Karl Malden is an American television, theater and film actor and director. In 1951 he won a gold Oscar statuette for his supporting role in the film "A Streetcar Named Desire". He has also received Screen Actors Guild and Emmy Awards. In 1960, his personalized star appeared on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at number 6231.
During his long acting career, Karl Malden managed to appear in more than 110 projects. He actively acted in films and television, took part in documentaries (chronicles), played in the theater.
In the 1950s he tried himself as a director. His first directorial work was the film "Time Limit", released in 1957. The second time the director's chair was occupied by Karl Malden, when he was working on the film "A Tree for the Hanged". The picture was released in 1959 and had quite good ratings.
Malden began his professional career in the 1930s with work in the theater. And the first full-length film with his participation was released in 1940.
Biography facts
Carl's hometown is Chicago, Illinois, USA. Here the future actor was born in 1912. His birthday: March 22. The real full name of the artist sounds like Mladen Djordje Seculovich. He took the name Karl at a time when he began to actively develop his acting career. It was named after his grandfather. The fictional surname Malden appeared as a result of the actor's experiments with his real name. In it, he replaced and rearranged some letters.
Karl came from a Serbo-Czech family. It is noteworthy that in the first years of his life, the boy did not speak English (American) at all. This continued until he began to receive preparatory preschool education.
The father of the future artist was named Pyotr Sekulovich. He was originally from Serbia. For a long time he worked at a steel plant, and also worked as a milkman. In addition, Petr Sekulovich was interested in theater, theatrical art, and drama throughout his life. He directed and directed plays that were shown at the Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Sava. And also for some time Seculovich gave frequent lessons in acting. It was his father who influenced Karl to a certain extent when he was little. He instilled in him an interest in creativity and art, engendered in his son the dream of becoming a famous actor.
Karl's mother was named Minnie Seculovich. She came to America from the Czech Republic. During her life she worked as a seamstress, and also was engaged in raising children. In addition to Karl, the family had 2 more children.
Even before going to school, Karl moved with his family from Chicago to the small town of Gary, located in Indiana. Here the childhood and teenage years of the future actor passed.
Having started his school education, Karl enrolled in a drama club and began to develop his natural acting talent. In high school, he was even elected president of the school's theater studio. Malden attended Emerson School, from which he graduated in 1931 with honors and a gold medal. As a teenager, he, with his hearing and voice, joined the church choir Karageorge.
However, it was not only the stage and cinema that attracted Karl. He was fond of photography, was educated at a music school, mastering the piano. He also loved to read and swim. Malden was fond of sports, for some time he tried to play basketball professionally. In high school, he even considered pursuing an athletic career. During the period of his hobby for basketball, Malden was twice admitted to the hospital with a broken nose, but this did not make him give up the sport. Having released from the school walls, the young man went to Arkansas. There he planned to enter a sports college, but failed to secure a scholarship and was forced to return to Gary.
Having lived for some time in Gary, the future artist worked at a factory. He tried to save money to continue his education. In early 1934, the young man went to Chicago, where he managed to enter the University of the Arts. He graduated from this educational institution in 1937. After that, he got a job at the Goodman Theater, at the same time changing his real name to a pseudonym.
In the late 1930s, Karl moved to the states, settling in New York. Not without difficulty, but the young actor was able to get a role in one of the Broadway theaters. And already in 1940 he made his debut in big cinema. At the same time, the artist started working on the radio, he took part in several radio performances.
During the Second World War, which temporarily slowed down the development of Malden's acting career, the artist served in the army. He was a sergeant at the BBC USA. After the war, he resumed active work in theater, film and television.
In 1963 he was a member of the jury at the Berlin Film Festival. In 1968, the actor took over as a commercial representative of the American Express Traveler's Checks corporation, and a little later took the position of advertising director. Malden worked in this organization until 1989.
From 1989 to 1992, he was President of the United States Academy of Motion Picture Arts. In 2001, the artist received his doctorate in liberal arts from Valparaiso University, Indiana.
In the early 1990s, Karl Malden's book was published: "Memoirs: When will I start?" He wrote it with one of his daughters.
At the end of his acting career, Karl Malden starred mainly in television films and series. The last project with his participation was released in 1999. It was the series The West Wing, which ran until 2006. It was closed 3 years before the death of the actor.
Best Movies
The actor played his debut role in the movie "They knew what they wanted." The premiere took place in 1940, followed by a break in Malden's career, which lasted 4 years. The next full-length film with his participation, called "Winged Victory", was released in 1944.
Over the years of his work in film and television, Karl Malden has appeared in a large number of successful projects, highly appreciated by both film critics and viewers. Among his works, the following popular films and TV series are worth highlighting:
- "The kiss of death";
- "Shooter";
- “Where the sidewalk ends”;
- "Desire" tram;
- "I confess";
- "In the port";
- "Doll";
- Pollyanna;
- "The Great Impostor";
- "Bird Lover of Alcatraz";
- "War in the Wild West";
- "Gypsy";
- "Double";
- The Cincinnati Kid;
- Nevada Smith;
- Hot Millions;
- Patton;
- Streets of San Francisco;
- "Alice in Wonderland";
- "Crazy";
- The West Wing.
Personal life and death
While working at the Goodman Theater, Karl Malden met an actress named Mona Greenberg, who was 5 years his junior. A romance began between them, which led to marriage. They became husband and wife in December 1938. After the marriage, Mona took the surname Malden.
Together, the artists remained until Karl's death. In 2008, the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. In this marriage, 2 children were born - girls, who were named Karla and Mila.
The celebrated artist passed away in July 2009 at his home located in Los Angeles, California. Death occurred due to natural causes. At that time, the actor was 97 years old.
Buried Karl Malden in Westwood, which is located in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The actor's grave is located in the Westwood Village Memorial Park cemetery.
