Marlon Brando gained a reputation in Hollywood through his method of acting. He famously leaned towards dramatics and creating tension, rather than delivering lines for the sake of it, becoming one of the most respected actors in the industry. His appearances in The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and On the Waterfront are only some excellent examples of his gift.
Even though he was one of the greatest actors of all time, some roles are simply not meant for some people.
In 1991, Oliver Stone directed a film called JFK, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The film very quickly became one of the most controversial films in American history as it embraced and elaborated on the controversies surrounding the president’s assassination. It would seem that Brando was offered a part in the movie, which he turned down to the director’s relief.
Marlon Brando Was Almost A Part of Oliver Stone’s JFK
In JFK, Donald Sutherland played the role of Mr. X, a mysterious operative who was in direct contact with Jim Garrison, played by Kevin Costner. The actor’s performance in this role was impeccable and he received a huge amount of acclaim and attention for it. However, it would seem that he was not the first choice for the role according to director, Oliver Stone. (via IndieWire)
“I had been dumb enough to go to Marlon Brando,” said Stone
The filmmaker revealed that when he was originally deciding who would play this character, he decided to ask, Marlon Brando, the actor he looked up to the most. He contacted the actor to ask him if he wanted to play the role and soon came to regret this decision.
Oliver Stone Was Happy When Marlon Brando Rejected The Role
Interestingly enough, when Marlon Brando rejected the opportunity, Oliver Stone was glad about it. The reason for such a reaction was that he did not think that Brando was the right person for the role, even though he thought greatly of him. With his specialty in dramatics, the actor would have wanted to flush out the character and take his sweet time with it; something the movie did not have.
“We all love him, of course. But if he’d said yes I would have been f*cked. That scene would have gone on for twice the length.” He went on.
Additionally, he mentioned that Brando’s presence in the movie, on its own, could have changed the final result as it would have forced Costner to switch up his performance to better impress the legend. This is something that Stone did not want as he thought the film to be perfect on its own.
“The picture rises to another level, because Costner realizes what he’s up against and it’s much bigger than he ever thought.” He finished.
Brando wasn’t the only one to let this role go as Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson were also asked to take it up. The former passed the opportunity because he was afraid of playing a character like that, with Stone saying “There’s a risk once you play that role.”
JFK is available for streaming on Prime Video.
