The Tragic Death of Tom Hagen | The Godfather Explained

How did Tom Hagen die in The Godfather? Are we ever told how the consigliere to Don Corleone died, and why Robert Duvall was not in The Godfather Part III?

[LqdSanity]

Duvall stated in an interview that he really wanted to do the third film but they money they were offering him was disrespectful. He was a main character in the first two movies and, with Vito, Sonny, and Fredo dead, would have been the second lead in part three behind Pacino. He thought he should at least get paid half of what Pacino was making but they refused. Diane Keaton was paid twice what they offered Duvall. He rightfully saw it as an insult, considering he was an A-list actor in his own right. The studio said they didn't need him and the movie would be great without him, so he declined. I'm not sure what role Coppola played in the negotiations, but without Tom Hagen the movie became the worst in the trilogy, by far. I've seen part one and two over a dozen times, but I've only watch part three once and probably will never watch it again. It's just not good, and Pacino's acting is way too over the top. They really dropped the ball on that one.

[IvanLendl]

The absence of Tom Hagen in Godfather 3 pretty much sealed the fate of the film to mediocrity. In Godfather 1 & 2 it was Tom who was the voice of reason and showed a large measure of civility compared to the rest of the Corleone family. With Michael trying to get away from the organized crime life, the character of Tom Hagen would’ve been crucial in that regard. And Duvall is a great actor who would’ve upped the acting quotient.

[mrkeiths]

Tom Hagen was a major figure in the Godfather story. It's unfortunate that he was excluded over compensation to make the movie.

[philmann]

"They made him an offer he could refuse...and he did." Hilarious -- well done.

[marksheppard]

Duvalls character added the richness to the series and it was sorely missing in the third installment.

[lanicoya]

I would have loved to see Robert Duval in the Godfather part 3. He was definitely missed

[ConnorHolbrook]

Tom was honestly probably my favorite character, he’s just so dedicated, educated and unwavering in his dignity and loyalty. Also I believe it’s widely agreed Part 3 was good but it’s not in the same league as 1 and 2. Just different levels of film quality

[NoirL.A.]

both TOM HAGEN and PETER CLEMENZA were lost to the series over money. there were other issues too but it was mostly money which i think is pretty sad.

[luisbielich]

to replace robert duvall with george hamilton is like cinderella's fairy godmother replacing the two mice and the pumpkin with a couple of roaches and a zucchini...

[RidgeRunner]

I believe Duvall said in an interview after III was released that they tried to get him on the cheap since Pacino wanted such a huge paycheck and he refused. Reminded Coppola that he was in a fact a 2x Oscar winner and his Tom Hagen character was central to the story - but they wouldn't budge

[razorsharp]

Tom Hagen always was faithful to Michael and the family. He was the voice of reason for the best interests of the family.

[RedSiegfried]

The Godfather and The Godfather Part II were great movies. It's a shame they never made a third one.

[hansenfiet]

Could you imagine the first two films without Tom Hagen in them? Yeah, me either! That’s why the third felt like it was missing something throughout the entire movie!

[josecarreon]

I bet now they regret not paying Duvall what he asked for

[emkkahn]

Tom Hagen was arguably the BEST character the first two films. The lack of him in part 3 to counter Mike's growing crazy would have made that movie so much better.
Also, Robert Duvall is a fantastic actor. The first thing I saw him in was an episode of the Twilight Zone, "The Miniature" and it's still one of my fav episodes.
Great video, thanks!

[charlie-obrien]

When the studio decided to low-ball Duvall for the reprise of his role as Tom Hagen, they where probably thinking that Andy Garcia would carry the second male lead part in the film.
Boy were they wrong. That, plus Coppola's daughter in the second female lead killed Godfather III and it probably shouldn't even be considered as a sequel to Godfather I & II.
It downright sucks.

[jbmorgan]

I didn't think Michael would have had Tom killed, since as you say he would have confessed it in the Vatican scene, but I always assumed the two would have been estranged after Fredo's death, since Tom was surely aware of what had really happened, and he also clearly wasn't on board with what Michael was doing towards the end of Part II, so it would make sense.

[amalHope]

I always loved Tom Hagan's character and I think his role in the Corleone family was vital

[SombraPiloto]

I thought I was losing my mind when i saw the title of the video because I've seen Godfather I and II more times than I can possibly count and don't remember Tom dying in either of them. Turns out I simply forgot that Godfather III even exists. I'm not sure I ever knew it existed at all.

[zafarsobhan]

The Achilles heel of Godfather 2 was that they wrote out Clemenza and created the character of Frank Pentangeli. The story would have been 10 times better as originally written. The fact that Frank Pentangeli was created for the movie and therefore didn't have any real back story robbed his betrayal arc of any real dramatic substance and was the movie's fatal flaw. That too was a contract dispute! SMH