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Friday, July 2, 2004
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Tragedy Marred Brando's Final Years
Marlon Brando's death at age 80 caught many off
guard. The screen icon died at UCLA Medical Center Thursday
night from lung failure. "Extra" looks back at the
tragic final developments in the life of the screen icon.
"Extra" was the first to report on Brando's failing health, with rare images showing the reclusive star leaving a doctor's office in a wheelchair, an oxygen tank by his side. They were possibly the last public images taken before the star's passing.
"The images you see of him lately are of a frail, beaten-looking man in a wheelchair," remarks People magazine's Peter Castro. "It's hardly the robust images you remember him by."
But heath wasn't the only obstacle Brando overcame during his life. Castro told us that Brando's passing comes amid reports this week of serious money problems. "Marlon Brando had a really tragic life and it was really sad toward the end," he told us.
It's been called "The Brando Curse," and it began in 1991, when Brando's eldest son, Christian, was convicted for killing his sister the husband of his sister, Cheyenne. Four years later, Cheyenne committed suicide.
As Brando's health declined in recent years, the actor reportedly accumulated massive debt totaling $28 million. He even allegedly had to hide his two Oscars from creditors. "He was in dire financial straits, which is why he'd often do these horrible movies for quick pay," Castro revealed.
Brando hasn't worked in years due to poor health, but he was set to return to the big screen voicing an old woman in a new animated film.
For more on Marlon Brando's life, including a look at the final
pictures of the great actor, as well as both the wonderful memories
and the obstacles he overcame, don't miss Friday's edition of
"Extra." |
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