Sacheen Littlefeather, who gave Marlon Brando's Oscar rejection speech, dies at 75
Sacheen Littlefeather, the Native American actress and activist who declined Marlon Brando's great actor Oscar in 1973, has died, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced Sunday night. She used to be 75. The academy introduced Littlefeather's demise on its Twitter account. No reason of demise used to be right now given however more than one information shops suggested that Littlefeather had been struggling from breast cancer.
Born Marie Louise Cruz on Nov. 14, 1946 in Salinas, Calif., Littlefeather later modified her identify in her 20s as she explored her Native American heritage and grew to be an activist.
On March 27, 1973, she supplied one of the most dramatic moments in Oscar history. As Brando's title used to be examine for triumphing great actor for his position in The Godfather, Littlefeather took to the stage sporting moccasins and a buckskin costume to courteously provide Brando's regrets for refusing the award due to the fact of Hollywood's therapy and portrayal of Native Americans.
Her speech to decline the Oscar on behalf of Brando was once met through a combination of boos and cheers. She stated she noticed the actor John Wayne being restrained from speeding the stage whilst she used to be on, The Los Angeles Times reported.
This previous August, NPR's Mandalit Del Barco mentioned on an interview that Littlefeather gave to member station KQED in 2020 about the speech and its fallout.
"People have been making money off of that racism of the Hollywood Indian. Of course, they're going to boo. They do not choose their night interrupted."
Littlefeather cited she was once as soon as escorted offstage at the Oscars via a crew of security guards. She mentioned that for years Hollywood boycotted her, calling it being pink listed.
Earlier this year and almost 50 years later, the academy formally apologized to Littlefeather for the abuse she because of this persevered due to the fact of her Oscars appearance. In a June letter from former academy President David Rubin, the academy the "unwarranted and unjustified" abuse she endured.
Brando later recounted be apologetic about for the role he had put Littlefeather in, in accordance to The Los Angeles Times. "I was once distressed that human beings ought to have booed and whistled and stomped, even even though possibly it used to be directed at myself," he advised then-talk exhibit host Dick Cavett. "They have to have at least had the courtesy to hear to her."
