Oscar-winner Karl Malden has died at the age of 97. The cause of death has not been disclosed.He is best known for his distinctive nose and roles opposite Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire and On The Waterfront.
Malden's death was announced by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, where he served as president from 1989 to 1992.
The academy said the actor died at home surrounded by family members.
Born Mladen Sekulovich in Chicago in 1912 to a Serbian father and Czech mother, Malden grew up in Gary, Indiana.
He developed a love of acting after appearing regularly in school plays and in productions organized by his father at a local church.
Malden worked in Gary's steel mills for three years from 1931 before accepting a scholarship to Chicago's Goodman Theatre.
Another scholarship student, Mona Greenberg, became his wife in 1938. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last year. After tying the knot, Malden forged a successful Broadway career, appearing in Arthur Miller's All My Sons and Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire.
He developed working relationships and lifelong friendships with director Elia Kazan and co-star Brando.
Malden's recreation of the role of Mitch in Streetcar earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1951, and he scored another nod in that category for playing Father John in On the Waterfront.
Malden also landed roles in films including One- Eyed Jacks, The Cincinnati Kid, Birdman of Alcatraz, and Patton.
In the 1970s, Malden made the transition to television, starring in the popular series The Streets of San Francisco which introduced Michael Douglas.
"I'm a workaholic," Malden once said. "I love every movie I've been in, even the bad ones, every TV series, every play, because I love to work. It's what keeps me going." AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
