Marlon Brando Took This One Role Only for the Paycheck and Hated It

by

Marlon Brando famously confessed he took the movie role in ‘The Formula’ simply because he needed the money. ‘The Formula,’ a 1980 mystery thriller, came out not long after his acclaimed performance in ‘Apocalypse Now’.

Following his successful work with Francis Ford Coppola and earning approximately $2 million, Marlon Brando starred alongside George C. Scott in the film The Formula. The movie, directed by John G. Avildsen – known for Rocky – was adapted from a novel by Steve Shagan, who also wrote the screenplay.

The story centers around different factions vying for control of—or attempting to eliminate—a groundbreaking synthetic fuel created by the Nazis during the final days of World War II. This invention had the potential to free the world from its reliance on oil.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the movie attempted to blend elements of conspiracy, politics, and crime, but it didn’t resonate with viewers or reviewers. It flopped in theaters and quickly became known as a disappointment. In fact, Marlon Brando received a nomination for Worst Supporting Actor at the inaugural Golden Raspberry Awards, which many considered a fitting reflection of his lackluster performance.

Brando later explained his reasons for taking the part. He told writer Lawrence Grobel he hadn’t wanted to be involved in the film at all, but felt he had no choice because he needed the money. He was brutally honest about the final product, describing it as “a terrible piece of work.”

Brando also stated that the original cut of the film was far superior. He felt many of his strongest scenes were removed during editing, saying, “They completely dismantled it.” He admitted they stripped out all of his comedic timing, but he wasn’t concerned because he was well-paid. He worked for ten days and earned three million dollars, and that was his primary motivation.

Even though he was highly paid, Marlon Brando only had a small role in the movie, appearing in just three scenes as an oil tycoon. While critics found his performance odd, it stuck with them, though they generally felt it wasn’t enough to make the film a success.

Currently, The Formula has a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 10 reviews. Critics generally found the movie to be slow-paced, predictable, and reliant on familiar tropes.

Roger Ebert rated the movie two out of four stars, finding it relied too much on tired tropes. Though he praised the performances of actors like Brando and George C. Scott, he believed the film lacked originality. Reviews in Variety and The New York Times agreed, describing it as a typical thriller that doesn’t break new ground with its predictable story.

Honestly, when I read the reviews of this movie back then, TV Guide really didn’t hold back. They called it boring and said the pacing was all over the place. The biggest problem, they felt, was that it relied too much on the same interviews over and over, and it just didn’t build any suspense. And get this – Marlon Brando was paid three million dollars to show up for a short time! They acknowledged he brought a weird kind of energy, but it wasn’t enough to save what they considered a pretty lifeless film.

Read More

2025-12-23 18:44