In 1947, after spending several years training with renowned acting teacher Stella Adler, and honing his skills on the New York stage, Marlon Brando stunned audiences with his explosive portrayal of Stanley Kowalski, in Tennessee Williams', "A Streetcar Named Desire".
No one, layman or professional, had ever seen anything like him before.
Nor have we seen the likes of him since.
Brando possessed qualities that eclipsed every actor that preceded him.
His combustible performance in "Streetcar" proved without question that he was a standout amongst his peers.
The great Laurence Olivier, in seeing Brando play Stanley was stunned by his brilliance.
He was by no means alone.
So what was it about this young man from Omaha, Nebraska that made him so unique? What were the exceptional qualities he possessed that separated him from the rest? Acting as defined by Sanford Meisner, Stella Adler, and other Group Theater notables, concerned the ability to "live truthfully in a given set of imaginary circumstances.
" To achieve that the actor needs talent, skill, finely honed instincts and the temperament and imagination to "play" with authenticity.
Brando by his own account was not a "method actor", but an instinctive one.
Although highly intelligent and well-read, his approach to acting was non-intellectual.
In addition to uncanny instincts he had, according to a nephew, a supernatural ability to focus and concentrate, blocking out any interference around him.
Director Elia Kazan thought him the greatest actor with whom he had ever worked.
According to Kazan, Brando did everything "wholeheartedly" by nature.
Never resorting to pushing, clinging to an emotion or playing a result, he "lived" the role, inhabiting the character's world as if it was his own.
He was able to relax, "play", listen and react, exposing all that was inside of him.
Never one to pre-determine his responses or do by rote something he had done before, he dealt with the here and now of the imaginary circumstances.
Karl Malden, one of his co-stars in"A Streetcar Named Desire" said that Brando was always unpredictable.
Night after night of "Streetcar's" 2 year engagement, Brando challenged his co-stars with impulsive reactions to whatever was happening in the moment.
According to Malden, Brando's raw energy and combustibility, coupled with his instinctive way of working, made them all better actors.
Up until Susan Mizruchi's latest biography, "Brando's Smile", little was known of his preparation.
In her fascinating biography we learn that Brando did by no means take his extraordinary talent for granted.
Contrary to what many of us held to be true, he expended much time and energy reading extensively and crafting his role.
In preparation for the part of 'Napoleon' in the film "Desiree", he read several books on his subject, annotating every page.
In his quest for details he left no stone unturned.
Generality was not an option.
Over his career he would exhibit his remarkable range playing a wide variety of disparate characters exhibiting great depth of emotion.
Although a leading man, in his heart he always considered himself, first and foremost, a character actor.
In addition to his exceptional talent and skill he also possessed qualities that defined his singularity as an actor.
Human qualities that are not often found in one actor.
Exceptionally handsome, charismatic, intense, bold, spontaneous, daring, sexual, irreverent, defiant, challenging, capricious, charming, intelligent, and sensitive with an enormous capacity for empathy; human elements that he continually exposed in his work.
When I think of the world's greatest actors Brando is always at the top of my list.
His impact on acting continues to resonate to this day.
Kazan thought Brando's performance in "On The Waterfront" the greatest he had ever seen.
A clnic in acting in which Brando hits every note imaginable.
In bringing all of himself to the role of Terry Malloy, he defined the meaning of great acting for all time.
No other actor I have ever seen was endowed with his unique gift.
He was and still is the whole package.