Adrien Brody
Photo Gallery
Who is Adrien Brody?
Adrien Nicholas Brody is an American actor acclaimed for his compelling performances. He gained international recognition for portraying Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski’s war drama The Pianist (2002), a role that earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, making him the youngest recipient in the category at 29. He won the same award for The Brutalist (2024), where he played a Holocaust survivor who immigrates to the United States.
Brody’s diverse filmography includes King of the Hill (1993), The Thin Red Line (1998), The Village (2004), King Kong (2005), Hollywoodland (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), Predators (2010), and See How They Run (2022). He has been a frequent collaborator with director Wes Anderson, featuring in The Darjeeling Limited (2007), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The French Dispatch (2021), and Asteroid City (2023). Additionally, he portrayed Salvador Dalí in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris (2011) and Arthur Miller in Andrew Dominik’s Blonde (2022).
On television, Brody portrayed Luca Changretta in the fourth season of Peaky Blinders (2017) and Pat Riley in HBO’s sports drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022–2023). He received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances as Harry Houdini in the History Channel miniseries Houdini (2014) and investor Josh Aaronson in HBO’s Succession (2021). In 2024, he made his London stage debut, portraying death row inmate Nick Yarris in The Fear of 13.
Quick Details
| Full Name | Adrien Nicholas Brody |
| Also known as | Byron Deidra |
| Date of Birth | April 14, 1973 |
| Birthplace | New York City, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Gender | Male |
| Birthday | April 14 |
| Age | 51 years |
| Height | 6′ 0¾″ (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 68 kg |
| Zodiac Sign (Horoscope) | Aries |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eyes Color | Brown |
| Education | City University of New York |
| Parents | Elliot Brody (father), Sylvia Plachy (mother) |
| Partner | Georgina Chapman (2020–present) |
| Children | No children |
| Profession | Actor, Producer |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Social media | Instagram, X |
Early Life & Education
Adrien Nicholas Brody was born on April 14, 1973, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City. He is the son of Sylvia Plachy, a photographer, and Elliot Brody, a retired history professor and painter. His father is of Polish Jewish descent, while his mother, born in Budapest, Hungary, emigrated to the U.S. following the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. She was raised Catholic and came from a lineage that included a Catholic Hungarian aristocrat father and a Czech Jewish mother. Brody has described his upbringing as lacking a strong religious connection to either Judaism or Christianity.
As a child, Brody showcased his love for performance by entertaining at children’s birthday parties as “The Amazing Adrien,” performing magic tricks. He studied at I.S. 145 Joseph Pulitzer Middle School before attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York. Concerned about his social circle, his parents enrolled him in acting classes to keep him away from negative influences. He also spent summers at Long Lake Camp for the Arts in the Adirondacks.
Brody briefly attended Stony Brook University before transferring to Queens College, where he studied for a semester.
Career
Adrien Brody began acting at a young age and, by thirteen, had already performed in an Off-Broadway play and a PBS television film. He gained early recognition with his role in Bullet (1996) alongside Tupac Shakur and Mickey Rourke. His breakthrough came with Restaurant (1998), earning him an Independent Spirit Award nomination, followed by acclaimed performances in Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam and Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line (1998). Director Roman Polanski, impressed by Brody’s work in Harrison’s Flowers (2000), cast him in The Pianist (2002). To prepare, Brody immersed himself in the role, giving up his apartment and car, losing 30 pounds, and training extensively in piano. His dedication paid off, as he became the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor at 29. He also received a César Award, though he missed out on BAFTA, Golden Globe, and SAG wins.
Following The Pianist, Brody took on diverse roles. In Dummy (2003), filmed before his Oscar win, he played a socially awkward ventriloquist, mastering ventriloquism and puppetry for the role. He then portrayed a mentally disabled man in The Village (2004), a traumatized war veteran in The Jacket (2005), and writer Jack Driscoll in Peter Jackson’s King Kong (2005). The latter became his highest-grossing film, earning $550 million worldwide. He also voiced Driscoll in the video game adaptation. Other notable roles included a detective in Hollywoodland (2006) and Peter Whitman in Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited (2007). Outside of film, Brody appeared in commercials for Diet Coke and Schweppes and in Tori Amos’ A Sorta Fairytale music video.
