Why Brando Almost Didn’t Star In The Godfather
Paramount didn’t want to cast Marlon Brando because of his reputation for being difficult. At the time he was being considered in the mid-’70s, the Oscar-winner was also considered box office poison, and the studio didn’t want his inclusion in the cast possibly deterring fans from seeing it. Brando himself was suspicious of taking the role given all the animosity against him and wasn’t quite sure he wanted to be at the mercy of Paramount, but Francis Ford Coppola pleaded with him to reconsider and ended up having to promise the studio that he would secure a one million dollar bond against the actor should he behave poorly on set.How Brando Made Himself Appear Older For His Godfather Role
In order to secure the role, Brando did a great deal himself to convince Paramount that he was the right fit for Don Corleone. When meeting Coppola, he tied his long hair up into a bun and used black shoe polish to change its color, and most famously, stuffed his cheeks with cotton balls in order to look like a “bulldog.” When he sat down for a dinner completely in character with the rest of the cast treating him like the head of the Corleone family, it became clear that The Godfather had found its Don Corleone, and he went on to win an Academy Award for his celebrated performance.