The Sad Reason Why Marlon Brando's Cameo In His Final Film Role Was Cut
When you think of Marlon Brando, you probably recall the first time you ever watched "The Godfather," "On the Waterfront," "Last Tango in Paris," or any of the countless other iconic classics that the late Academy Award winning actor appeared in during his life. "Acting is the expression of a neurotic impulse," the he once said (via Brainy Quote). As it turns out, Brando's intended final role was set to be his most neurotic and zany one, and it was far different than anything he'd ever done before.
While it's not unheard of for devout drama actors to dabble in the realm of comedy, you'd probably never expect to see Marlon Brando's renowned name on the casting sheet for the "Scary Movie" franchise. However, according to Indie Wire, the trilogy's second installment was initially supposed to feature him in its opening sequence, though his cameo sadly never came to fruition.
Brando was supposed to be in Scary Movie 2
According to Variety, the producers of "Scary Movie 2" first looked to Marlon Brando for the role of a decrepit old priest charged with the task of expelling a foul-mouthed demon from the body of a young girl (this was of course a parody of William Freidkin's 1973 horror classic, "The Exorcist"). Apparently, Brando was thrilled to climb aboard the spoof train, but tragically, he simply wasn't up to the task.
Naturally, it had nothing to do with his acting ability. For an Oscar Winning star, a quick little pop up in a slapstick comedy is hardly a challenging hurdle, but Brando was nearing the end of his life and reportedly experienced severe medical complications throughout the filming process that only got worse. Ultimately, it hindered his ability to properly see things through and he threw in the towel before too long (per Indie Wire).
Brando had to quit for medical reasons
Natasha Lyonne, who portrayed the teenage girl possessed by an infernal entity, recalled Brando's talkative and friendly demeanor on set, and while he was clearly excited to be there and ready to make movie magic, he reportedly kept an oxygen tank by his side at all times. "He had an oxygen tank and he just kind of held my boob, because that was in the script," she shared after the fact. "He was supposed to be like, 'The power of Christ compels you.' I just remember being like, 'Ah, this is the surrealism that André Breton, Salvador Dali were talking about'" (via Indie Wire).
Luckily, the casting team managed to score a solid replacement when James Woods hopped aboard in place of Brando, though we'll sadly never know what kind of exorcist the "Missouri Breaks" actor could have made (per Variety). Biography reports that Marlon Brando died on July 1, 2004, after complications with pulmonary fibrosis took his life at the age of 80.