Marlon Brando (1924–2004) was a revolutionary force in cinema whose raw talent and rebellious persona redefined acting in the 20th century. He made his film debut in The Men (1950) and quickly rose to fame with iconic performances in classics like A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. Throughout his career, Brando earned two Academy Awards and countless accolades, but his life off-screen was just as dramatic as his roles. He passed away in 2004 from respiratory failure, leaving behind a complex legacy as both a brilliant performer and an eccentric icon.
Brando’s Humble Canine Actor
1. During an interview, someone asked Marlon Brando, “Don’t you realize you’re thought of as the greatest actor ever?” Brando humorously turned to his dog, Tim, and replied, “Tim is the greatest actor ever. He pretends he loves me when he wants something to eat.”
2. In 1973, Marlon Brando won an Oscar for his role in The Godfather but chose to reject it. He sent Sacheen Littlefeather, an Apache woman, to decline the award on his behalf, protesting the film industry’s mistreatment of Native Americans. John Wayne attempted to attack Sacheen Littlefeather during her speech, but six security guards restrained him. Marlon Brando became the last person to reject a winning Oscar award in 1973, after winning Best Actor for The Godfather.
3. Marlon Brando, a two-time Academy Award winner and eight-time nominee, spoke five languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. His legendary acting skills attracted the likes of Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, and Sean Penn to attend his acting classes.
4. Marlon Brando earned $3.7 million and an impressive 11.75% backend for his 13-day role as Jor-El in Superman, despite having less than 20 minutes of screen time. In stark contrast, Christopher Reeve, who played the title role, earned $250,000 for the film’s 143-minute duration. Also, Brando initially horrified a producer for this film by suggesting Jor-El appear as a green suitcase or a bagel, but director Richard Donner used flattery to convince him to portray the character himself.
5. Samuel L. Jackson once heard someone reciting his Ezekiel 25:17 speech and discovered it was Marlon Brando, who then gave him a phone number to contact him later. When Jackson called later, he found it was a Chinese restaurant. However, when he asked for Brando, the actor picked up. He was using this unique method to screen his calls.
6. Beyond his acting and activism, Marlon Brando was an inventor with four patents to his name. One of his inventions included pool shoes designed to increase friction for better workouts while walking on the pool’s bottom. Another notable invention was a single-tuning conga drum.
7. Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra famously disliked each other. On the set of “Guys and Dolls,” Sinatra nicknamed Brando “Mumbles.” In retaliation, during a scene where Sinatra had to eat cheesecake, Brando deliberately botched his lines, forcing Sinatra to consume more cheesecake with each retake.
8. The tension between Marlon Brando and director Frank Oz during the filming of “The Score” reached such heights that Brando refused to be on set if Oz was present. Consequently, co-star Robert De Niro directed Brando while Oz remained at a distance, passing directorial messages to De Niro privately.
9. Marlon Brando once faced a lawsuit for $40,000 after punching a paparazzi photographer, breaking his jaw and knocking out five teeth. Undeterred, the same photographer later attempted to photograph Brando again, this time wearing a football helmet for protection.
10. In the 1990s, Marlon Brando frequently engaged in political arguments with unsuspecting strangers in AOL chatrooms. He often concluded these heated debates with the phrase “Fu*k Off,” leading to the frequent suspension of his account. Despite this, Brando continued to enjoy the anonymity and immediacy of online interactions.
Paramount’s Conditions for Brando
11. Paramount Studios set three conditions for casting Marlon Brando in “The Godfather” (1972). First, Brando had to accept a fee lower than his usual rate. Second, he needed to agree to take financial responsibility for any production delays caused by his behavior. Finally, Brando had to submit to a screen test.
12. Marlon Brando often refused to memorize his lines for films like “The Godfather.” Instead, the crew strategically placed cue cards around the set, even on other actors. Brando believed this method enhanced the authenticity and spontaneity of his performances, capturing the natural uncertainty of real-life conversations.
13. In the 1990s, Marlon Brando planned to undergo circumcision, believing his meditation practice had increased his pain tolerance. He requested the procedure without painkillers or anesthesia, convinced he could endure it. However, he was disappointed to learn that anesthesia was a medical requirement for the surgery.
14. Marlon Brando was just 47 years old when he portrayed the elderly Vito Corleone in “The Godfather” (1972). Makeup artist Dick Smith employed meticulous techniques to transform Brando into the iconic character.
15. Marlon Brando attempted to purchase the rights to a film about the Iran-Contra scandal through a former CIA connection. However, the CIA thwarted his efforts by creating a front company to outbid him. They appointed Col. Oliver North, a central figure in the scandal, to lead this operation.
16. While filming “The Island of Dr. Moreau,” Marlon Brando made an unusual demand. He wanted to remove his hat at the movie’s end to reveal that his character was a dolphin all along. The director, however, refused this bizarre request, maintaining the film’s original storyline.
17. During the filming of “The Island of Dr. Moreau,” Marlon Brando used a small radio receiver to help him remember his lines. Co-star David Thewlis recounted how Brando would occasionally pick up police messages mid-scene, leading him to repeat lines like, “There’s a robbery at Woolworths.”
18. Marlon Brando’s final acting role was voicing Don Corleone in “The Godfather” video game, released in 2006. Unfortunately, all his recordings were cut because the noise from his oxygen tank interfered with the audio quality.
19. T-shirts have existed since the late 1800s, but they did not become fashionable stand-alone garments until the 1950s. Marlon Brando played a significant role in popularizing them when he wore one in the film “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951). His portrayal of Stanley Kowalski made the T-shirt a symbol of rebellious masculinity, influencing fashion trends for decades.
20. Marlon Brando once described Charlie Chaplin as “probably the most sadistic man” he ever met. Brando worked with Chaplin on the 1967 movie “A Countess from Hong Kong” and further criticized him as “an egotistical tyrant and a penny-pincher.” This experience had a lasting effect on Brando, who rarely spoke so candidly about his colleagues.
The Unusual Audition: Viva Zapata!
21. In 1952, Marlon Brando and Anthony Quinn engaged in an unusual contest to determine who would win the lead role in “Viva Zapata!” The actors held a “pissing contest” to see who could urinate the furthest over the Rio Grande in Mexico. Marlon Brando emerged victorious, securing the role in the film directed by Elia Kazan.
22. Marlon Brando became the first actor to earn a $1 million salary for his role in “Mutiny on the Bounty” (1962). This groundbreaking compensation set a new standard for Hollywood actors.
23. Marlon Brando, known for his unconventional choices, refused to swear to God in court. Instead, he swore an oath to his grandchildren. He had more than 10 children and over 30 grandchildren.
24. Marlon Brando arrived on the set of ‘Apocalypse Now’ weighing over 300 pounds, prompting director Francis Ford Coppola to film him mostly in shadows and silhouettes to conceal his size and enhance his character’s mystique.
25. Marlon Brando was a notorious binge eater who would row on his boat to a private island just to eat ice cream in solitude. He even paid a studio kid to secretly toss bags of hamburgers over his fence at night so his wife wouldn’t catch him cheating on his diet.
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