Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden died of natural causes on Wednesday (July 1) at his home in Brentwood, California. He was 97.

He is best known for roles in A Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront, Gypsy, The Birdman of Alcatraz andPatton.

Malden starred in more than 50 films and in TV projects including The Streets Of San Francisco and guest starring in a 2000 episode of The West Wing. He was also well known for American Express ads.

He was born Mladen Sekulovich to Czech and Serbian parents in Chicago. He studied acting in the 1930s at the Goodman School of Drama and then made his Broadway debut in 1937.

He also served as the president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences from 1989 to 1992.

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