- Legendary actor Marlon Brando has died at the age of
80, it was announced tonight.
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- The acclaimed Hollywood star, who won Oscars for his
roles in The Godfather and On the Waterfront, passed away in a Los Angeles
hospital, his lawyer said.
-
- Brando, an overweight recluse, was known to be in poor
health and earlier this year was seen being pushed in a wheelchair and
breathing with the help of an oxygen mask.
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- He was struck down with pneumonia in 2002.
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- Film director Michael Winner paid tribute to the star,
describing him as the most "marvellous", "witty" and
"loyal" friend he had ever had.
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- Brando, who was said to live in a shabby bungalow in
west Los Angeles, was famed for the role of ruthless mafia family boss
Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather in 1972.
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- One of the greatest Hollywood actors, his other well-known
roles included the deranged Colonel Kurtz in Vietnam film Apocalypse Now
in 1979 and his appearance in the sexually explicit Last Tango In Paris
in 1972.
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- He won his first Oscar for the portrayal of washed-up
boxer Terry Malloy in On The Waterfront in 1954, where he uttered the immortal
line "I could have been a contender".
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- Early performances in the Fifties included A Streetcar
Named Desire where he played Stanley alongside Vivien Leigh's Blanche in
1951 and The Wild One as rebel biker gang leader Johnny.
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- Despite his past Hollywood success, Brando was said to
have been 20 million dollars (£10.9 million) in debt and living on
social security payments, his pension from the Screen Actors Guild and
small residuals from his acting work.
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- His fear of debt collectors had allegedly prompted him
to hide his precious Oscars.
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- A turbulent personal life saw him marry three times and
father 11 children.
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- His son Christian was jailed for manslaughter after shooting
dead his pregnant sister Cheyenne's lover in 1988, after he claimed he
was beating his sibling.
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- Cheyenne, an addict, committed suicide several years
later, leaving behind a son.
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- In later years, acting work consisted of a number of
cameos including the Superman movie.
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- He was recently reported to be set for a return to work
to voice a character in an animated movie called Big Bug Man
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