“Marlon Was as Dead as Could Be”: How Brando Beat the Odds and Became the Godfather

Here are the stories you might have missed this week. [View in your browser]( | [Update your preferences](newsletter=vf) [Vanity Fair's Cocktail Hour logo image]( A daily digest of things to discuss over drinks October 09, 2021 [“Marlon Was as Dead as Could Be”: How Brando Beat the Odds and Became the Godfather]( [He was the only actor Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola could imagine as Mafia patriarch Don Corleone in ‘The Godfather.’ There were just two problems: The studio didn’t want Brando, and Brando didn’t want the role. An excerpt from a new book reveals how flattery, a fake seizure, and a stealth screen test changed the course of cinematic history.]( [R E A D M O R E »]( [George Clooney Says His Twins Are Fluent in Italian, but He and Amal Are Not]( [The actor has also been teaching his children how to prank people during quarantine.]( [R E A D M O R E »]( [Image may contain: Clothing, Apparel, Suit, Coat, Overcoat, Sunglasses, Accessories, Accessory, Tie, Human, and Person]( [Biden Announces He’ll Be Exposing Trump’s Traitorous Ass]( [The new president laughs in the face of the old president’s “executive privilege.”]( [R E A D M O R E »]( [Dakota Johnson, Tessa Thompson, and More Stars Photographed at the New York Film Festival]( [Photographer Peter Hapak captured the actors and directors who have turned Lincoln Center into the focal point of the film world.]( [R E A D M O R E »]( [Exclusive: Steve Jordan—In Charlie Watts’s Chair on the Rolling Stones Tour—On Keef, Mick…and the Beatles]( [In his first expansive interview since the Stones started their No Filter gigs, Steve Jordan explains how he’s honoring the late drummer from “the best seat in the house.”]( [R E A D M O R E »]( [Image may contain: Elizabeth II, Tie, Accessories, Accessory, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Human, Person, Suit, and Coat]( [Queen Elizabeth Spoke About Prince Philip For the First Time Since His Death]( [The monarch recalled the happy memories she and her late husband had of their time spent in Scotland.]( [R E A D M O R E »]( [Condé Nast Spotlight | The breaking news and top stories everyone is talking about. All in one place. The most popular stories from Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Wired, Architectural Digest and more. STAY INFORMED]( [Vanity Fair Logo](www.vanityfair.com) [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe](newsletter=vf) Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.