Why Marlon Brando Couldn’t Stand Bob Hope’s Fame Game

It’s hard to imagine anyone dreading being called the best in their field, but that’s exactly how Marlon Brando felt about his own reputation. While most would be chuffed to bits to be hailed as the top of their game, Brando found the whole thing a bit much. He’d even joke that his dog, Tim, deserved the title more than he did. Despite his two Oscars, he wasn’t keen on the endless pats on the back that came with fame.

In a place like Hollywood, where egos are as common as coffee, Brando’s attitude set him apart. He’d always wanted to act, and for a while, he was right into it. But as time went on, his passion faded, and so did those flashes of brilliance that made him a legend. He became a tough customer on set, and off camera, he was even more prickly. Instead of celebrating the industry, he’d often have a whinge about what was wrong with it, rarely stopping to mention what he actually liked.

Brando’s Take on Hollywood Icons

Even the most beloved figures weren’t safe from Brando’s sharp tongue. Bob Hope, for instance, was a household name, with a career spanning vaudeville, film, telly, and theatre. He hosted the Oscars a whopping 19 times, toured nearly 60 times for the troops, picked up five honorary Oscars, and scored four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For many, he was an institution.

Brando, though, reckoned Hope had hung around the spotlight for far too long. He didn’t hold back when chatting with Lawrence Grobel, saying,

‘Bob Hope will go to the opening of a phone booth in a petrol station in Anaheim, providing they have a camera there and three people. He’ll go to the opening of a market and receive an award. It’s pathetic. It’s a bottomless pit. A barrel that has no floor.’

Critique of Celebrity Culture

It wasn’t so much Hope’s talent that bothered Brando, but the way he seemed to crave attention. He went on,

‘He must be a man who has an ever-crumbling estimation of himself. He’s constantly filling himself up. He’s like a junkie, an applause junkie, like Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy desperately longs to be loved, approved of.’

Dragging Sammy Davis Jr. into the mix was a bit of a curveball, but Brando quickly got back to his main gripe.

He continued,

‘Bob Hope, Christ, instead of growing old gracefully or doing something with his money, be helpful, all he does is he has an anniversary with the president looking on. It’s sad.’

For Brando, Hope’s endless public appearances and need for recognition were just too much to take.

Brando’s Blunt Assessment

So, what did Brando really think of Hope? In his own words,

‘He’s a pathetic guy.’

The kicker is, Brando aired these views in the late 1970s, and it would be another twenty years before Hope finally stepped away from the limelight.