Adrien Brody has won the Best Actor Oscar for his turn in A24‘s The Brutalist, clinching the statuette two decades after his win for Roman Polanski’s The Pianist.
“I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and othering..” Brody said in his acceptance speech. “I pray for a healthier and a happier and a more inclusive world. And I believe if the past can teach us anything, it’s a reminder to not let hate go unchecked. I love you and I appreciate you all. Let’s fight for what’s right.”
Brody began his speech by thanking God “for this blessed life,” giving thanks for “the tremendous outpouring of love that I’ve felt from this world and every individual that has treated me with respect and appreciation.” He went on to speak to the “fragile” profession that acting is, noting that while it often looks “glamorous,” the truth is that any career “can all go away” in a moment, no matter what one has accomplished.
“I think what makes this night most special,” he said, “is the awareness of that, and the gratitude that I have to still do the work that I love.”
Brody understands that winning an award like the Best Actor Oscar can signify “a destination.” For him, however, the award also feels like “a chance to begin again, and the opportunity to hopefully be fortunate enough for the next 20 years of my life that I can prove that I am worthy of such meaningful and important and relevant roles.”
Brody also thanked The Brutalist filmmakers Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold “for what you’ve done for independent film, and for your beautiful spirit, and for giving me space to exist in this triumph of a work,” as well as his fellow nominees and castmates, his family, and others.
At the time of his last Oscar win in 2003, Brody became the youngest-ever Best Actor recipient, aged 29 — a title he continues to hold to this day. And now, 22 years later, he joins the exclusive club of actors who have won multiple times in the category. He’s been a frontrunner for the prize all season, with additional wins at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Golden Globes.
Brody won out over a highly competitive field of nominees, including Timothée Chalamet for A Complete Unknown, Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Ralph Fiennes for Conclave, and Sebastian Stan for The Apprentice. Tonight, The Brutalist won a total of three awards from 10 nominations, also prevailing in the categories of Cinematography and Original Score.
Directed by Brady Corbet, The Brutalist is an A24 drama that follows László Toth (Brody), a Hungarian immigrant and visionary architect, as he struggles to establish his legacy in postwar America. Brody’s co-stars Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce are also up for awards tonight.
Others in the ensemble included Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Isaach De Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola, Ariane Labed, and Emma Laird. Corbet directed from his script written with Mona Fastvold and was also among the producers. The film hit U.S. theaters December 20 after world premiering at Venice.
