Ranking Marlon Brando‘s Greatest Performances

Marlon Brando is one of the most influential actors in cinema history — but which of his performances is actually the best? In this video, I rank 12 of Brando’s most notable performances based on films that received major awards attention, including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs. As Brando’s career predates both the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Critics Choice Awards, neither of those awards bodies are included in this ranking. From A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront to The Godfather, Last Tango in Paris and Julius Caesar, I watched and reviewed every qualifying performance to determine which role truly stands above the rest. Along the way, I also look at some of the stories behind Brando’s legendary — and sometimes bizarre — approach to acting, as well as the way his legacy is remembered today. I also conducted a survey of 257 people to find out how well Marlon Brando is actually remembered in 2026, with some surprisingly interesting results. Let me know your own rankings in the comments. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:33 #12 Sakini - The Teahouse of the August Moon 3:27 #11 McKenzie - A Dry White Season 5:22 #10 Lt. Christian Diestl - The Young Lions 7:50 #9 Mark Antony - Julius Caesar 10:57 #8 Major Lloyd Gruver - Sayonara 13:33 #7 Peter Quint - The Nightcomers 16:01 #6 Ambassador Harrison Carter MacWhite - The Ugly American 19:01 The Survey 24:05 #5 Stanley - A Streetcar Named Desire 27:56 #4 Zapata - Viva Zapata! 32:39 #3 Paul - Last Tango in Paris 38:25 HM: Colonel Walter Kurtz - Apocalypse Now 41:19 #2 Don Vito Corleone - The Godfather 49:03 #1 Terry Malloy - On the Waterfront 57:54 Outro/Conclusion Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/haVtD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rafe_collie... #MarlonBrando #Movies #Acting