The actor Adrien Brody turns 52 today
His breakthrough came with Roman Polanski’s The Pianist in 2002, in which he portrayed Polish pianist Władysław Szpilman. At 29, Brody became the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for this role
The actor Adrien Brody turns 52 today
Adrien Nicholas Brody was born on April 14, 1973, in Woodhaven, Queens, New York City. He is the only child of Sylvia Plachy, a Hungarian-born photographer, and Elliot Brody, a retired history professor and painter. Brody’s early exposure to the arts, particularly through accompanying his mother on assignments, fostered his interest in performance. He attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Brody began acting in his teens, appearing in Off-Broadway productions and television films. His early film roles included performances in King of the Hill (1993), The Thin Red Line (1998), and Summer of Sam (1999). His breakthrough came with Roman Polanski’s The Pianist (2002), in which he portrayed Polish pianist Władysław Szpilman. At 29, Brody became the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for this role.
Following this success, Brody took on a variety of roles in films such as The Village (2004), King Kong (2005), Hollywoodland (2006), and Cadillac Records (2008). He has frequently collaborated with director Wes Anderson, appearing in The Darjeeling Limited (2007), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The French Dispatch (2021), and Asteroid City (2023).
In 2024, Brody starred in The Brutalist, portraying Hungarian architect László Tóth, a Holocaust survivor. His performance earned him a second Academy Award for Best Actor, as well as Golden Globe and BAFTA awards.
On television, Brody has appeared in series such as Peaky Blinders (2017), Succession (2021), and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022–2023). He also portrayed Harry Houdini in the miniseries Houdini (2014), earning an Emmy nomination.
Beyond acting, Brody is an accomplished painter and has exhibited his artwork in various galleries.
Watch: Adrien Brody Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters
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