Marlon Brando: One of the Most Renowned Actors of All Time
by Lisa Arnold
Marlon Brando is one of the most renowned actors of all time. His seemingly reckless but well-calculated style is timeless and emulated to this day. His dynamic persona, rugged good looks and stunning personality captivated audiences from his film debut in 1950 in The Men and beyond. Three years prior to his motion picture debut, Brando was causing a sensation on the stage in
Tennessee Williams steamy play A Streetcar Named Desire.
Not many performances come close to comparison than Brando's explosive portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar. Marlon Brando's acting was unlike any that had been seen before. He was refreshing and dangerous, charismatic, rough around the edges, beautifully brutal and captivating for audiences to watch. Everyone wanted to know who was this brilliant newcomer and where had he been. He erupted upon the acing scene and left a stunning and lasting impression.
Marlon Brando was born April 3, 1924 in Omaha Nebraska and was raised in Illinois. He had a troubled childhood that included living with an abusive father and an alcoholic mother. Perhaps this is when his rebel mentality was formed. Brando was expelled from High School and then from military academy. He refused to conform or play by any rules. He had his own rules, which were all rebellious.
For a time, Brando dug ditches while trying to decide what he wanted to do with his life. At the age of 23, he moved to New York, and enrolled in
Lee Strasberg's famous Actor's Studio. It was by pure luck that he found himself studying acting with the brilliant
Stella Adler. Adler was a source of inspiration for Brando. Adler exposed him to works of literature, music, and theater. It was at the
Actor's Studio where Brando learned the famous method approach. The method approach puts much emphasizes on what the motivation is for why a character does what they do. No other actor has utilized this acting tool better than Brando has.
After the success of The Men, Hollywood wanted Brando to recreate his sexually charged role of Stanley Kowalski in the 1951 screen version of Streetcar Named Desire. The screen version was more watered down than the stage play, but Brando's portrayal was still alarming for this period in American film. It was an instant hit with audiences and critics alike and was instrumental in cementing Brando as a formidable actor.
Brando filmed Viva Zapata in 1952 and Julius Caesar earlier in 1953 before portraying Johnny in
The Wild One. It is one of his most powerful roles. The Wild One was based on an actual event in which a gang vandalized the town of Hollister, California in 1947. This was the perfect role for Brando to display his edgy acting style. In the film when Johnny is asked what he is rebelling against he says, "What do you got? This improvised line is pure Brando.
In 1954 after the huge success of The Wild One came his Academy Award-winning role of Terry Malloy in
On the Waterfront. This film took a scathing look at New York City labor unions. Brando captivated audiences with his intense on screen presence. Brando went on to do several movies in the 1950's including
Guys and Dolls, Sayonara, The Young Lions and The Fugitive Kind. Brando was nominated for best actor three more times in the 1950's for his roles in Viva Zapata, Julius Caesar, and Sayonara.
In the 1960's Brando did several movies including One Eyed Jacks, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Ugly American, The Chase and Reflections in the Golden
Eye. Most of these movies were not as popular or critically acclaimed as Brando's earlier films, but they had one thing in common, the presence of Brando, a motion picture icon.
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