Capote would later remark, “The secret art of interviewing, and it is an art, is to let the other person think he’s interviewing you. You tell him everything about yourself, and slowly you spin your web so that he tells you everything. That’s how I trapped Marlon.”
Brando, in what comes across as self-absorbed rambling, spoke at length about his inability to find love, his difficult relationships with his family, and the pain caused by the pressures of fame. He later said of the dinner, “The little bastard spent half the night telling me all his problems. I figured the least I could do was tell him some of mine.”
On his acting career, Brando told Capote, “I’ve seriously considered—I’ve very seriously thought about—throwing the whole thing up. This business of being a successful actor. What’s the point, if it doesn’t evolve into anything? All right, you’re a success. At last you’re accepted, you’re welcome everywhere. But that’s it, that’s all there is to it, it doesn’t lead anywhere. You’re just sitting on a pile of candy gathering thick layers of—of crust. Too much success can ruin you as surely as too much failure.”
Additional Interviews With Marlon Brando
Brando appeared on “The Dick Cavett Show” on June 12, 1973, to speak about the plight of American Indians, particularly their negative portrayals in Hollywood films. Earlier in the year, Brando refused to appear at the Academy Awards, instead sending Indian activist Sacheen Littlefeather to accept his award.
Brando was interviewed by Lawrence Grobel for Playboy magazine in 1978. He spoke about his aversion to interviews, his behavior during the Cavett interview, and why he doesn’t consider himself—or any actor—to be an artist. He also touched on Hollywood’s portrayals of minorities, making controversial statements about Jews in Hollywood.
(Warning: Site includes links to adult content.)
To learn more about Marlon Brando, read his profile on findingDulcinea.
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