Sacheen Littlefeather, who gave Marlon Brando's Oscar rejection speech, dies at 75

[Guno צְבִי]

Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American actress and activist who declined Marlon Brando's best actor Oscar in 1973, has died, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Sunday night. She was 75.

The academy announced Littlefeather's death on its Twitter account. No cause of death was immediately given but multiple news outlets reported that Littlefeather had been suffering from breast cancer.

Her speech to decline the Oscar on behalf of Brando was met by a mixture of boos and cheers. She said she saw the actor John Wayne being restrained from rushing the stage while she was on, The Los Angeles Times reported.

This past August, NPR's Mandalit Del Barco reported on an interview that Littlefeather gave to member station KQED in 2020 about the speech and its fallout.

"People were making money off of that racism of the Hollywood Indian. Of course, they're going to boo. They don't want their evening interrupted."

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/03/1126515900/sacheen-littlefeather-marlon-brando-dies

 

[Guno צְבִי]

Earlier this year and nearly 50 years later, the academy officially apologized to Littlefeather for the abuse she subsequently endured because of her Oscars appearance. In a June letter from former academy President David Rubin, the academy acknowledged the "unwarranted and unjustified" abuse she experienced.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Mostly cheers. Only a few boos.

 

[Taichiliberal]

Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American actress and activist who declined Marlon Brando's best actor Oscar in 1973, has died, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Sunday night. She was 75.

The academy announced Littlefeather's death on its Twitter account. No cause of death was immediately given but multiple news outlets reported that Littlefeather had been suffering from breast cancer.

Her speech to decline the Oscar on behalf of Brando was met by a mixture of boos and cheers. She said she saw the actor John Wayne being restrained from rushing the stage while she was on, The Los Angeles Times reported.

This past August, NPR's Mandalit Del Barco reported on an interview that Littlefeather gave to member station KQED in 2020 about the speech and its fallout.

"People were making money off of that racism of the Hollywood Indian. Of course, they're going to boo. They don't want their evening interrupted."

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/03/1126515900/sacheen-littlefeather-marlon-brando-dies

Ahh, the good ... they die young.