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What made him such a great actor?

posted 5 years ago by Wuchak (8184)
6 replies | jump to latest

His detractors denounced him for putting Post-It notes nearby when he was performing a scene, arguing that he was too lazy to memorize his lines, but Brando explained in his autobiography why he did this:

He said he noticed that other actors blew all their energy BEFORE filming commenced, pacing the periphery of the sets while memorizing their lines word-for-word. By the time they got to shoot the scene they had lost their edge. Brando learned to build-up his mojo for the actual filming of the sequence, which is the most important moment of acting. Rather than rigidly memorizing scripted dialogue, he gave the gist of the line in a spontaneous manner, which made it seem more genuine when shot.

Say what you will, but this method worked in spades and it’s why he’s known as the greatest actor ever (or, at least, one of the greatest).

[–] charliekelly (1018) 5 years ago

Very interesting. Do you know if he memorized his lines for plays in a more traditional sense, or were the people around him able to accommodate him in place of the Post-it notes?

[–] Wuchak (8184) 5 years ago

You can read about it in his book "Songs My Mother Taught Me," but it was obvious that it was something he learned along the way. So I'm sure he pretty much memorized his lines word-for-word on Broadway and in his early movies. Along the way, though, he discovered the superiority of the method noted above.

He was known for posting dialogue notes on other actors in the scene and was heavily criticized by critics who couldn't stand him. But his reasoning above showed that there was a method to his madness. And, more importantly, it worked.

[–] LeWildPlatypus (766) 5 years ago

I always thought Brando's troubled childhood and upbringing influenced his outlook on life and film acting, toughened him up and gave him that real quality.

[–] LTUM (980) 4 years ago

decidedly. well said

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

He was known for posting dialogue notes on other actors in the scene and was heavily criticized by critics who couldn't stand him. But his reasoning above showed that there was a method to his madness. And, more importantly, it worked.

---

Early on he would put the notes on the walls behind the actor, or on the actor's chest but for "The Missouri Breaks"(1976), he cruelly exercised his star power by demanding that the other actor (John McLiam) wear a piece of paper with Brando's lines TAPED TO HIS FACE. McLiam agreed -- but only if "you will cut holes for my eyes to see you."

I think that is a story about a very cruel and contemptuous man -- Brando -- the cowardice of his director (Arthur Penn of Bonnie and Clyde) in not stopping this, and the willingness of the much lesser known McLiam to humiliate himself so as to work with a star.

Contemptible. Brando was going a bit nuts and taking it out on "lessers."

"In the beginning"on the Broadway stage, a young and hungry Brando evidently did what so many actors MUST do: learned his lines. But as time went on, Brando saw no need to evidence this most basic(and impressive) of an actor's tasks.

Personally, I stand in awe of the many great STAGE actors (O'Toole and Burton among them) who could go out every night with a mass of Shakespeare memorized and perform their roles(sometimes while drunk with those two.)

I would suggest that ONE reason our stars get their big bucks --and Oscars sometimes -- is their ability TO memorize lines, Particularly long speeches like George C. Scott's in Patton or Marisa Tomei on the witness stand talking automotive technology in "My Cousin Vinny."

And note this: some of our movie stars COULD do stage plays and memorize their lines: Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Kline...even (at the start of his career)..Burt Reynolds.

But a lot of movie stars evidently have no capacity for memorization and hence have NOT done stage plays: Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, Tom Cruise.

CONT

[–] ecarle (14979) 3 years ago

In the early 80's, I saw aged stars and pals Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in a stage play where they played Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as older men. There was undeniable star power on stage but each actor(especially Lancaster) had to keep yelling out "Line!" to an offstage script girl who would quietly prompt them. As the evening wore on, it became very difficult to suspend disbelief as the two actors kept forgetting their lines. I believe that play closed rather quickly.

And: I have read that Johnny Depp(a Brando disciple, after all) uses, rather than cue cards, a listening device in his ear so that an assistant can read his lines to him just before he says them. I guess Johnny won't be needing that device again for awhile.