seat in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
with the ultimate goal of becoming the state's governor; he is badly defeated, however, and abandons any hopes of holding public office. Finally, Hagen personally murders Corleone rival Louie Russo
Louie Russo
Luigi 'Louie' Russo is a fictional character in Mark Winegardner's The Godfather Returns. Russo serves as the Don of the Chicago Outfit from 1955 to 1961.-Biography:...
, who is found to have conspired with the novel's antagonist, traitorous Corleone caporegime Nick Geraci
Nick Geraci
Fausto Dominic 'Nick' Geraci Jr. is a central character in the Mark Winegardner novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge. He is a caporegime in the Corleone crime family, but later betrays the family, and becomes a sworn enemy to Don Michael Corleone.-Biography:The Godfather Returns...
, and is indirectly responsible for Fredo Corleone
Fredo Corleone
Frederico "Fredo" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather. In the fictional universe of the novel and its film adaptation, he is the second son of Vito Corleone , head of a powerful Mafia family...
's betrayal of the family during the events of Godfather Part II.
The Godfather's Revenge
Winegardner's 2006 novel The Godfather's RevengeThe Godfather's Revenge
The Godfather's Revenge, a 2006 novel written by author Mark Winegardner, is the sequel to The Godfather, The Sicilian, and The Godfather Returns. The story takes place from 1963–1964, and picks up the story from where The Godfather Returns left off...
explains that Hagen is murdered in August 1964 by former Corleone underboss Nick Geraci
Nick Geraci
Fausto Dominic 'Nick' Geraci Jr. is a central character in the Mark Winegardner novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge. He is a caporegime in the Corleone crime family, but later betrays the family, and becomes a sworn enemy to Don Michael Corleone.-Biography:The Godfather Returns...
, who drowns him in the Florida Everglades. Geraci then sends Michael a package containing a dead baby alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
along with Hagen's wallet. This message is similar to the one that is sent to Sonny in the original novel following Luca Brasi
Luca Brasi
Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation .-In the novel and film:In The Godfather, Luca Brasi is one of Don Vito Corleone's personal enforcers...
's death, which was a package delivered to the Corleones in the form of a bulletproof vest wrapped around a dead fish.
Behind the scenes
The Hagen character was originally intended to have been featured in The Godfather, Part III, but was written out because of a financial disagreement between Duvall and the film's producers. Coppola has stated that Part III was originally planned to feature a split between Michael and Hagen as its central plot, as seeds of dissension were planted in the first two films. Coppola stated in the film's commentary that Duvall demanded the same salary as Al PacinoAl Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
(who portrayed Michael Corleone). However, Duvall said in an interview that he was happy for Pacino to earn twice his salary, but not three or four times his salary for the film.
Family
- Vito CorleoneVito CorleoneVito Andolini Corleone is a fictional character and the main character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy, where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in The Godfather and by Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. Premiere Magazine listed Vito...
– Unofficial adopted father - Carmela Corleone – Unofficial adopted mother
- Santino, MichaelMichael CorleoneMichael Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novels, The Godfather and The Sicilian. He is also the main character of the Godfather film trilogy that was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino, who was twice nominated for an Academy Award for his...
, FredoFredo CorleoneFrederico "Fredo" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather. In the fictional universe of the novel and its film adaptation, he is the second son of Vito Corleone , head of a powerful Mafia family...
, and Connie CorleoneConnie CorleoneConstanzia "Connie" Corleone , is a fictional character from The Godfather by Mario Puzo. In the films, Connie is portrayed by Talia Shire, the sister of director Francis Ford Coppola....
– Unofficial adopted siblings - Theresa Hagen – Wife
- Frank and Andrew Hagen – Sons
- Gianna Hagen – Daughter