Marlon Brando’s Iconic Portrayal of Vito Corleone in The Godfather
Marlon Brando’s portrayal of Vito Corleone in The Godfather is one of the most iconic roles in cinematic history. However, it wasn’t always a given that Brando would play the part. In fact, he had valid reasons to believe that Paramount Pictures would refuse to cast him.
Throughout the 1960s, Brando had suffered a series of box office bombs, which led him to believe that Paramount would not proceed with The Godfather if he was attached to the project. Additionally, Brando’s reputation for having a short temper and being difficult to work with also made the studio hesitant to cast him.
Despite Francis Ford Coppola’s desire to cast Brando as Vito, Paramount executives were initially against it. They wanted Ernest Borgnine or Orson Welles for the role. However, Coppola eventually convinced them to let Brando do a screen test, which he passed with flying colors.
Paramount executives were impressed with Brando’s screen test and agreed to cast him in The Godfather, but only on the condition that he take a lower salary and put up a bond ensuring he wouldn’t hold up production. Brando’s breathtaking portrayal of Vito Corleone earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor, which he declined.
The Godfather’s cast features some of the biggest screen legends ever to grace the silver screen, including Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and James Caan. However, Brando’s iconic performance as Vito Corleone remains the defining role of his career.
