Marlon Brando was believed by many to be a man in a class of his
own who sparked passion and emotion into the hearts of many of
those who sat in darkened theaters to watch his work.
At the age of 80, Brando died on July 1 at the UCLA Medical
Center from lung failure, according to a UCLA press release issued
on July 2.
Known for such powerful films as “A Street Cart Named
Desire” and “On the Water Front”, Brando brought
new meaning to the field of acting.
In perhaps one of his most poignant roles, “The
Godfather” immortalized Brando as a tough no-holds-bar Mafia
boss.
Brando’s character in “The Godfather”
instantly became iconic due to the variety of subtle mannerisms he
employed.
“I was shocked and deeply saddened at the loss of the
greatest acting genius of our time. What will we do without Marlon
in this world?” said his
“˜”˜Godfather” co-star Al Pacino, one of the
generation of stars influenced by Brando’s work.
Many considered Brando to be a hybrid between the smooth
sophistication of heroic actors such as Cary Grant and Henry Fonda,
and the emotionally starved anti-heroes of actors such as Jack
Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman.
“˜”˜He influenced more young actors of my generation
than any actor,” longtime friend and
“˜”˜Godfather” co-star James Caan said
Friday. “˜”˜Anyone who denies this never understood what
it was all about.”
Brando influenced the lives of many including UCLA English
professor Larry Grobel, who spent 10 days with Brando on his island
in Tahiti and describes his experiences in his book,
“Conversations with Brando,” which he may use in a
seminar in the fall called “The Art of the
Interview.”
Grobel reflects on Brando’s life and death on his Web
site.
“He was a man who claimed to disdain his profession, and
yet he never sold himself out; he never appeared in a commercial,
he never went on television to promote a product … Of the
hundreds of people I have interviewed in my career, I have never
met anyone like Marlon Brando,” Grobel writes.
Many believe that one of Brando’s most important
contributions was his refusal to conform.
“˜”˜I am myself,” he once said,
“˜”˜and if I have to hit my head against a brick wall to
remain true to myself, I will do it.”
With reports from Bruin wire services.