How Old Marlon Brando Was In The Godfather (Compared To Don Corleone)
Marlon Brando’s starring turn as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather is considered one of the best performances of his career, and his age in the role will surprise fans who may have naturally assumed the venerated actor was much older. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, and had a troubled production plagued with casting issues. Coppola and Puzo had to fight Paramount for the actors they wanted, and the studio, which already didn’t like the idea of making a period movie because of the expense, tried to block The Godfather cast they wanted.
It’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Marlon Brando in the role of Don Corleone, but the legendary star who was known for brooding, intense performances wasn’t the first person considered for the role. The era’s most bankable stars were courted in order to guarantee the film’s commercial success, so Brando had to do everything in his power to demonstrate that he was the perfect fit for the head of the Corleone crime family. One of the ways he accomplished this was by undergoing a serious transformation, both with his appearance and with his voice, so that he would be the definitive version of the character.
Marlon Brando Was 47 While Filming The Godfather
Despite appearing to have salt and pepper hair, jowls, and wrinkles, Marlon Brando was only 47 when he filmed The Godfather. Underneath the wig he wore for Don Corleone, Brando’s hair was long and blonde, and he was known to sport a healthy-looking tan, but the combination of prosthetics, makeup (to increase signs of aging like crow’s feet and liver spots), and wig wizardry from Dick Smith, made him appear not just older as an actor, but burdened by the trials and responsibilities of being the head of a crime family, who had been shot in the throat and outlived many of his rivals, which had taken a toll on his body.
In the novel as well as The Godfather movie, Don Vito Corleone is depicted as being an Italian man of 53 to 63. Time and the grim nature of his criminal activities made him stone-faced and even older-seeming than his years in many ways. Part of Don Corleone’s power and influence came from presenting himself as a commanding figure, and though the bullet wound in his throat from an attempted assassination made him sound weak, he always tried to emphasize strength through a calm, reserved demeanor and carrying himself in a way that didn’t invite anyone the opportunity to challenge his authority as the final word in Corleone family business.
Brando Was Mario Puzo’s First Choice For Don Corleone
According to an article in Vanity Fair, Brando was Mario Puzo’s first choice to play Don Corleone, but Paramount wanted someone with a better track record. At the time the movie was going into production, Brando hadn’t had a big hit, with many in agreement that the best years of his career were behind him. Considering the role of Michael Corleone was turned down by Jack Nicholson, and ended up going to an unknown up-and-coming actor in Hollywood, the role of his father needed to be played by an established actor who could help anchor the film and turn Al Pacino into a star.