Actor Marlon Brando, who sparked a storm of criticism for saying Hollywood is run by Jews, broke down and wept when he met Friday with Jewish leaders to apologize for his comments.
The actor blamed the uproar on a misunderstanding due to the nature of commercial television talk shows and in a statement said he would explain his comments publicly in a newspaper piece and on other TV programs."It took 30 to 45 seconds before he was able to compose himself," Rabbi Marvin Hier said of the movie star, whom he met privately with other Jewish leaders for three hours.
"Mr. Brando broke down and cried . . . to show his affection for Lew Wasserman and other people who are his idols," Hier said, referring to the chairman emeritus of MCA, the parent company of Universal Pictures.
Wasserman had deplored Brando's comments last week, but defended the actor as a friend of the Jews. In an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live" last Friday, Brando said he was angry at some Jewish filmmakers for not showing more sensitivity to portraying minority groups in a negative fashion while not portraying Jews in the same way.
"Hollywood is run by Jews. It's owned by Jews, and they should have a greater sensitivity about the issue of people who are suffering," he said on the program.
At Friday's briefing by Hier, Brando's friend David Ross read a statement in which he reiterated the actor's support of Jews and said Brando would write a "think piece" for a major newspaper and appear on other talk shows to explain his position.
"Mr. Brando is known to the Jewish community as highly supportive of Jewish culture and religion and for many decades as a profound humanitarian concerned with human rights for all people and races."