Biography
He was born in Woodhaven, Queens, New York (a neighborhood near Jamaica, Queens) to Elliot Brody (a Jewish American retired history professor) and Sylvia Plachy (a Hungarian-born Catholic photojournalist). Brody attended New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (famously the inspiration for television's Fame). His parents enrolled him in acting classes to distance him from the dangerous kids with whom he associated.
In 1992, Brody was seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident in which he flew over a car and crashed feet-first into a crosswalk. He spent months recuperating. An avid daredevil, he has broken his nose several times doing off-the-wall stunts.
Career
Brody hovered on the brink of stardom, receiving praise for his roles in Spike Lee's Summer of Sam and Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line. He finally received widespread recognition when he was cast as the lead in Roman Polanski's The Pianist (2002). The role won him an Academy Award for Best Actor, the youngest actor ever to win the award. To prepare for the role, Brody withdrew for months, gave up his apartment and his car, learned how to play Chopin on the piano, and lost 13 kg (29 lbs).
Throughout his career, Brody has been compared to Al Pacino and Marlon Brando for his unique looks and method acting. He is also widely known for giving Halle Berry a back-breaking kiss after winning his Best Actor Oscar, and as the spokesman for fashion brand Ermenegildo Zegna.
Brody appeared on Saturday Night Live on May 10, 2003, his first TV work, but he was banned from the show after giving an improvised introduction for musical guest Sean Paul (the show's producer, Lorne Michaels, is infamous for hating unscripted performances). Other TV appearances include NBC's The Today Show and on MTV's Punk'd after being tricked by Ashton Kutcher.
After The Pianist Brody has played three different roles in three very different movies. He played Noah Persey, a mentally disabled young man in the movie The Village by M. Night Shyamalan, shell-shocked war veteran Jack Starks in The Jacket and writer Jack Driscoll, in the 2005 King Kong remake by Peter Jackson. He has also appeared in Diet Coke commericals. Some critics have argued Brody's choices of roles do not reflect a sufficient maturity for an Oscar winner. Brody for his part has said he simply chooses roles that "look like fun."
On January 5th, 2006, Adrien confirmed speculation that he is indeed interested and willing to play the role of The Joker in 2008's Batman Begins sequel. It is not known if anyone involved with the film (David Goyer or Christopher Nolan) has spoken with Brody about the role, which has supposedly (Brody's been the only actor to actually confirm his interest in the role) become highly sought after by many an actor including Lachy Hulme, Paul Bettany, Hugo Weaving, David Bowie, Johnny Depp, Crispin Glover, and even fellow Oscar-winning actors Sean Penn and Daniel Day-Lewis. [1].
Selected filmography
Hollywoodland (2006) (post-production)
King Kong (2005)
The Jacket (2005)
The Village (2004)
The Singing Detective (2003)
The Pianist (2002) - Academy Award, César Award
Love the Hard Way (2002)
Dummy (2002)
The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
Bread and Roses (2000)
Summer of Sam (1999)
Oxygen (1999)
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Angels in the Outfield (1994)
King of the Hill (1993)
