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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mb.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:Truly the epitome of manliness.]]
3
4->''"Best be showin' some r'spect fer Marlon there, the man's a religious icon where I come from. Followers of the Bran-Dao believe that you don't gotta be running your mouth to prove how macho you are. Just gotta be confident and put your all into what you do, and people will fill in the rest themselves. We believe if you live your life right, you reach a state of Nirv'''man'''a where the whole universe is in [[http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/323 complete recognition of your masculinity."]]''
5-->-- '''Commander Badass''', ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings''
6
7Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was a legendary American {{method act|ing}}or who was among the first to [[DyeingForYourArt dye for their art]], using diet, exercise, and makeup to alter his appearance to suit each role.
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9He broke out in the late [[TheForties 1940s]] in Creator/EliaKazan's Broadway production of ''Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire'', then became one of the world's biggest film stars in the early [[TheFifties 1950s]] when he repeated the role in Kazan's film version. His movie hits included his [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]]-winning role in Kazan's ''Film/OnTheWaterfront'', as well as less arty projects such as ''Film/TheWildOne'' and the screen adaptation of ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls''. He later created and forever owned the role of Don Vito Corleone in ''Film/TheGodfather'', as well as performed notable cameo roles in several high-profile films, including Jor-El in ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' and Kurtz in ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.
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11Brando later became regarded as something of a joke for his exorbitant demands and prima donna behavior on film sets, which put many directors at odds with him. He eventually went into a self-imposed seclusion, from which he emerged only to appear in films far below his demonstrated talent.
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13A famous ladies' man, he also admitted to having several homosexual experiences[[note]]Creator/RichardPryor claimed to have had a fling with Brando. Although no one can confirm it, those who knew the men say they wouldn't be surprised if it were true[[/note]].
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15Brando was preceded in acting by his older sister Jocelyn, whose credits include ''Film/TheBigHeat'' and ''Film/MommieDearest''.
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17He was voted in the UK's Empire Magazine in 1997 as one of the five greatest living actors. He passed away in 2004.
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19Impressions of him, in the form of a MumblingBrando, are a StockParody.
20
21----
22!!Filmography:
23
24* ''Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire'' (1951) -- reprising his stage role
25* ''Film/VivaZapata'' (1952)
26* ''Film/{{Julius Caesar|1953}}'' (1953) -- one hell of a job with the "Friends! Romans! Countrymen!" speech
27* ''Film/TheWildOne'' (1953)
28* ''Film/OnTheWaterfront'' (1954)
29* ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls'' (1955)
30* ''Theatre/TheTeahouseOfTheAugustMoon'' (1956)
31* ''Film/{{Sayonara}}'' (1957)
32* ''Film/OneEyedJacks'' (1961) -- also his sole film as a director
33* ''Film/{{Mutiny on the Bounty|1962}}'' (1962)
34* ''Film/BedtimeStory1964''
35* ''Film/{{Morituri}}'' (1965)
36* ''Film/ACountessFromHongKong'' (1967)
37* ''Film/TheGodfather'' (1972)
38* ''Film/LastTangoInParis'' (1972)
39* ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' (1978)
40* ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' (1979)
41* ''[[Film/TheFreshman1990 The Freshman]]'' (1990)
42* ''Film/DonJuanDeMarco'' (1995)
43* ''Film/TheIslandOfDrMoreau1996'' (1996) -- Legendary TroubledProduction
44* ''Film/TheScore'' (2001)
45
46----
47!!Tropes associated with Marlon Brando and his characters include:
48
49* BigEater: Even before his later weight gain, his appetite was legendary with costume designers regularly having to alter his outfits to accommodate his habits and producers even hiring people to shadow Brando and forcibly remove him from coffee and pastry shops. His favorite food was ice cream, and one of his favorite snacks was a full loaf of bread stuffed with bacon.
50* BrilliantButLazy:
51** Creator/AlPacino said that he would work his ass off in acting only to come short of what Brando could do in his sleep. The man was also famous for refusing to memorize lines and often had [[http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1043832/images/o-MARLON-BRANDO-GODFATHER-CUE-CARDS-facebook.jpg cue cards on set]] or just improvised. Bear in mind that Brando started in theatre so he knew perfectly well how to memorize lines. He used cue cards on set not out of laziness so much as to provide a more spontaneous performance (which considering that movies were shot out of order helped make every scene fresh).
52** Creator/EliaKazan admitted that this was Brando's style. Give him a part and attract his curiosity and tell him what you want from the scene. He would then go in a corner and come up with [[TakeAThirdOption something unique and brilliant]], and better than the original idea. Some directors accepted this, others who preferred total obedience to their directions had problems accepting this and this created conflict on some of his later films.
53** Case in point: ''Superman''. He was only there for the money, read his lines off cue cards and baby Kal-El's nappy (refusing to learn them), and had a fairly small role. And it is one of the best performances in the film. Moreover, he was the one who suggested that Superman's logo be the family sigil, which eventually became part of the Superman mythos.
54** He also suggested to Creator/RichardDonner that he play Jor-El as "a green suitcase", which Donner admitted years later that he still wasn't entirely sure if he was serious or not.
55** In ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' he came in very late to a production [[TroubledProduction already very tumultuous]], he was asked to lose weight (as Kurtz was supposed to be a legendary special forces soldier) but instead arrived obese and hadn't even read the script or original novel. Creator/FrancisFordCoppola worked with dramatic lighting and chest-high camera angles, with Brando improvising his dialogue and [[EnforcedMethodActing interactions with the rest of the cast]]. The end result is considered one of the best character introductions and performances.
56* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: He enjoyed pulling pranks on his co-actors and the director, refused to learn his lines, effectively sabotaging the very movies he appeared in. In ''Apocalypse Now'' he appeared on set while being seriously overweight. Creator/FrancisFordCoppola had to solve this problem by showing him in shadows, which actually worked out well for the scene.
57* DracoInLeatherPants: [[invoked]] Regretted that a couple of his bad boy roles got this treatment. Stanley in ''Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire'' especially -- Brando loathed the character as an abusive rapist and was horrified that some audiences romanticized him.
58* ExtremeOmnivore: It was reported during the filming of ''The Missouri Breaks'' that the environmentally sensitive Brando fished a frog out of a pond, took a huge bite out of the hapless amphibian, and threw it back into the drink.
59* TheGadfly: Basically his sense of humor. Brando would often say things and make suggestions that he knew directors would shoot down as a way of entertaining both himself and others. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.
60* HiddenDepths: His activism for the Civil Rights Movement and Native American rights. He also studied with a voice teacher and did his own singing in ''Theatre/GuysAndDolls''. He's not mind-blowing, but he more than holds his own against his co-star ''Music/FrankSinatra''. And despite being the progenitor of the MumblingBrando, he once played UsefulNotes/MarkAntony in ''Theatre/JuliusCaesar'' and proved that, yes, he can enunciate and project ''and'' method act better than anyone else in the room.
61* ICouldaBeenAContender: TropeNamer via ''Film/OnTheWaterfront''.
62* LargeHam: While he usually fell more on the ColdHam end of the spectrum, he could be a truly monumental example of this when he got going. Just ask [[Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire Stella]].
63* MrFanservice: During TheFifties and TheSixties with a bit of EvenTheGuysWantHim.
64* OneBookAuthor: His directorial debut ''Film/OneEyedJacks'' which resulted in ExecutiveMeddling and is regarded by some critics as evidence that [[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct He Really Can Direct]]. His bad experience on it put him off directing for good though he planned further films.
65* OohMeAccentsSlipping: ''Film/TheMissouriBreaks'', where his WildWest hit man character lapses in and out of a stereotypical ''Irish'' accent.
66* ThePrimaDonna: He became a notorious example of this, especially in his later roles, with directors and co-stars often finding him nearly impossible to work with, Film/ApocalypseNow and Film/TheIslandOfDrMoreau1996 being two of the most infamous examples of his ego and demands nearly destroying the whole production.
67* RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic: One of the core elements of the Brando acting style is that he projected a performance through body language and the tone of voice more than just the words on the page. This created the MumblingBrando parody but it was revolutionary in how it made his performances feel imminently more naturalistic next to actors accustomed to using a rigid posture and strict enunciation.
68* SueDonym: Appropriately for a LargeHam, he took up [[UsefulNotes/TwoWayRadio ham radio]] as a hobby after settling in Tahiti, but got his license under the name "Martin Brandeaux".
69* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Stayed in touch with Creator/EliWallach (who was a NiceGuy by comparison) for about thirty years, even after they did an improvisational scene together where he hurled Wallach across the room, elevating a stage fight into a brawl.
70* TrademarkFavoriteFood: He was known for his love of ice cream, often eating five-gallon tubs in one sitting.
71* {{Troll}}: One of his favorite hobbies in his later years was to go on the internet and start arguments in chat rooms.
72* TroubledButCute: Many of his early roles.
73* UnkemptBeauty: Famously portrayed a very masculine and attractive man who was constantly sweaty and dirty.
74* VocalDissonance: He's one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s for the {{Hunk}}, and yet his voice is... ''jarring,'' to say the least. Especially with his thick accent and lisp which gave the impression that he was slurring his words.
75* {{Yellowface}}: Portrayed an Okinawan in the theatrical adaptation of ''Theatre/TheTeahouseOfTheAugustMoon''. The Yellowface is somewhat softened by 1) Brando delivering a typically charismatic performance and 2) Brando's character being the smartest person in the movie. In fairness to him, Brando did such intense research on Okinawan customs and accent in order to get it right that actual Okinawans were convinced that he was the genuine article.
76
77!!Brando in fiction
78
79[[AC: WebComics]]
80* Marlon Brando is a godlike figure in ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings''. Literally. CommanderBadass worships him. And do ''not'' compare him to Creator/ChuckNorris.
81
82[[AC: WesternAnimation]]
83* Mentok the Mindtaker's backstory in ''WesternAnimation/HarveyBirdmanAttorneyAtLaw'' parodied Superman's origin story. His father, Big L, was a parody of Marlon Brando. But later life Marlon Brando.
84* Appeared as a guest referee in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'', for the Creator/AlPacino vs Creator/RobertDeNiro fight. Music/BeastieBoys eventually use him to plug the exhaust of the Music/BackstreetBoys giant robot in the main event fight.
85* Frequently parodied on ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', targeting his late career obesity and paycheck roles. Among other appearances, Brando stars in a musical version of ''Film/ApocalypseNow'' (called ''Apocalypse Wow!''), portrays Mr. French in a ''Series/FamilyAffair'' remake as [[Film/TheGodfather Vito Corleone]] and complains about having to lose weight to play Series/BarneyTheDinosaur.
86* Victim of a TakeThat in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' episode "Hooray for North Hollywood!"
87-->"Brando's mad, says screenplay's bad!/Means someone else was offered the role!"

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