December 3rd

1947 - The Tennesee Williams classic American tragedy "A Streetcar Named Desire" debuts on Broadway, launching Marlon Brando's career into the stratosphere. One of my very first leading roles was in college, as an 18 year old, when I was horibly miscast as Stanley Kowalski.

I consider myself a pretty good actor, but the role of Stanley calls for a menacing physicality, which I do not posess. I lifted weights and worked with a trainer for two months and still looked like my puffy jolly Irish self. The result was a "Streetcar" that one reviewer compared to an episode of "The Honeymooners."

I have enormous respect for anyone who can fill Mr. Brando's shoes in this iconic part. The play has been revived a few times on Broadway, and I'm writing to the actors who played Stanley in those revivials, as well as the last remaining cast member from the 1947 production.

Karl Malden

Alec Baldwin

John C. Reilly