Marlon Brando, Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor whose body of work spanned over half a century. He was named the fourth
Greatest Male Star of All Time by the
American Film Institute, and part of
Time magazine's
Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century [Marlon Brando TIME.]
As a young
sex symbol, he is best known for his roles as
Stanley Kowalski in
A Streetcar Named Desire and his Academy Award-winning performance as Terry Malloy in
On the Waterfront, both directed by
Elia Kazan in the early 1950s. In middle age, his well-known roles include his Academy Award-winning performance as
Vito Corleone in
The Godfather, Colonel Walter Kurtz in
Apocalypse Now, both directed by
Francis Ford Coppola and an Academy Award-nominated performance as Paul in
Last Tango in Paris.
Brando was an activist, lending his presence to many issues, including the
American Civil Rights and
American Indian Movements.
