When Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now started shooting in 1976, Marlon Brando was already an eccentric legend and a legendary eccentric. Thanks to his electric performances, he'd first made a name for himself onstage before moving to the big screen and winning two Best Actor Oscars. He'd also earned a reputation for being reclusive, difficult to work with,and unpredictable.
The production of Apocalypse Now was infamously chaotic from the start. The planned 14-week shoot in the jungles of the Philippines was immediately thrown off course. There were multiple cast changes, tropical diseases, and the script wasn't finished. Plus, a typhoon closed production down for three months, lead actor Martin Sheen had a heart attack from the stress, Coppola had a nervous breakdown,and the crew were living a non-stop, drug-fueled party in the hotel.
Into all this chaos, Brando arrived. Treating the movie like nothing more than a payday, he hadn't even bothered to learn his lines,and he refused to act opposite co-star Dennis Hopper. Also, at 300 pounds, he didn't look the part of the half-starved, regimented army colonel that Coppola had hired him to play. It was too late to do anything about Brando's looks especially after he spontaneously shaved his head one day so they ditched the idea of the military uniform, dressed him in black, and shot him mostly in shadows, improvising lines.
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