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Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1948Marlon Brando ( April 3, 1924 - July 1, 2004) was an American actor who brought the techniques of method acting to prominence in the films A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront, both directed by Elia Kazan in the early 1950s. His acting style, combined with his public persona as an outsider uninterested in the Hollywood of the early 1950s, had a profound effect on a generation of actors, including James Dean and Paul Newman, and later stars, including Robert De NiroRobert De Niro (born August 17, 1943 in New York City) is an acclaimed American film actor who is noted for having starred in several of director Martin Scorsese's films. Praised for his commitment to his roles, De Niro gained 50 pounds (23 kg) and learne.
1 Biography
1.1 Youth and early acting career
Brando was born in the American heartland OmahaOmaha, Nebraska County Douglas County, Nebraska Area Total Water 1,290. 6 kmē (498. 86% Population Total ( 2000) Density 390,007 1,301. 5/ kmē Time zone Central: UTC-6 Latitude Longitude 41°15'38" N96°0'47" W Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska. It is t, NebraskaNebraska ( In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: Cornhusker State Other U. States Capital Lincoln Largest City Omaha Governor Mike Johanns Area Total Land Water % water Ranked 16th 200,520 kmē 199,099 kmē 1,247 kmē 0. 6% Population Total ( 2000) Density. In 1935Events January January 1 Italian colonies of Tripoli and Kyrenaika are joined together as Libya January 7 World War II: Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French foreign minister Pierre Laval conclude agreement in which each power undertakes not to oppo his parents separated, and his mother moved with her three children to Santa AnaSanta Ana is the largest city and the county seat of Orange County, California. It lies approximately 10 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean, on the largely seasonal Santa Ana River. The Santa Ana Freeway runs through the city, and the Costa Mesa Freeway in Orange CountyOrange County, California is a major region in the Greater Los Angeles Area of Southern California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. With a population of 2,846,289 ( 2000 census), it is the second most populous county in the state of California and the fifth, CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third largest state in the U. California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State", wh. In 1937Events January January 1 Anastasio Somoza becomes President of Nicaragua January 11 The first issue of Look magazine goes on sale in the United States. January 19 Howard Hughes sets a new air record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, his parents reconciled, and the family moved to Libertyville, Illinois, north of Chicago near Lake Michigan. He was of Dutch, French, English and Irish stock; the original family name was Brandeau. His mother, a kind and talented woman with a drinking problem, was involved in local theater, and this first interested him in stage acting . Brando was a gifted mimic from early childhood and developed a rare ability to absorb the tics and mannerisms of people he played and to display those traits dramatically while staying in character.
Brando had a tumultuous childhood, in which he was expelled from several schools. His father was largely critical of his son, but encouraged him to seek his own direction. Brando left Illinois for New York City, where he studied Method acting at the New School, then enrolled at the Actors' Studio run by Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler.
Brando used his method acting in summer-stock roles in Sayville, NY. He was expelled from his acting school in Sayville but was discovered in another play there and then made it to Broadway in the bittersweet drama, I Remember Mama, in 1944. Critics voted him "Broadway's Most Promising Actor" for his role as an anguished, paraplegic veteran in Truckline Cafe, although the play was a commercial failure. He achieved real stardom, however, as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947, directed by Elia Kazan. Brando sought out that role, driving out to Provincetown, Massachusetts where Williams was spending the summer to audition for the part. Williams recalled that he opened the screen door and knew, instantly, that he had his Stanley Kowalski.
