Marlon Brando Was Devastated by His Experience on Charlie Chaplin’s Final Film (Photo Credit – Prime Video/Wikipedia)
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Charlie Chaplin was about to call cut for the very last time in 1966. The legend of the silent film era and the man whose moustache spoke volumes without uttering a word was about to direct his swan song, A Countess from Hong Kong. For that, he needed a man who could ooze charm effortlessly, and so Chaplin went after Marlon Brando.
Why Marlon Brando Agreed To A Role That Made Him Nervous
For all his reputation as Hollywood’s brooding crown jewel, Brando couldn’t resist the offer. The idea of working with Chaplin, an idol from his childhood and a man he saw as nothing short of a comedic god, was too good to pass up. “I figured he must know something I didn’t, that he thought I could add something to the picture not apparent to me, and that I could help him achieve it,” Brando later said, per Far Out Magazine.
However, this wasn’t On the Waterfront, and it sure wasn’t Streetcar. This was a romantic comedy, and Brando, by his own admission, didn’t think he had the funny bone for it. In fact, the very idea of stepping into comic shoes made him nervous. He even told Chaplin that he might be the wrong guy for the part, but Chaplin didn’t flinch. He insisted, and eventually, Brando signed on.
Charlie Chaplin Wanted Other Stars First But Marlon Brando Said Yes
The Godfather star might have hesitated a bit more before saying yes, had he known that the part had first been offered to Cary Grant and Rex Harrison. But reverence is a powerful drug, and Chaplin’s shadow was long. Brando believed, or rather, he wanted to believe in Chaplin, and as a result, he walked onto the set expecting a warm, twinkly-eyed maestro ready to guide him through the rhythms of comedy.
Marlon Brando Meets The Real Charlie Chaplin
Unfortunately, what Brando met was far different from what he had expected. In reality, what the Hollywood star got was actually a tyrant. According to Brando, Chaplin wasn’t just demanding, he was “fearsomely cruel,” “an egotistical penny-pincher,” and, most shockingly of all, “the most sadistic man I’d ever met,” according to Far Out Magazine.
At the centre of the tension was Chaplin’s treatment of his own son, Sydney, who played a supporting role in the film. Brando was appalled, but nothing compared to the day he showed up on set 15 minutes late. Yes, just 15 minutes. What followed was, in Brando’s words, “the most embarrassing incident he’d ever been put through on a movie set.”
Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren and Charlie Chaplin on the set of A Countess from Hong Kong. pic.twitter.com/A5lcyb59rR
Chaplin reportedly tore into Brando in front of the entire cast and crew. “In front of the whole cast, Chaplin berated me, embarrassing me, telling me that I had no sense of professional ethics and that I was a disgrace to my profession,” the actor revealed. While the entire room stood still during the event, Brando burned in silence.
With fury simmering just under the surface, he looked Chaplin dead in the eye. “Mr Chaplin,” he said through clenched teeth, “I’ll be in my dressing room for 20 minutes. If you give me an apology within that time, I will consider not getting on a plane and returning to the United States. But I’ll be there only 20 minutes.” And with that, he turned and walked away.
Charlie Chaplin Apologized But The Damage Was Done
Chaplin did apologize to Marlon Brando, and the film was completed, but the magic was already gone by that time. What should have been a meeting of two icons became a cautionary tale about the cost of idol worship and the perils of crossing artistic legends.
Years later, Brando’s reflections weren’t about the comedy, performance, or film itself. They were about disappointment and about discovering that even geniuses have dark sides. “The greatest genius that the medium has ever produced,” he said, “was a mixed bag, just like all of us.” A Countess from Hong Kong may have been Chaplin’s final film, but for Brando, it marked the end of a certain kind of innocence.
