A cult figure in world cinematography, Tony Montana influenced an entire generation following the release of the film Scarface. Among those who were inspired by the adventures of the Cuban immigrant in the land of Uncle Sam? A certain Shaquille O’Neal, who revealed his astonishing commonality with the charismatic drug lord played by Al Pacino.
Yes the movies Scarface did not immediately have an international echo when it was released in the 1980s, the work of Brian De Palma has become cult over time. Now a staple, the film has influenced countless rappers, athletes and personalities – including Shaquille O’Neal. We reassure you from the outset: nothing to do with drugs, central element of the empire of Tony Montana.
On the other hand, like the character interpreted by the immense Al Pacino, the Shaq brewed mountains of money at his peak, and he had to manage the entourage that goes with it. Because like many NBA players, the Big Cactus traveled regularly with his “entourage”, meaning his group of close friends, whom he entertained daily.
Shaq confesses his admiration for Tony Montana, and their common point
In his book “Shaq Talks Back”, the Hall of Famer evokes this crew so precious to him, and reveals Tony Montana’s influence on him and his guys:
I admit, I let some of my friends use me to achieve what they wanted to do in life. I told them, “When it’s over, it’s over. So I want you to make a lot of money, to know people that I know who will give you big opportunities”. If they wanted to start a business, I helped them.
I trusted them, because you can’t have people around you who put your empire at risk. And that, my guys would never have done. Most of them have a tattoo with the initials “TWISM”, for “The World Is Mine”. It may sound silly, but it’s an idea I had following watching Scarface when I was in college. Tony Montana had a large globe with the message “The World is Yours”. It’s in reference to that.
“The World is Yours”, literally “the world belongs to you”, is obviously one of the cult phrases of the film, if not the cult phrase. Before immortalizing it on a globe in his huge mansion, Tony Montana sees it for the first time when he takes power in the Miami underworld, written on an airship passing in the sky before his eyes. A legendary sequence:
Tony Montana’s influence on Shaquille O’Neal and his crew was such that a tattoo immortalizes the fictional Cuban character on the skin of the Diesel clique. Fortunately, the Diesel managed (and continues to manage) his empire better than the hero of Scarface!