Why Adrien Brody Can’t Watch The Movie That Won Him His Oscar 23 Years Ago

Adrien Brody explains why he can’t watch the movie that won him his Oscar 23 years ago, saying “It was traumatic to embody that character.” The actor’s career has been defined by his willingness to take on challenging and diverse roles. Though he made his film debut during the early 1990s, Brody’s breakthrough was winning an Academy Award in 2003, which marked the beginning of a promising career, frequently taking on roles that emphasize emotional depth and complexity.

Brody gained early attention in 1998 for Terrence Malick’s World War II movie, The Thin Red Line. After winning an Academy Award in 2003, he starred in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village and Peter Jackson’s King Kong, showcasing his versatility in both horror and action. However, he never fully embraced the mainstream blockbuster route and has consistently chosen challenging roles. Brody won an Academy Award for his performance as a Holocaust survivor and now, he’s once again in the Oscar race for his performance as a Holocaust survivor in The Brutalist.

Why Adrien Brody Can’t Watch The Pianist

The Movie Won Him His Oscar 23 Years Ago

Adrien Brody explains why he can’t watch The Pianist. Directed by Roman Polanski, based on the autobiographical book by Władysław Szpilman, the 2002 film follows a Polish-Jewish pianist who is forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, separated from his family, and eventually hides among the ruins of Warsaw to survive. For his powerful performance, Brody won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the age of 29, the youngest actor to ever win in that category.

In a recent profile by W Magazine promoting The Brutalist, Brody explained why he can’t watch The Pianist. The actor finds it too traumatic since embodying a Holocaust victim required him to undergo extreme physical and emotional hardship, including significant weight loss and grappling with extreme hunger and despair that left a lasting psychological impact on him. Read his full response below:

I can’t watch The Pianist. It was traumatic to embody that character [a victim of the Holocaust during World War II]. I lost 30-something pounds—I’m six feet one, and I weighed 129 pounds. The experience of understanding that deep sense of hunger has never left me. To understand what that opened up inside me is still terribly upsetting.

What Adrien Brody’s Performance In The Pianist Means For The Actor

Will He Win Another Oscar For The Brutalist?

Adrien Brody’s Oscar-winning performance in The Pianist is perhaps the best example of his intense commitment to his roles, often undergoing significant physical and emotional transformations. It’s the kind of dedicated performance that he once again showcases in The Brutalist as László Tóth, a Hungarian-born Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor who immigrates to the United States with dreams of pursuing the American Dream. Though The Brutalist takes place after the horrors of the Holocaust, Brody’s performance is no less powerful, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.

Where To Watch The Brutalist: Showtimes & Streaming Status

The Brutalist is expected to be a big 2025 Oscars contender. Here is where to watch The Brutalist in theaters, on streaming, or on digital.

Brody is a near-lock to earn his second Oscar nomination for The Brutalist. Perhaps his biggest competition in winning the Academy Award is Timothée Chalamet for his performance as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Interestingly enough, if Chalamet wins, he would overtake Brody as the youngest ever to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. But still, Adrien Brody’s enduring legacy lies in his fearless commitment to roles that challenge him both physically and emotionally.

Source: W Magazine