In 2006, Brody expressed interest in playing The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) and met with director Christopher Nolan, but the role ultimately went to Heath Ledger. He was also considered for Spock in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) before Zachary Quinto was cast. In 2009, he starred in the sci-fi thriller Splice, followed by the lead role in Predators (2010), a sequel to Predator, produced by Robert Rodriguez.
Brody continued exploring different mediums, starring in a Stella Artois Super Bowl commercial in 2011 and appearing as Salvador Dalí in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. In 2012, he made his runway debut as a model for Prada’s Fall/Winter collection.
In 2014, Brody reunited with Wes Anderson for the Academy Award-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel, portraying the character Dmitri. The same year, he earned an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his portrayal of the legendary illusionist in the History Channel miniseries Houdini. He was also cast in the title role of Lee Tamahori’s historical action film Emperor, alongside Sophie Cookson. Though the film was completed and screened at Cannes in 2017, its release has been delayed due to legal issues.
In 2015, Brody played Tiberius in the Chinese blockbuster Dragon Blade, which grossed $54.8 million in its opening week in China. That year, he also received the Cinema Vanguard Award at the San Diego Film Festival.
In 2017, he joined the fourth season of the BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders and was honored with the Leopard Club Award at the Locarno Festival, recognizing his lasting impact on cinema.
In 2019, Brody signed with CAA Creative Artists Agency after leaving Paradigm. In 2021, he was awarded the Vanguard Award at SCAD’s Savannah Film Festival.
In 2024, he starred in Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, replacing Joel Edgerton in the lead role. His performance as László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor, received widespread acclaim, with many calling it his best since The Pianist. He won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Critics’ Choice Award for the role.
Later in 2024, Brody made his London stage debut in The Fear of 13, written by Lindsey Ferrentino. The play, performed at the Donmar Warehouse, is based on the real-life story of Nick Yarris, a wrongly convicted death-row inmate from Pennsylvania.
Oscar kiss
At the 75th Academy Awards in 2003, Brody sparked controversy when he unexpectedly kissed presenter Halle Berry while accepting his Best Actor Oscar for The Pianist. Although Berry downplayed the incident a week later, she confirmed that the kiss was unplanned.
The moment became one of the most talked-about highlights of the ceremony, inspiring numerous televised parodies. The following year at the Oscars, Brody humorously referenced it by using breath spray before announcing Best Actress winner Charlize Theron, who then kissed him on her way to the stage.
In January 2025, Berry publicly congratulated Brody on winning the Golden Globe for The Brutalist, calling him “truly one of one.” Later, at the 97th Academy Awards, she playfully kissed him on the red carpet as a nod to their infamous moment.
Personal Life
In 1992, Brody suffered a severe motorcycle accident, being thrown over a car and landing head-first in a crosswalk. His recovery took several months. Over the years, he has broken his nose three times while performing stunts, including during the filming of Summer of Sam. He currently resides in Manhattan.
In 2024, reports surfaced that Brody experiences PTSD due to the extreme weight loss he endured while preparing for The Pianist in 2002.
In 2010, Brody filed a lawsuit against the producers of Giallo, claiming unpaid wages. By January 2011, he reached a settlement and expressed his satisfaction, stating that he enjoyed making the film and was pleased it could be released for audiences to see.
Relationships
Brody began dating Spanish actress and model Elsa Pataky in 2006. In 2007, for her 31st birthday, he gifted her a renovated 19th-century farm in central New York, styled like a castle. The couple showcased their home in a 35-page HELLO! magazine feature in October 2008 but parted ways in 2009.
From 2012 to 2018, Brody was in a relationship with Russian model Lara Leito, whom he met at the Cannes Film Festival.
In February 2020, reports confirmed that Brody was dating English fashion designer and actress Georgina Chapman. Their relationship began while Chapman was still formally separated from her ex-husband, Harvey Weinstein.
