APRIL 3 - Marlon Brando about Acting and Truth
Published 2022-04-04
Marlon Brando trained with Stella Adler (and not Lee Strasberg as it was unduly claimed) Here is what Marlon Brando said in "Songs My Mothert Taught Me" (chapter 12): '“I sometimes went to the Actors Studio on Saturday mornings because Elia Kazan was teaching, and there were usually a lot of good-looking girls. But Strasberg never taught me acting. Stella did—and later Kazan.”
He revolutionised acting on stage with "Streetcar Named Desire" and in film bringing the heightened truth that brings audience in the moment, recognising situations honestly portrayed as they would in life.
His filmography includes: "Streetcar Named Desire", "On The Waterfront", "The GodFather", "Apocalypse Now", Viva Zapata", "Guys And Dolls", "A Dry White Reason", "Julius Caesar", and many others.
But this appetite for truth is difficult to maintain in an environment where sharks are welcome. Seeing that it was more about money than art and telling the truth, Brando distanced himself little by little, attempting to stay true to what he knew and developed in him: a sensitivity to life that he learned to use to act. On the other side of the circus, it is sometimes better to avoid what could contradict this same sensitive sense of truth. In this video, Marlon Brando, tries to have a real discussion on TV, about "Truth" and "Acting' as a survival mechanism we all practise.
This must explain what some actors, acting teachers & directors mean when insisting that, like Spike Lee put it: “I don’t like acting; not in front of the camera.” On stage or on camera it is about telling the truth -this very sense of truth that we would usually trample all over, day after day, "acting" out of our defensive ego to go throughout our so-called "social" life.
Quite far removed from Sanford Meisner 'Living Truthfully under the given Imaginary circumstances"...
Don't forget to subscribe for more content like this!
AWARDS:
1979 - Primetime Emmy Awards - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for Roots: The Next Generations
1973 - Academy Awards - Best Actor in a Leading Role in The Godfather
1955 - Academy Awards - Best Actor in a Leading Role in On the Waterfront
1955 - Bafta Awards - Best Foreign Actor for On the Waterfront1954 - Bafta Awards - Best Foreign Actor for Julius Caesar
1953 - Bafta Awards - Best Foreign Actor for Viva Zapata!1952 - Cannes Film Festival - Palme d’or for Viva Zapata!
SOURCES:
Koyaanisqatsi - Marlon Brando Interview Dick Caveat Show (June 12, 1973) - • Marlon Brando - Interview (June 12, 1...
Don Giller - Marlon Brando Interview- Saturday night with Connie Chung, Sept. 1989, Complete - • Marlon Brando Interview with Connie C...
All Comments (21)
-
This dude is still so interesting and honest.
-
I don't think I will EVER get OVER how BEAUTIFUL looking Brando was in Streetcar 😍🔥😱🥵
-
God he’s mind blowing he sees right through it all and how present he is. ❤
-
A sensitive and perceptive man - so incredibly interesting to listen to and watch. ❤️❤️
-
Marlon Brando besides being the greatest Actor of All Time was Also the Smartest Actor ALSO. I don't think there was a subject that Brando wasn't an Expert On! There was No End to Brando's Talent & Intellect! The Irony here is that he's talking about great thinkers & philosophers being gone & now he's gone! He was Definitely my ALL TIME FAVORITE ACTOR of All Time & I MISS Him Terribly. Marlon Brando was also the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen. His features were perfect! Brando had presences & was unpredictable! One never knew what he was going to say or do, he always had the last word & was ahead of all his interviewers. Loved his soft voice too! There will never be another Marlon Brando in this lifetime!
-
I think him and Paul Newman were the most stunningly handsome and mesmerising actors, you just couldn’t stop looking at them, they also exuded sexuality… it was so raw and alive
-
Marlon had a psychological effect over men in America, besides think of that post-Brando era, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson or even, Johnny Depp, all of them became actors because of Marlon Brando. So that's why Brando is to the acting like Bob Dylan is to the music.
-
Highly intelligent man.
-
A great human!
-
The “No I won’t do it.” on the Dick Cavett show is one of the many reasons why I value and love Marlon Brando
-
Marlon Brando Currently A Head Of His Time, Just Pure Class In Everything He Did
-
It's sad that so many of these interviews w him feel like sparring matches - he has a lot to say, but the interviewers seem so keen on poking or prodding or coaxing him - they don't do the listening work to establish what point of view he's coming from - so they keep talking past him, and he gets so tired of that - it's uncomfortable to watch, but fascinating
-
Sir Lawrence Olivier said of Brando, "he is the greatest actor of our time because he becomes the character and adds his own flavour."
-
What a truly , wise and so and so sensitive and lucid man he was and he still is and always be to me and loads of people . I am an actress and even so I do not agry with all what he is saying about acting work I do understand perfectly his point of vue totaly honnest and true for many things ! !! I miss him really deep and one more time I do constate how smart and aware he is and even so he would'nt like my last point of vue what a GREATt and WONDERFUL ACTOR he was, yep Marlon Brando I do love you true and for ever and ever... !💘💝💞
-
Brando said it himself any actor who thinks acting is work has never had a real job before
-
Never get tired of this interview. It was my dad who turned me on to such acting greats of his time. A list of legends during the Golden Age of American films.
-
Love this
-
Acting is waiting memorizing lines waiting associating with many people waiting acting waiting and then going home. Hopefully you don’t have to wait for the bus. He’s right about how it’s a stage down here and you have to play your part and keep the act going. That’s why I like to be alone because I don’t have to lie but just be myself.
-
Que difícil debió ser frenar ese imparable deseo de amar a ese hombre tan incomodo y controversial. Fascinante!
-
Oh Brando, he hated being called the best. He just was though, he just had a charisma and presence like no other. Totally magnetic, that's the X factor. You can be a great actor but not really touch anyone because you've got no charisma. Marlon in Streetcar was so charismatic and seriously gorgeous, he was like a panther or something. You couldn't take your eyes off him. He was a very very fascinating person.
