The One Film Marlon Brando Took Just for the Money: “a terrible piece of”
Marlon Brando did not hide his feelings about one of his movies from the early 1980s. Years after its release, the legendary actor said he only agreed to appear in The Formula because he needed the money.
The film came out in 1980 and marked one of Brando’s first roles after Apocalypse Now. It was directed by John G. Avildsen, the same filmmaker behind Rocky, and starred George C. Scott in the lead role.
The story followed a race to control a secret fuel formula created by the Nazis near the end of World War II. The discovery could have changed the world’s dependence on oil, but the plot failed to grab audiences.
The Formula struggled in theaters and was widely criticized. While it did receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, it also earned several nominations at the very first Golden Raspberry Awards. These included Worst Picture, Worst Director, and Worst Supporting Actor for Brando.
Despite earning large sums around that time, Brando later claimed he was close to financial collapse. In a conversation with writer Lawrence Grobel, he explained that he never wanted to take part in The Formula. He said money problems pushed him to accept the role. When asked about the finished movie, he did not soften his words and called it “a terrible piece of s***.”
Brando also blamed the final cut for ruining his performance. He claimed many of his scenes were removed during editing. “They cut that all to pieces,” he said. “They took out all my humour. But I didn’t have any money, and I did it for the bucks. Ten days for three million bucks; I didn’t care.”
His role in the movie was small. He appeared in only a few scenes as a powerful oil businessman. Critics often said his presence was strange but memorable. Still, most reviews agreed that his performance could not save the film.
Over time, The Formula gained a poor reputation. Rotten Tomatoes shows a low approval score, with critics calling the movie slow and full of tired ideas. Roger Ebert gave it two stars and described it as predictable. Reviews from Variety and The New York Times also pointed to its lack of originality. TV Guide went further, calling the film dull and poorly paced, while noting that Brando was paid millions for very limited screen time.
Today, The Formula is remembered less for its story and more for Brando’s blunt honesty about why he made it. His comments offered a rare look at how even the biggest stars sometimes accept roles for practical reasons, not passion.
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