The Father Figure
Legendary actor Marlon Brando was known, among others, for masterpieces such as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and Last Tango in Paris (1972). He added early on to his reputation by diving deeper into the world of cinematography when he also became a film director for One-Eyed Jacks (1961).
He won two Oscars for Best Actor, the first for On The Waterfront (1954), and the second for his role as Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972). The highly regarded and equally feared mobster is arguably Marlon Brando’s role with the most long-term impact in his entire career of 40 films.
However, the silver screen is not the only place where Brando made a name for himself. His personal life also helped build his fame. He had three wives and 11 children, some biological and others adopted.
Becoming A Brando Daughter
Marlon Brando’s third and last marriage was to Tarita Teriipaia. He met the actress of French Polynesian and Chinese descent on the set of Mutiny on the Bounty, where she was his co-star. They married in 1962 and got divorced ten years later. They had two children, Simon Brando and Tarita Cheyenne Brando. Their family grew when the actor adopted his wife’s child from a previous relationship, Maimiti Brando.
Even after his divorce from Tarita, Brando continued to add members to his family. He adopted his last wife’s niece, Raiatua Brando, ten years after their divorce. Although he never remarried after Tarita, Marlon Brando had three more biological children and one more adopted daughter.
Raiatua
Raiatua Brando was born in 1982. Her biological father was Tarita’s brother, who had abandoned her. She and Maimiti did not appear in Marlon Brando’s biography, but they were mentioned in his will. She is a very private person and does not have an online presence, which makes it very difficult to put together a profile for her.
Actress Tarita Teriipaia
Born in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, in 1941, she attended school until the age of 12. She was allegedly working as a dishwasher at a hotel in Tahiti when she got discovered.
After Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), which got her a Golden Globes nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Tarita did not appear in any other movies; despite the fact that acting was the profession of her choice. She also had signed a deal with MGM for future productions.
After she married Marlon Brando, however, she had to retire early. According to her IMDb page, when asked if she would like to continue her acting career, she responded: “No. Well, I would like, but he [Marlon Brando] doesn’t want me to. He wants me to stay home and raise the children.”
As of 2015, Raiatua’s mother is the only living former wife of Marlon Brando.
Conclusion
Raiatua Brando is famous for having been adopted by Marlon Brando ten years after his marriage to her aunt, who then became her mother, had ended.
