Adrien Brody has secured his second Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist.”
Beating out Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”), Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”), Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”), and Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”), Adrien Brody emerged victorious at the 97th Academy Awards.
Taking the stage, Adrien Brody nonchalantly discarded his chewing gum, tossing it to his partner, Georgina Chapman. As his emotional speech neared its conclusion, the Academy began to play him off. However, Brody was not finished.
“I’m wrapping up, please turn the music off,” he asserted. “I’ve done this before. Thank you. It’s not my first rodeo, but I will be brief.”
Adrien Brody began his five-minute speech by reflecting on his career and the unpredictable nature of acting.
“Acting is fragile. It appears glamorous, and at times, it is,” Brody stated. “But what I’ve gained returning here is perspective. Regardless of achievements, everything can disappear. Tonight is special because of that realization, and I am grateful to still be working in this industry.”
Winning a second Oscar signifies “a new beginning” for Brody, who hopes to continue taking on meaningful roles for decades to come.
Interestingly, both of Adrien Brody’s Oscar-winning roles depict Holocaust survivors. “Once again, I stand here representing the lingering traumas of war, oppression, antisemitism, racism, and division,” Brody said. “I pray for a more inclusive, peaceful world. History teaches us not to let hate go unchecked.”
In 2003, Adrien Brody became the youngest recipient of the Best Actor Oscar at 29 for “The Pianist.” Had Chalamet won, he would have broken Brody’s record by eight months.
With this second win, Brody joins an exclusive group of actors with two Best Actor Oscars, including Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, and Tom Hanks.
In “The Brutalist,” Brody portrays László Tóth, an architect who flees Hungary for America. The A24 film earned ten Oscar nominations, winning three, including cinematography and original score.
Following his win, memes and online jokes about Adrien Brody circulated, highlighting the unpredictable nature of internet culture. Despite this, Brody’s remarkable achievement remains undeniable.
