Marlon Brando: Early Intentions



Interview with Marlon Brando
Conducted by James Grissom
1990


It doesn't matter why you initially want to do something. Early intentions don't matter--not to me. They didn't matter to Stella [Adler]. They didn't matter to Tennessee [Williams]. What I'm saying is that you may have written a book or auditioned for a play or picked up a brush to paint something because your heart was broken; because you wanted to make someone mad; because your face is littered with acne and you want to be seen in a way that is appealing. There are a million reasons why you first put on the slippers and hit a stage to dance what you couldn't express in words: Perhaps someone was beating you and you didn't trust your voice. These biographies--these intentions--are important to you, and they may be what got you started, but all that matters once you study and once you really begin to work well is that you tell the truth; that you communicate this truth directly to those working with you and watching what you do. You can keep the early story and the emotions that brought you there, but what keeps you working--and what allows you to deserve your spot--is the ability and the courage to tell the truth. All art is shared truth.



© 2014 James Grissom

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