“I Have to Hear It from This Punk.” Marlon Brando Couldn't Stand Criticism on the Set of Francis Ford Coppola's Movie, Causing Him to Insult Another Actor

As a lifelong cinephile who has admired the enigmatic and powerful performances of Marlon Brando, I must admit that his off-screen antics during the filming of Apocalypse Now have always fascinated me. The man was nothing if not complex, a true maverick whose intensity translated flawlessly onto the silver screen but seemed to elude him in real life.


Marlon Brando is one of the iconic actors whose impact on cinema remains undeniable and continues to be scrutinized by contemporary artists. The roles he portrayed were not lacking in intensity, and neither was he as an actor. Working with him could sometimes be challenging, as accounts from the set of Francis Ford Coppola’s movie “Apocalypse Now” have suggested.

During the production of the war drama, there was apparently a disagreement between Marlon Brando and Dennis Hopper, stemming from a miscommunication. This dispute allegedly intensified to the extent that Brando refused to collaborate with Hopper, and it was decided to film their scenes independently.

In essence, the movie “Apocalypse Now” had some similarities to Joseph Conrad’s book “Heart of Darkness,” but Hopper claimed that Brando didn’t read the source material despite Coppola repeatedly asking him to. This lack of familiarity led to a disagreement between them. Interestingly, during military training for the same film, Hopper received a small red book used by the Green Berets. Unfamiliar with it, Brando started joking about this book, which Marlon Brando mistook for “Heart of Darkness,” leading to further confusion.

Brando found it sufficient when Coppola kept referring to the original book, which he didn’t appreciate because it felt like someone else was dictating his actions. This dynamic was discussed by Hopper in a conversation during an interview.

It turns out Francis had been criticizing him for not reading “Heart of Darkness”, a book that the movie was adapted from, and we needed to discuss our story plot without an ending. During dinner, I jokingly commented to Brando that I suspected he hadn’t read the book. However, at that moment, I wasn’t aware he would interpret my comment as referring to “Heart of Darkness”. He became agitated, stood up, and exclaimed, “I don’t have to listen to this! I don’t have to put up with this!” He continued shouting, “Why should I hear it from him? I have to hear it from this arrogant kid!” And he stormed out of the house.

Hopper found Brando’s response quite personal, leading him to tease the Godfather actor for the remainder of that night.

We go to see the Seven Samurai in a movie theater and I am sitting behind him. And at one point, I get up and say, “There’s an actor in here that said of a dead friend of mine (James Dean) that he wore his last year of Levis, drove his last year of motorcycle and did his last year of bongo drums, and I sure would like [to fight him].”

Following that day, production on “Apocalypse Now” halted, and Coppola and Brando took a two-week break. Upon their return, Brando informed Hopper that while they would still collaborate, they wouldn’t be on set simultaneously; instead, their shared scenes would be filmed independently.

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2024-11-19 12:01