Marlon Brando’s ‘bagel’ proposal

When director Richard Donner approached Marlon Brando to play Jor-El, Superman’s father, the legendary actor had an unusual suggestion.

Brando proposed portraying the character as a “bagel” - his way of saying he wanted the freedom to interpret Jor-El however he liked, arguing that as an alien, the character could look or behave in any way.

Donner, a lifelong fan of Superman comics, wasn’t convinced. He appealed to Brando’s sense of cultural impact, using the character’s established image to make his case.

The filmmaker recounted: “I said, ‘Jeez, Marlon, it’s 1939. There isn’t a kid in the world that doesn’t know what Jor-El looks like, and he looks like Marlon Brando.’”.

Brando paused, then smiled and replied: “I talk too much, don’t I? OK. Show me the wardrobe.”