Adrien Brody facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adrien Brody
Brody in 2023
Born	Adrien Nicholas Brody (1973-04-14) April 14, 1973 (age 52) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	City University of New York
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1989–present
Partner(s)	Georgina Chapman (2020–present)
Parent(s)	Sylvia Plachy (mother)

Adrien Nicholas Brody, born on April 14, 1973, is an American actor. He is famous for winning two Academy Awards for Best Actor. He won for his role as Władysław Szpilman in the war drama The Pianist (2002). He also won for playing a Holocaust survivor in The Brutalist (2024). When he won for The Pianist, he was only 29 years old. This made him the youngest person ever to win that award!

Brody has starred in many other well-known movies. These include King of the Hill (1993), The Thin Red Line (1998), and King Kong (2005). He has also worked often with director Wes Anderson. Their movies together include The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and Asteroid City (2023). He even played famous people like Salvador Dalí in Midnight in Paris (2011) and Arthur Miller in Blonde (2022).

On television, Brody played Luca Changretta in the show Peaky Blinders (2017). He also played Pat Riley in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022–2023). He was nominated for an Emmy Award for playing Harry Houdini in the miniseries Houdini (2014).

Early Life and Education

Adrien Nicholas Brody was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, on April 14, 1973. His mother, Sylvia Plachy, is a photographer. His father, Elliot Brody, was a history professor and painter.

When Adrien was a child, he loved to perform magic shows. He called himself "The Amazing Adrien" and would perform at birthday parties. His parents saw his talent and enrolled him in acting classes. This helped him focus his energy and explore his creativity. He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York, which is a famous school for young artists. He also went to a summer camp for the arts called Long Lake Camp.

Later, Brody studied at Stony Brook University and Queens College.

Acting Career Highlights

Adrien Brody started acting when he was very young. By age thirteen, he was already in an Off-Broadway play and a TV film for PBS. He slowly gained attention in Hollywood. He earned a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for his role in the 1998 film Restaurant. He also received praise for his parts in Summer of Sam and The Thin Red Line.

The Pianist and Oscar Win

A big moment in Brody's career came when director Roman Polanski saw him in the movie Harrison's Flowers (2000). Polanski decided to offer him the main role in The Pianist (2002). To get ready for this very serious role, Brody worked incredibly hard. He gave up his apartment and car to fully focus. He took piano lessons for four hours every day to learn the music. He also lost about 30 pounds to look like someone who had suffered greatly.

His amazing performance in The Pianist won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. At 29 years old, he became the youngest actor ever to win this award. He also won a César Award, which is a top film award in France.

After The Pianist

After his big win, Brody took on many different types of roles. In Dummy (2003), he played a shy ventriloquist. He even learned ventriloquism and puppetry for the movie! He was also in The Village by M. Night Shyamalan.

One of his most successful films financially was the 2005 remake of King Kong. He played the writer Jack Driscoll. The movie made over $550 million worldwide. Brody also lent his voice to the King Kong video game. He appeared in commercials and even a music video for singer Tori Amos.

Brody at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival

Brody was considered for big roles like The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) and Spock in Star Trek. While he didn't get those parts, he continued to star in many films. These included the science-fiction movie Splice (2009) and the action film Predators (2010).

In 2011, he played the famous artist Salvador Dalí in Woody Allen's Oscar-winning comedy, Midnight in Paris. He even walked the runway as a model for Prada's fashion show in 2012.

Recent Work

Brody continued to work with director Wes Anderson in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), which won an Academy Award. He also played the famous magician Harry Houdini in a TV miniseries called Houdini (2014), earning an Emmy nomination.

In 2015, he starred in the Chinese film Dragon Blade. In 2017, he joined the cast of the popular BBC crime show Peaky Blinders.

In 2024, Brody starred in The Brutalist. His performance as László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish Holocaust survivor, received very strong reviews. Critics said it was one of his best performances since The Pianist. For this role, he won a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award.

Brody also made his stage debut in London in 2024. He starred in a play called The Fear of 13, based on the true story of Nick Yarris, a man who was wrongly on death row.

Personal Life

Adrien Brody has faced some challenges in his life. In 1992, he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. He spent months recovering from his injuries. He has also broken his nose three times while doing stunts for movies.

In 2010, Brody had a legal issue with the makers of the film Giallo because he wasn't paid his full salary. The issue was later resolved.

Relationships

Brody dated Spanish actress and model Elsa Pataky from 2006 to 2009. For her birthday, he bought her a 19th-century farm in New York that looked like a castle.

Since 2020, he has been in a relationship with English fashion designer and actress Georgina Chapman.

Performances

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Film

Television

Stage

Video games

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

See Also

In Spanish: Adrien Brody para niños