Homage to Marlon Brando who was born on April 3rd, 1924 ( - June 1st, 2004).

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"...

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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...