Born on March 22, 1912, in Chicago, Karl Malden was the son of a Czech mother and a Serbian father, Mladen Sekulovich. Due to his multilingual family, Malden did not learn English until he was in kindergarten. He spent his early years in Gary, Indiana, where he attended high school before pursuing a career in the steel industry. However, after three years of manual labor, Malden became disillusioned and left the industry to attend the Arkansas State Teacher's College and later the Goodman Theater Dramatic School.
Following his studies, Malden moved to New York City in 1937 to pursue a career in acting. He quickly became involved with the Group Theater, a prestigious organization of actors and directors, where he caught the attention of director Elia Kazan. Malden went on to star in several notable plays, including "All My Sons" and "A Streetcar Named Desire," both of which were directed by Kazan.
Before his military service during World War II, Malden made a single screen appearance in the 1940 film "They Knew What They Wanted." However, it was not until after the war that he established himself as a film actor. Malden's breakout role came in 1951 when he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Mitch in "A Streetcar Named Desire." He went on to demonstrate his range as an actor in a variety of roles, including Father Corrigan in "On the Waterfront" and Archie Lee in "Baby Doll."
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Malden appeared in numerous films, including "Fear Strikes Out," "Pollyanna," "Birdman of Alcatraz," "Gypsy," "How the West Was Won," and "The Cincinnati Kid." In the early 1970s, he transitioned to television, starring as Detective Mike Stone on the popular series "The Streets of San Francisco" alongside Michael Douglas. Malden also became a well-known pitchman for American Express, a position he held for 21 years.
In addition to his acting career, Malden was also a respected member of the film industry. He served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1988 to 1993 and published his memoir, "When Do I Start?: A Memoir," in 1997. Malden was also a vocal advocate for his friend and mentor, Elia Kazan, and pushed for a special salute to Kazan at the 1999 Academy Awards.
Karl Malden died on July 1, 2009, at the age of 97, due to natural causes. He was buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California.
