From the Don’s bulldog jowls, to his hoarse voice and mannerisms, Brando played a large role in crafting the Godfather’s image. It was the actor’s idea to stuff tissues in his cheeks to give the character his famous underbite, and it was his idea to speak in a raspy voice, because he imagined the Don was shot in the throat when he was younger.
In an interview with Playboy, Coppola revealed that even the Godfather’s death was Brando’s brainchild. “I told him at one point that I didn’t know how to shoot his final scene, just before he dies. What could we do to make his playing with his grandson believable?” the director explained.
“[Brando] said, ‘Here’s how I play with kids,’ and took an orange peel, cut it into pieces that looked like fangs and slipped them into his mouth.”
He continued, “I thought, ‘What a ridiculous idea. Then suddenly I saw it: Of course! The godfather dies as a monster! Once I’d seen him with orange peel fangs, I knew I could never shoot it any other way.”
Just down the rabbit hole a bit...
https://people.com/movies/godfather-45th-anniversary-tribeca-film-festival/
From the Don’s bulldog jowls, to his hoarse voice and mannerisms, Brando played a large role in crafting the Godfather’s image. It was the actor’s idea to stuff tissues in his cheeks to give the character his famous underbite, and it was his idea to speak in a raspy voice, because he imagined the Don was shot in the throat when he was younger.
In an interview with Playboy, Coppola revealed that even the Godfather’s death was Brando’s brainchild. “I told him at one point that I didn’t know how to shoot his final scene, just before he dies. What could we do to make his playing with his grandson believable?” the director explained.
“[Brando] said, ‘Here’s how I play with kids,’ and took an orange peel, cut it into pieces that looked like fangs and slipped them into his mouth.”
He continued, “I thought, ‘What a ridiculous idea. Then suddenly I saw it: Of course! The godfather dies as a monster! Once I’d seen him with orange peel fangs, I knew I could never shoot it any other way.”
https://youtu.be/4IRYpjj2_gw (2 min, 50 sec)