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Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando

Acting

Born April 3, 1924 — Died July 1, 2004 Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career which spanned six decades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and three British Academy Film Awards. Brando was also an activist for many causes, notably the civil rights movement and various Native American movements. Having studied with Stella Adler in the 1940s, he is credited with being one of the first actors to bring the Stanislavski system of acting and method acting, derived from the Stanislavski system, to mainstream audiences. He initially gained acclaim and his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for reprising the role of Stanley Kowalski in the 1951 film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire, a role that he originated successfully on Broadway. He received further praise, and a first Academy Award and Golden Globe Award, for his performance as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront, and his portrayal of the rebellious motorcycle gang leader Johnny Strabler in The Wild One proved to be a lasting image in popular culture. Brando received Academy Award nominations for playing Emiliano Zapata in Viva Zapata! (1952); Mark Antony in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1953 film adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar; and Air Force Major Lloyd Gruver in Sayonara (1957), an adaptation of James A. Michener's 1954 novel. The 1960s saw Brando's career take a commercial and critical downturn. He directed and starred in the cult western One-Eyed Jacks, a critical and commercial flop, after which he delivered a series of notable box-office failures, beginning with Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). After ten years of underachieving, he agreed to do a screen test as Vito Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972). He got the part and subsequently won his second Academy Award and Golden Globe Award in a performance critics consider among his greatest. He declined the Academy Award due to alleged mistreatment and misportrayal of Native Americans by Hollywood. The Godfather was one of the most commercially successful films of all time, and alongside his Oscar-nominated performance in Last Tango in Paris (1972), Brando reestablished himself in the ranks of top box-office stars. After a hiatus in the early 1970s, Brando was generally content with being a highly paid character actor in supporting roles, such as Jor-El in Superman (1978), as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now (1979), and Adam Steiffel in The Formula (1980), before taking a nine-year break from film. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Brando was paid a record $3.7 million ($16 million in inflation-adjusted dollars) and 11.75% of the gross profits for 13 days' work on Superman. Brando was ranked by the American Film Institute as the fourth-greatest movie star among male movie stars whose screen debuts occurred in or before 1950. He was one of only six actors named in 1999 by Time magazine in its list of the 100 Most Important People of the Century. In this list, Time also designated Brando as the "Actor of the Century".

TV Shows(17)

Movies(110)

Marlon Brando's Tahitian Mirage

Marlon Brando's Tahitian Mirage

Self (archive) - subject

2025

Chaos: The Manson Murders

Chaos: The Manson Murders

Self - Activist (archive footage)

2025

The Bikeriders

The Bikeriders

Self- Johnny Strabler (archive footage/photo)

2024

Marlon Brando in Paradise

Marlon Brando in Paradise

Self - Actor (archive footage)

2024

Flashing Images of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando

Flashing Images of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando

Stanley Kowalski/Self

2023

The Brando Interregnum: The Decade of Marlon's Dirty Dozen 1962-1972

The Brando Interregnum: The Decade of Marlon's Dirty Dozen 1962-1972

Himself

2022

Daniel Day-Lewis: The Hollywood Genius

Daniel Day-Lewis: The Hollywood Genius

Himself (archive footage)

2021

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It

Self (archive footage)

2021

kid 90

kid 90

Self (archive footage)

2021

Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend

Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend

Self (archive footage)

2021

Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth

Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth

Self(archive footage)

2020

Sophia Loren, a special destiny

Sophia Loren, a special destiny

Self (archive footage)

2019

Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood

Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood

(archive footage)

2019

Sacheen: Breaking the Silence

Sacheen: Breaking the Silence

Self (archive footage)

2019

Making Montgomery Clift

Making Montgomery Clift

Self (archive footage)

2018

Hollywood: No Sex, Please!

Hollywood: No Sex, Please!

2018

The Madding Crowd

The Madding Crowd

Self (archive footage)

2017

The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959

The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959

Don Vito Corleone

2016

Listen to Me Marlon

Listen to Me Marlon

Self (voice) (archive footage)

2015

Tab Hunter Confidential

Tab Hunter Confidential

Self (archive footage)

2015

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire

Self - Actor / Various Roles (archive footage)

2014

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau

Self (archive footage)

2014

Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen

(archive footage)

2012

Always Brando

Always Brando

2011

Hollywood Invasion

Hollywood Invasion

Self (archive footage)

2011

Ballybrando

Ballybrando

Self (archive footage)

2009

Hollywood sul Tevere

Hollywood sul Tevere

2009

The Last Days of Marlon Brando

The Last Days of Marlon Brando

Self (archive footage)

2008

Brando: An Icon Is Born

Brando: An Icon Is Born

Himself (archive footage)

2007

Brando

Brando

Self (archive footage)

2007

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Jor-El

2006

Albert Maysles: The Poetic Eye

Albert Maysles: The Poetic Eye

Self (archival)

2006

Superman Returns

Superman Returns

Jor-El

2006

An Actor Named Brando

An Actor Named Brando

Self (archive footage)

2006

The Godfather and the Mob

The Godfather and the Mob

Self (archive footage)

