How Old Marlon Brando Was In The Godfather (Compared To Don Corleone)

Marlon Brando’s starring turn as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather is considered one of the best performances of his career, and his age in the role will surprise fans who may have naturally assumed the venerated actor was much older. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, and had a troubled production plagued with casting issues. Coppola and Puzo had to fight Paramount for the actors they wanted, and the studio, which already didn’t like the idea of making a period movie because of the expense, tried to block The Godfather cast they wanted.