Matt Damon Says Marlon Brando Ruined a Generation of Actors — Here’s Why

Here is the funny thing about Marlon Brando: the guy who became a global legend for Vito Corleone in The Godfather and Jor-El in Superman: The Movie is still shaping how actors behave decades later — for better and, if you ask Matt Damon, for worse.

Matt Damon: equal parts praise and side-eye

Damon, talking to Vanity Fair (picked up by Far Out Magazine), did not exactly hand Brando a free pass. He basically argues that people copy the myth — the mumbling swagger, the too-cool-to-care vibe — and forget the grind that got Brando there in the first place.

I think Marlon Brando has done more to destroy this generation of actors... with the whole marble-mouth thing, the I-don't-give-a-f*ck mentality.

His point, once you strip the provocation: young Brando worked like a maniac. He was on stage constantly, training with Stella Adler, obsessed with the craft. Damon says the problem is when actors romanticize late-period Brando — the guy who seemed to float in, mumble genius, and leave — without clocking the years of training and sweat that built that ability.

The cue-card legend (and why it annoyed people)

Brando really was notorious for not memorizing lines, especially later in his career. On The Godfather, he reportedly had dialogue written on cue cards and tucked around the set. Yes, that includes big, quotable moments like: 'Look how they massacred my boy' and 'I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.'

Directors were not thrilled. Some people chalked it up to laziness and tardiness (Collider has plenty of that chatter). Others argued he leaned into a Stanislavski-style approach, chasing spontaneity — letting natural reactions lead instead of pre-programmed recitation. Whatever you call it, the results on screen were obviously potent.

How the late-career version of Brando actually looked

The Godfather famously revived his career, but the final stretch was a mix of smaller roles and cameos rather than front-and-center leads. He kept using prompts instead of memorizing, and the weight gain that came with age slowed him down. Reports from sets described erratic behavior, blown commitments, and days he simply did not show.

His last movie, The Score, came and went with middle-of-the-road reviews, and Brando passed away in 2004.

Four essential Brando watches (and how they rate)

• The Godfather (1972) — IMDb: 9.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
• Apocalypse Now (1979) — IMDb: 8.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
• A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) — IMDb: 7.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
• Superman: The Movie (1978) — IMDb: 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Where to watch right now

The Godfather is currently streaming on HBO Max (USA).

Bottom line: the contradiction is the whole story. The early-career grinder built the late-career myth-maker. And we are still arguing over which version more actors try to imitate — and which one actually works.