2006

Lost in "The Thinking"

Lost in "The Thinking"

Jor-El (archive footage)

2005

1955, Seven Days of Fall

1955, Seven Days of Fall

(archive footage)

2005

Behind the scenes: Last Tango in Paris

Behind the scenes: Last Tango in Paris

Self (archive footage)

2004

Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild

Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild

Self(archive footage) (uncredited)

2004

Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There

Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There

Self (archive footage)

2003

Naqoyqatsi

Naqoyqatsi

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

2002

Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration

Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration

Self

2001

Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies

Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies

Self (archive footage)

2001

You Rock My World

You Rock My World

Boss

2001

The Score

The Score

Max

2001

A Huey P. Newton Story

A Huey P. Newton Story

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

2001

Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman'

Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman'

Self

2001

Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend

Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend

Self

2001

Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1

Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1999

Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity

Tough Guise: Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity

Self

1999

Free Money

Free Money

Warden Sven 'The Swede' Sorenson

1998

The Brave

The Brave

McCarthy

1997

The Island of Dr. Moreau

The Island of Dr. Moreau

Dr. Moreau

1996

All Power to the People!

All Power to the People!

Self (archive footage)

1996

Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage

Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage

Stanley Kowalski / Valentine 'Snakeskin' Xavier (archive footage)

1994

Don Juan DeMarco

Don Juan DeMarco

Dr. Jack Mickler

1994

Marlon Brando: The Wild One

Marlon Brando: The Wild One

Self (archive footage)

1994

The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980

The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980

Don Vito Corleone

1992

Christopher Columbus: The Discovery

Christopher Columbus: The Discovery

Tomas de Torquemada

1992

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

Self

1991

Movie Tough Guys

Movie Tough Guys

Self (archive footage)

1991

Anthony Quinn: An Original

Anthony Quinn: An Original

Self (archive footage)

1990

The Freshman

The Freshman

Carmine Sabatini, aka Jimmy The Toucan

1990

A Dry White Season

A Dry White Season

Ian McKenzie

1989

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

Self (voice)

1989

Black Leather Jacket

Black Leather Jacket

Johnny Strabler (segment "The Wild One") (archive footage)

1989

Hello Actors Studio

Hello Actors Studio

Self (archive footage)

1988

John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick

John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1988

Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC

Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC

Self (archive footage)

1988

Montgomery Clift: The Hidden Star

Montgomery Clift: The Hidden Star

Self (archive footage)

1987

The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'

The Making of 'Superman: The Movie'

Self

1982

The Formula

The Formula

Adam Steiffel

1980

Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now

Colonel Walter Kurtz

1979

Superman

Superman

Jor-El

1978

Raoni

Raoni

Self - Narrator (voice)

1978

The Missouri Breaks

The Missouri Breaks

Robert E. Lee Clayton

1976

Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still

Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1974

Last Tango in Paris

Last Tango in Paris

Paul

1972

The Godfather

The Godfather

Don Vito Corleone

1972

The Nightcomers

The Nightcomers

Peter Quint

1972

The Godfather: Behind the Scenes

The Godfather: Behind the Scenes

Self

1971

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis

Self (archive footage)

1970

Burn!

Burn!

Sir William Walker

1969

The Night of the Following Day

The Night of the Following Day

Chauffeur

1969

Candy

Candy

Grindl

1968

The Movie Orgy

The Movie Orgy

Self (archive footage)

1968

Reflections in a Golden Eye

Reflections in a Golden Eye

Maj. Weldon Penderton

1967

A Countess from Hong Kong

A Countess from Hong Kong

Ogden Mears

1967

Meet Marlon Brando

Meet Marlon Brando

Self

1966

The Appaloosa

The Appaloosa

Matt

1966

The Chase

The Chase

Sheriff Calder

1966

Morituri

Morituri

Robert Crain

1965

Bedtime Story

Bedtime Story

Freddy Benson

1964

The Ugly American

The Ugly American

Ambassador Harrison Carter MacWhite

1963

Mutiny on the Bounty

Mutiny on the Bounty

First Lieutnant Fletcher Christian

1962

One-Eyed Jacks

One-Eyed Jacks

Rio

1961

The Fugitive Kind

The Fugitive Kind

Valentine 'Snakeskin' Xavier

1960

The Young Lions

The Young Lions

Lt. Christian Diestl

1958

Sayonara

Sayonara

Major Lloyd Gruver

1957

The Teahouse of the August Moon

The Teahouse of the August Moon

Sakini

1957

Operation Teahouse

Operation Teahouse

Self

1956

Guys and Dolls

Guys and Dolls

Sky Masterson

1955

Désirée

Désirée

Napoleon Bonaparte

1954

On the Waterfront

On the Waterfront

Terry Malloy

1954

The Wild One

The Wild One

Johnny Strabler

1953

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

Mark Antony

1953

Viva Zapata!

Viva Zapata!

Emiliano Zapata

1952

A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire

Stanley Kowalski

1951

The Men

The Men

Ken

1950

Horrifying Hollywood Murders

Horrifying Hollywood Murders

Self (archive footage)