Movita Castaneda, a renowned American actress, gained recognition for being the second wife of the illustrious actor Marlon Brando. Born eight years prior to Brando, she embarked on a film career, taking on exotic roles such as singing in the iconic movie Flying Down to Rio (1933) alongside Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
In her early career, Movita played exotic women in both American and Spanish language films during the 1930s. Her most notable role was as a Tahitian girl, Tehanni, in the 1935 film Mutiny on the Bounty, alongside Clark Gable and Franchot Tone. She continued to appear in minor westerns and television parts before meeting Marlon Brando in the late 1950s.
After his breakup with Anna Kashfi, Brando and Movita Castaneda tied the knot in 1960, and they had two children together. Interestingly, Brando later played the role of Fletcher Christian in the 1962 remake of Mutiny on the Bounty, in which Movita had previously appeared. However, Brando then married his co-star Tarita Teriipaia.
Movita Castaneda passed away on February 12, 2015, at the remarkable age of 98. Six months later, Marlon Brando's first wife, Anna Kashfi, died on August 16, 2015, at the age of 80.