Old Hollywood Icon Marlon Brando Had An Unusual Diet

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The late actor Marlon Brando is perhaps best remembered for his iconic roles in famous films such as Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire," Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront," and Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather." Never forget his famous line: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." But as it turns out, there were a few things Brando himself couldn't refuse — mainly regarding food and his unusual daily diet. 

"Food has always been my friend," Brando confessed in his autobiography, "Brando: Songs My Mother Taught Me." He added, "When I wanted to feel better or had a crisis in my life, I opened the icebox." But don't just take his word for it. During an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2021, actor Joan Collins recalled having Brando over to her home, where she witnessed him clean every bit of the ice cream out of her freezer. "He would eat it all," she declared.

Over the years, it's been reported that Brando often sought solace in food. At one point, his second wife reportedly even resorted to locking their refrigerator in an attempt to keep him out, per Canyon News. The story goes that she woke the next morning only to find that the lock had been broken and his teeth marks were imprinted on a wedge of Brie cheese. 

It's also been rumored that Marlon Brando never met a sweet he didn't like. Perhaps no one knew this better than then-aspiring actor Cary Elwes, who was tasked with getting Brando to the set of "Superman" on time. According to Elwes, he did that by enticing him with food. "He mainly wanted desserts," Elwes told The Telegraph in 2021. 

Pepperidge Farm cookies, Mallomars, peanut butter by the jar, ice cream by the tub, and heaping stacks of pancakes piled high and doused in syrup were all reportedly high on Brando's list of favorite sweet treats, according to Today I Found Out. And let's not forget the actor's very own Mounds "bars," which he concocted with coconuts, coconut ice cream, and melted chocolate while filming "Mutiny on the Bounty" in French Polynesia. 

It should be noted, however, that most nutrition experts do not recommend a diet full of desserts. According to certified holistic nutritionist Elissa Goodman, craving sweets could be a sign of a nutrient deficiency. "If you're craving chocolate, it could mean your body is deficient in magnesium, which is a really common deficiency these days," Goodman told Byrdie in 2025. It's also unfortunately not great for your waistline. Brando for one reportedly split 52 pairs of pants while on the set of "Mutiny on the Bounty" after indulging in ice cream, per Canyon News. File that one under things that can happen when you eat dessert every day. 

It wasn't just what Marlon Brando ate that made his diet unusual — it was also the sheer amount of food he consumed. To make matters worse, many of those foods land on the list of the top 10 worst foods you can eat for high cholesterol. As reported by Canyon News, Brando was known to eat "two steaks, potatoes, two apple pies a la mode, and a quart of milk" at dinner time. And he even had a hot dog named after him at Pink's Hot Dogs on account of his ability to eat six hot dogs in one sitting while dining at the Hollywood landmark. 

It also appears that Marlon took the old adage about breakfast being the most important meal of the day extremely seriously. According to Canyon News, while filming "Sayonara" and supposedly following a strict diet of raw vegetables, Brando was witnessed "devouring a breakfast of corn flakes with bananas and cream, scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon, and a huge stack of pancakes slathered with butter and maple syrup."

Outside of nutrient deficiencies or any other potential diet-related issues, all was not well with Brando. In her book "Me and Marlon," Alice Marchak, who served as the actor's personal assistant for many years, alleged that Brando had bulimia and, while dining together, would eat his meal, go to the bathroom, then come back to the table and order another meal (via Irish Examiner).

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).