Brando

Marlon Brando

Patrick:
The world's greatest actor is dead. The explosion Marlon Brando made on both the Broadway stage and the silver screen at the midway point of the 20th Century has never stopped reverberating. You can't read an interview of any serious actor since his arrival where Brando isn't cited as a major influence. Sure James Dean and Monty Clift were Bishops in the Religion of Method, but Brando was The King. His attitude away from the bizness was also influential and decades ahead of the curve. He definitely lived the most bohemian lifestyle of any big star of his generation. Later in his career he made headlines for the enormous sums of cash he earned for cameo roles that amounted to only a few days work. His self-indulgence and troubled family life also made headlines. But his craft has never been questioned. Dozens of his finest moments are deeply embedded in the world's psyche. Marlon Brando was the real thing and I will miss him.

Eric:
Brando has always been credited as this amazing actor. Sure, he won an Oscar for The Godfather, but, in my opinion, it is his on screen charm that made him so memorable. He really did not play a great variety of parts. His early roles were all tough guys. Yet he had more screen presence than any actor whose ever appeared on film. His electrifying performance in A Streetcar Named Desire is enough to make him immortal. He steals every scene he is in, whether he's yelling at Blanche or just standing there in his sweaty t-shirt. Stanley is a jerk, but Brando is so damn charismatic that you end up liking him anyway.

Scott:
To me, for the longest time, Marlon Brando was just Superman's father. It wasn't until many year's later when I finally saw and was old enough to appreciate The Godfather, A Streetcar Named Desire, and On the Waterfront, that I understood what the fuss was all about. Every time an actor of note dies, it is declared that this is the end of an era. However, with Brando's passing, I think that over-used phrase is justified. He was a larger than life actor of the kind you no longer find in today's Hollywood.