Oliver Stone, Kirk Douglas and Andy Garcia are among the Hollywood legends paying tribute to Al Pacino at the AFI Life Achievement Award.

"The depth of your artistry is only more overwhelmed by the generosity of your spirit and your warmth," said Garcia, who worked with Pacino on "The Godfather: Part III." "You're Van Gogh. You're Modigliani. That's who you are."

The two-time Tony Award winner has been nominated for eight Academy Awards - he won in 1992 for his role as Lt Col Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman.

Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, who worked with Pacino on Any Given Sunday, called him "the greatest actor in the world."

Stone, who wrote 1983's Scarface, lauded the actor's "wicked sense of humor" and "great, if misunderstood, heart."

"It is with great love and respect that I say goodnight to the bad guy," he said, recalling one of Pacino's famous Scarface lines.