The movie Marlon Brando walked out on, “depressed” with his own performance
As a vital figure of the mid-20th century countercultural revolution, Marlon Brando helped bring theatrical display into the modern age. Alongside his pioneering acting talent in notable titles such as A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, Brando was never short of a forthright viewpoint.
Among his ever-engrossing interviews, Brando made a name for himself as an uncompromising and provocative interviewee. Hosts would often tether the highly intelligent and conscientious actor to commercial points of conversation, but he’d much rather discuss sociopolitical issues and state a case for social justice, especially where Native Americans were concerned.
On the rare occasion that Brando would discuss his movies and performances, he was often highly self-critical, countering popular opinion. As a prime example, Brando was displeased with his role as ex-fighter Terry Malloy in Elia Kazan’s 1954 movie On the Waterfront.
In one of the movie’s most iconic scenes, Malloy says to his brother Rod Steiger’s Charley, “You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody instead of a bum, which is what I am.”
The line, “I coulda been a contender,” was inspired by the famous boxer Roger Donoghue, who ultimately trained Brando to fight for the movie. In his usual style, Brando improvised several other memorable lines, including when he asked Steiger, “How’s Mom?” or “Do you think the Yankees are going to win it this year?”
Kazan allegedly had to ask Brando to cut out some of his improvised lines and stick to the script. However, the actor wasn’t entirely comfortable with the screenplay, especially in the “I coulda been a contender” scene. He felt the casual nature of the script at this moment didn’t reflect a rational reaction to having a gun pointed at his ribs.
Ultimately, Kazan allowed Brando to improvise a couple of lines and make the emotional response his own. Yet, Brando still wasn’t pleased with his Oscar-winning performance. “On the day [Kazan] showed me the completed picture, I was so depressed by my performance I got up and left the screening room,” Brando revealed in his 1994 autobiography. “I thought I was a huge failure and walked out without a word to him. I was simply embarrassed for myself.”
Watch the famous scene from On the Waterfront below.
