Hollywood lost one its most iconic star when Marlon Brando died on July 1, 2004, at 82-years old. The cause of death on his death certificate was stated as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a rare respiratory disease which results in a scarring and stiffening of the lungs, often associated with manual laborers breathing in harmful toxins.

What many didn’t know, is that also diagnosed with congestive heart failure, obesity, diabetes and an enlarged liver indicating the presence of cancer.  Could they have contributed to the disease that eventually killed Brando? 

In the upcoming REELZ documentary, Autopsy: The Last Hours of… Marlon Brando eminent forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter investigates the legend’s death  using first-hand testimonies and written accounts. 

Brando came from an unhappy home. Both his parents were alcoholics and he admitted to feelings of depression and panic attacks in later life. Dr. Hunter also discovers that he was almost certainly dyslexic which would explain his feelings of insecurity and his notorious reluctance to learn his lines. 

When his mother died at the height of his success he stated turning to sex and food for comfort. His personal life was plagued with break-ups and court battles for custody of his reported 11 children.

A shooting in his home involving his son, daughter and her boyfriend in 1990 turned Brando into a virtual recluse, rarely venturing out beyond the confines of his heavily guarded Mulholland Drive home. And it became his home, rather than anything he encountered during his long acting career, that Dr. Hunter believes offers clues as to why he contracted Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Autopsy: The Last Hours of… Marlon Brando premieres Sunday, August 23 at 8 ET/PT on REELZ.

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