Secrets behind Billy Zane’s painstaking transformation into Marlon Brando revealed

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Playing a single person in a biopic is challenging, but Billy Zane took on an even bigger task in his new film, Waltzing with Brando. He didn’t just portray Marlon Brando, he also transformed into many of the characters Brando famously played.

The 59-year-old actor underwent extensive make-up transformations to portray iconic characters like Vito Corleone from The Godfather, Paul from Last Tango in Paris, and personalities such as Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett for various roles.

Zane spoke to the Daily Mail about the challenge of playing the late icon, explaining that while initially intimidating, he quickly realized he needed to focus on creating a respectful and celebratory portrayal of the star and his work.

While filming, Leonardo DiCaprio, who also helped produce the new movie, acted like Marlon Brando – seemingly not caring much about how he came across.

He doesn’t overthink things, instead responding to the moment like a jazz improviser. He remains flexible and adaptable, even a little unsteady, until it’s time to perform.

He explained he was too preoccupied with last-minute preparations – hiring help and moving boxes – to feel nervous. He was busy dealing with potential problems right up until his performance, and he realized this actually helped him stay focused. He didn’t overthink his role or try too hard to ‘get into character’; instead, he found that a relaxed approach made his performance feel more genuine.

Zane spent as much as three and a half hours daily getting made up to look like Marlon Brando. Brando was known for his distinctive appearance, particularly his full cheeks, in the movie *The Godfather*, a performance that won him an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Make-up artist Mike Mekash described the challenging process, explaining that the characters’ appearances often changed depending on the scene. He noted this was especially true during the first few days of filming, when they frequently recreated looks from earlier movies and TV appearances.

Every morning, Zane began by applying his prosthetic nose. He then carefully attached additional prosthetics to cover the areas around his tear ducts, extending down to his chin and back to his ears. Finally, he used paint to make everything look as natural as possible.

Okay, so get this – apparently Marlon Brando used these things, these ‘jowl plumpers,’ to *change* his face! Can you believe it? Mekash said they weren’t about making him *look* fuller, but actually pulling his cheeks down to make him look… thinner, more serious, like he had weight on his shoulders. It’s insane! He literally sculpted his face with these things to add ‘gravity,’ whatever that means, but it was all about making him look haunted and… well, Brando-esque. I’m obsessed with knowing everything about how he created that look!

To achieve Marlon Brando’s iconic eyebrow look for Zane, makeup artists sometimes had to glue tiny hairs onto his own eyebrows to make them appear fuller.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE the things they did to make the actors look older or younger! It wasn’t just about makeup, it was like… a whole art form. They’d use bronzer to add age, and then highlight and shadow to sculpt their faces and really sell the illusion. It was amazing, honestly! They really thought of everything.

The most striking visual transformation came from The Godfather, which used prosthetic makeup created by special effects artist Jerry Constantine.

The six-time Emmy winner explained that creating makeup to simply resemble an actor is one challenge, but it’s far more difficult when you also need to create a character *through* that makeup. It’s even harder when you’re trying to recreate a famous look designed by a legendary artist – a true master of prosthetic makeup.

‘I’m sure Billy would agree there was just a slight bit of pressure to get it right!’

Wig designer Diana Choi shared the same feeling of intense pressure, explaining that even a tiny mistake wouldn’t be accepted, and demanded meticulous precision.

‘Recreating a real, well-known individual is the most challenging of all.’

Choi, recently honored with an Emmy for his prosthetic makeup work on HBO Max’s ‘The Penguin,’ explained that creating the character’s wig was complex. He had to consider that Marlon Brando’s appearance featured two or three different hairstyles and colors throughout the show.

‘We created just one wig and adapted it to transform into five or six different looks.

Okay, so when Billy put on that wig for the first time… I swear, I almost fainted. It wasn’t just *like* Marlon Brando, it *was* like Brando had walked right into the room! Seriously, it was one of those moments I knew I’d remember forever. I was completely floored.

The way Billy so perfectly captured the essence of Brando really showed how much impact careful attention to detail, thorough research, and working together can have.

At a recent event in Las Vegas hosted by the Future of Film Association, director Bill Fishman revealed to the Daily Mail that actor Zane quickly accepted a role in the film. Fishman explained that Zane had often been told he bears a resemblance to Marlon Brando, which likely influenced his decision.

Fishman explained that he was offered opportunities to work with Marlon Brando, but this particular time in his career was exactly what he was looking for, and fortunately, it aligned with the projects they were working on, which was ideal.

Jon Heder, who plays Brando’s architect Bernard Judge, couldn’t agree more. 

I noticed Billy was doing an incredible impression of Marlon Brando while preparing for this, which was really striking. So, I decided to focus my preparation on Bernard Judge, the real person the film and book are based on.

Beyond his acting career, Marlon Brando cared deeply about protecting the environment. This passion is reflected in his new film, which features him hiring a Los Angeles architect to design a completely sustainable retreat on a remote Tahitian island in the 1970s.

Zane mentioned it was surprising to learn how deeply committed he was to environmental issues, on top of his well-known dedication to civil rights and the rights of indigenous people. It was a side of him few people knew about.

He essentially became a leading figure in the environmental movement, and this was particularly evident in the book the film is based on. The book detailed the life of the architect he commissioned to create his early sustainable living community.

I’m so excited about the cast for this film! Alongside Zane, we have some really fantastic actors joining us, including his incredibly talented daughter, Ava. Plus, you’ll recognize faces like George Psarras, Rob Corddry, Alaina Huffman, the wonderful Tia Carrere, and even Camille Razat, who you might know from *Emily in Paris*.

Waltzing with Brando hits theaters on Friday, September 19. 

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2025-09-18 18:23