Marlon Brando is one of the most celebrated method actors. On his 97th birth anniversary, here are some interesting facts about this greatest and most influential actor of 20th-century. From Stanley Kowalski of A Streetcar Named Desire to The Don of The Godfather, his career is as impactful as it is unpredictable.
1. He learnt method acting from Stella Adler, an actress and acting teacher who founded the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City in 1949. He is credited with being one of the first actors to bring the Stanislavski system of acting and method acting to mainstream audiences.
2. He first gained attention for his performance as Stanley Kowalski in the Broadway run of A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947.
3.Brando’s mother Dodie was an actress and theatre administrator. She staunchly supported Brando to pursue his passion in spite of his father’s disapproval. His older sister Jocelyn was the first to pursue an acting career, and went on to appear on Broadway and several successful films.
4. He was expelled from his first Illinois high school for riding his motorcycle through the hallways. He was sent to a military academy in Minnesota, where he was put on probation for being insubordinate and then expelled for sneaking into town. He decided to drop out of high-school when he was invited back the following year.
5. Brando used cue cards to remember his lines while acting. In spite of objections from his crew members for not remembering lines and using cue cards, he insisted that the habit makes his performances more realistic and spontaneous.
6. In the 1953 biker gang film The Wild One, Brando rode his own Triumph Thunderbird 6T motorcycle. Although, the movie was disliked by critics for the use of excessive violence, it made Brando a symbol of rebellious youth.
7. The Best Actor Academy Award that the actor won for the film On the Waterfront, was stolen, but was found at a London auction years later.