Almost 45 years ago, Al Pacino made his controversial 1980 film cruise wouldn’t age well.

In his new memoirs Sonny BoyThe Oscar winner admitted that he found the film to be “exploitative” of the LGBTQ community upon its release and revealed that he donated his salary from the William Friedkin-directed film to various charities.

He explained that he was interested in “pushing the envelope” but the project “became very controversial during its production” with protesters on set “almost every day” and fears the film would harm the LGBTQ community portrayed in a negative light, it is said People.

Loosely based on the 1970 novel by Gerald Walker, cruise Pacino stars as Detective Steve Burns, who goes undercover in New York City’s S&M bars to catch a serial killer who is brutally murdering the city’s gay men.

Pacino found cruise When the film was released in 1980, he said it was “exploitative” and he ultimately “kept silent” instead of promoting the film.

“I took the money, and it was a lot, and I put it in an irrevocable trust,” he explained. “I donated it to charities and the interest allowed it to last a few decades. I don’t know if it eased my conscience, but at least the money did something good.”

The actor noted that he “didn’t want to make it a PR stunt.” I just wanted something positive to come out of this whole experience.”

Friedkin, who died last year at the age of 87, had previously admitted cruise “wasn’t the best pioneer for the gay rights movement, but I never intended the film to be anti-gay,” he told The Wrap in 2013.

“I just thought the S&M world would be a good setting for a crime novel, but I didn’t want it to reflect the gay lifestyle at all,” Friedkin explained. “It was clear to me at the time that people who support gay rights would not appreciate such a harsh image. It’s still very hard, very hard-edged and ambiguous.”