Jack Nicholson’s Dream of Working With ‘The Godfather’ Star Came True in an Unhinged Yet Forgotten Western
Jack Nicholson is one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. He has been a part of critically hit projects like – One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, A Few Good Men, As Good As It Gets, and Chinatown. The 86-year-old American star’s portrayal of Joker is still considered as one of his most iconic roles. He is also the most nominated actor in the history of Academy Awards with 12 nominations and 3 Academy Awards.
Jack Nicholson as JokerRead Also:1 Unscripted Jack Nicholson Scene Became the Highlight of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Career in Mark Wahlberg Film
Jack Nicholson is a big fan of Marlon Brando, and always wanted to work with his fellow legendary actor. After turning down The Godfather, his dream of working with Marlon Brando came true in the 1976-release movie The Missouri Breaks.
Jack Nicholson On His Dream Of Working With Marlon Brando
The Departed star Jack Nicholson is a big fan of The Godfather star Marlon Brando. According to a viral clip on Instagram, the legendary actor was seen talking about his desire to work with The Godfather actor. Nicholson claimed that he was offered The Godfather for the lead character and he was very well aware of the fact that Marlon Brando was a significant part of the critically acclaimed project. However, Nicholson believed that the lead should have been someone of Italian background and went on to turn down the role.
The Instagram post was captioned as-
Jack mentioned ‘business acumen’ for project selection, and this is important in terms of selling yourself as a ‘product’ (actor for hire). The roles you choose largely decide your overall potential for typecasting, which is more powerful than your hidden abilities. Also, Jack had the presence of mind to see that an Italian person would be ‘right’ for the part, even though it is acting after all.
However, Jack Nicholon’s dream of working with Marlon Brando eventually came true. This happened in the form of the 1976 movie The Missourie Break.
Jack Nicholson Talks About Legendary Actor Marlon Brando
In a special segment by Rolling Stones in 2004, actor Jack Nicholson penned a piece for the legendary actor Marlon Brando. The actor mentioned how the entire generation idolized the legendary star. According to the published article, Nicholson mentioned-
“I am part of the first generation that idolized Marlon Brando, but far from the last. I was in high school back in the Fifties when he came into the game, and I watched him change the rules. When I was growing up in New Jersey, one of my summer jobs was working as an assistant manager of a local movie theater. I must have seen every performance of On the Waterfront – twice a night. You just couldn’t take your eyes off the guy. He was spellbinding.”
He further explained-
“With acting, it’s ultimately all about who you are. Yes, Marlon had a complete craft, but you don’t know about craft or Method when you’re a kid sitting in the movie theater watching with your mouth wide open. You just know when you’ve seen something special, and nobody was ever more special than Brando. He had this extraordinary physical beauty and a power that was hard to define but completely undeniable. Perhaps he would tell you he saw the same thing in Paul Muni, but the truth is, Brando was always different. The movie audience just knew that he was it. And he remained it. For my money, nothing has ever gotten near him.”
Marlon Brando is widely known as the greatest actors of the 20th century. His Hollywood career spanned over six decades with multiple critical and financial hits.
