Marlon Brando

The reclusive and brooding two-time Oscar winner, and star of such classics as On the Waterfront, The Godfather and A Streetcar Named Desire died of progressive lung failure in a Los Angeles hospital July 1.

The definitive "method" actor had been grossly overweight for years and had reportedly been in poor health for almost a decade. He was rarely seen in public.

Brando had a dramatic life marked by unparalleled highs and enormous tragedy, notably the 1995 suicide of his daughter, Cheyenne, and the trial and manslaughter conviction of his son, Christian, for killing Cheyenne's abusive fiance in 1990.

Brando, who made more than 40 films in his half-century career, won best actor Oscars for On the Waterfront and for his role as the mafia boss Don Corleone in 1972's The Godfather.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 10, 2004
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