born April 3, 1924, Omaha, Neb., U.S.
died July 1, 2004, Los Angeles, Calif.
U.S. actor.
He gained stardom on Broadway as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (1947). An early member of the Actors Studio , he brought its method acting style to his first film, The Men (1950). His slurred, mumbling delivery marked his rejection of classical dramatic training, and his true and passionate performances proved him one of the great actors of his generation. After starring in the screen version of Streetcar (1951), he appeared in films such as The Wild One (1954), On the Waterfront (1954, Academy Award), The Godfather (1972, Academy Award), Last Tango in Paris (1972), and Apocalypse Now (1979).