Marlon Brando 1924 - 2004

MARLON BRANDO, the reclusive Oscar-winning actor who was one of the most influential stage and screen performers of his generation, has died aged 80, associates said yesterday.

The cause of death was not immediately known. Reports citing family friends and Brando’s lawyer said he died at a Los Angeles area hospital on Thursday. His agents, citing his long-held desire for privacy, confirmed his death but declined to give details.

With his broken nose and rebellious nature, Brando established a more naturalistic style of acting and defined American machismo for a generation with classic performances in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), The Wild One (1953) and On the Waterfront (1954).