Marlon Brando was a veteran star who found worldwide fame and critical acclaim, portraying some iconic roles like Vito Corleone in The Godfather and Jor-El in Superman: The Movie.
However, Matt Damon doesn’t seem to believe Brando had it easy because of his talents. On the contrary, the actor actually thinks that Brando destroyed a generation of actors with his nonchalant persona. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Damon said (via Far Out Magazine):
I think Marlon Brando has done more to destroy this generation of actors because, with the whole marble-mouth thing, the I-don’t-give-a-f*ck mentality, what people overlook is that when the dude was my age, he was the hardest-working man in show business.
He continued,
He was onstage, he was busting his ass with Stella Adler, he was obsessed with acting. When people say, ‘I just want to be fat and live in Fiji and have everyone tell me I’m a genius,’ they’re not looking at what it actually takes to get there.
Although Damon does agree that no one worked as hard as Marlon Brando during his youth, it is also true that the actor had developed a certain affinity for not bothering to remember his lines.
Marlon Brando Had His Lines Fed to Him While Filming
The actor was notorious for not memorizing his lines. Some of his famous quotes from the film The Godfather were done while reading cue cards strategically placed around the set of the movie, including “Look how they massacred my boy” and “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
Although Marlon Brando’s unusual habit often got on the wrong foot with the directors, the actor seemed to handle it all. Many alleged that Brando had become lazy and tardy (as per Collider), while others stated that Brando was simply doing the Stanislavski Method, an approach where natural reaction was considered far better than recited lines.
Whether recited or spontaneous, one thing that was certain was that Marlon Brando’s acting was undeniably and unequivocally brilliant, even during his later years of acting.
What Happened to Marlon Brando in His Later Stages of Acting?
The Godfather brought a career resurgence for Marlon Brando. However, in the later years, Marlon Brando appeared in lower capacities and cameo roles rather than lead characters.
Similar to his process, Brando did not memorize his lines and instead relied on cues lying around the sets for his dialogue. He also gained a significant amount of weight as old age came around the corner, slowing down his career.
Reports stated that his on-set behavior was erratic, uncontrollable, and Brando often failed to respect commitments and show up on the sets. His final film, The Score, received average ratings before Brando passed away in 2004.
What do you think about Marlon Brando’s filmography? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The Godfather is available to stream on HBO Max (USA).
