Marlon Brando: Oscar-Winning Star of The Godfather Dies at 80

Marlon Brando was an American actor regarded as one of the most influential of the 20th century. Born on April 3, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska, he studied with acting teacher Stella Adler in New York.

Brando shot to fame as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway and in the 1951 film. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for On the Waterfront (1954) and for The Godfather (1972). In 1973 he declined the Oscar and sent Sacheen Littlefeather to explain his protest over Native American treatment. He also starred in Last Tango in Paris and Apocalypse Now.

His personal life was marked by troubles with his children and several marriages. He owned the Tahitian atoll Tetiaroa. Brando died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on July 1, 2004, at age 80, of respiratory failure from pulmonary fibrosis.

Achievements: Two Academy Awards, eight Oscar nominations, Emmy nomination for Roots: The Next Generations.

Birth: April 3, 1924 - Omaha, Nebraska.

Profession: Actor.

Interesting Facts: His "I coulda been a contender" scene in On the Waterfront is one of the most quoted in film.