Why did Marlon Brando refuse an Oscar in 1973? The Godfather star’s reason explained

Every actor dreams of walking up the stage to accept the Academy Award, an award for which they have toiled throughout their careers. However, in the legacy of 97 years of the Oscars, Marlon Brando and two other actors have refused to accept the prestigious award.

Marlon Brandon, a staunch supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, declined his 1973 Oscar in protest of the mistreatment of Native Americans by Hollywood. His decision was also in support of the ongoing protests at Wounded Knee, that started a month prior to the Oscars.

The incident at the Wounded Knee, South Dakota, began in February 1973, when members of the American Indian Movement took control of the reserve in an attempt to get the Government to comply with their demands and respect past treaties.

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Why did Marlon Brandon refuse to accept his 1973 Oscar? More details explored

At the 45th Academy Awards, Marlon Brandon was considered as the frontrunner for Best Actor for his portrayal of Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. He was nominated alongside Michael Cain (sleuths), Peter O'Toole (The Ruling Class), Laurence Olivier (Sleuth), Paul Winfield (Sounder).

When presenters, Liv Ullmann and Roger Moore opened the envelope and announced Marlon Brando's name, it was Sacheen Littlefeather, a 26-year-old Native American woman, who walked up to the stage to accept the award on his behalf. What happened became one of the most talked-about moments in Oscar history.

As Sacheen approached the stage, the presenters attempted to hand her the award, but she refused to accept it through her gestures. Instead she turned to the audience and began her speech by saying:

"Hello, my name is Sacheen Littlefeather. I'm Apache and I am president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee. I'm representing Marlon Brando this evening, and he has asked me to tell you, that he very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award."

She continued her speech amidst applause and booing, in equal measure.

"And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television in movie reruns, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee. I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening, and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity. Thank you on behalf of Marlon Brando."

The statement written by Marlon Brando, which Sacheen Littlefeather carried with her, was later read to the press. It read:

"It has not been my wish to offend or diminish the importance of those who are participating tonight. Perhaps at this moment, you are saying to yourself, what the hell has this got to do with the Academy Awards? The motion picture industry has been as responsible as any for degrading the Indian. When Indian children watch television and they watch films, and they see their race depicted as they are in films, their minds become injured in ways we can never know. If we are not our brother's keeper, at least let us not be his executioner."

The incident had immediate, long-lasting, and disastrous consequences for Sacheen's career. The actress, who had previously appeared in small TV roles, reportedly never got acting opportunities again. She also faced intense scrutiny, with many questioning her heritage, and her reasons for getting involved in the controversy. In her 2019 documentary, Sacheen: Breaking the Silence, she reflected on the experience, by saying:

"There’s an old saying, if you don’t like the message, you kill the messenger, she said, and I was the messenger. I was blacklisted, or you could say ‘redlisted’. I was ostracized everywhere I turned. No one would listen to my story nor give me a chance to speak. Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett, and others, didn’t want me on their shows. I never worked again in the industry. The doors were closed tight, never to reopen.”

In 2022, nearly fifty years after the historic night, Sacheen Littlefeather received an official apology from David Rubina, former Academy President, just a few months before her passing in October of the same year.

"As you stood on the Oscars stage in 1973 to not accept the Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando, in recognition of the misrepresentation and mistreatment of Native American people by the film industry, you made a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity."

The letter continued:

"The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified. The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.”

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Apart from Marlon Brando, who are the two other celebrities who refused to accept the Oscars?

Dudley Nichols

Long before Marlon Brandon, it was Dudley Nichols, a well-regarded screenwriter of the 1930s and 40s, who became the first person to refuse the Academy Award. In 1935, Nichols won the Oscar for Best Screenplay, for The Informer. The screenwriter declined the award, to honor in solidarity with the ongoing writer's strike in the industry. According to reports, he eventually accepted the award a few years later, after the strike was resolved.

George C. Scott

The actor, widely known for his disdain towards such competitive award ceremonies, ended up refusing the award twice. In 1962, he won the Best Supporting Actor for "The Hustler", but declined to accept it. In 1971, just a few years before Marlon Brandon's historical refusal, Scott was nominated for his role as the World War II hero, General Patton in the movie Patton. This time, he did not even attend the ceremony, and instead sent a telegram rejecting his nomination. It read:

"I respectfully request that you withdraw my name from the list of nominees. My request is in no way intended to denigrate my colleagues."

Despite his objection, his name was not rescinded, and he ultimately won the Oscar. The award was initially accepted on his behalf, but was later returned.

The 97th Oscars are set to take place on Sunday, 3 March, with Conan O'Brien hosting for the first time.