Adrien Brody has said his preparation for his Oscar-winning role in The Pianist led him to “abandon” his life and loved ones. The actor, 51, won best actor at the 2003 Academy Awards for portraying Wladyslaw Szpilman, becoming the youngest recipient of the award at 29.
Reflecting on the experience in an interview with The Times, Brody said he dug deep to “deliver truth” but would not sacrifice so much again. He described how he gave up his home, phone, car and relationships, and isolated himself in the countryside, feeling unnerved by the praise he received after winning.
The star also spoke of the physical toll, revealing he followed a near-starvation diet to lose 30 pounds, weighing just 129 pounds, and was “barely drinking water” by the time filming began. He later said he had an eating disorder for at least a year and was depressed for a year, though he added he was “kidding” about the lifetime remark.
Now Brody is tipped for another Oscar nomination for his role in The Brutalist, having already won a Golden Globe. The three-and-a-half-hour historical drama, directed by Brady Corbet, received a 13-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Brody plays László Tóth, a Jewish architect who emigrates to the US.
In his 2003 acceptance speech, Brody dedicated the award to his family, noting his mother Sylvia Plachy fled Budapest during the Hungarian Revolution and emigrated to the United States in the 1950s. He said his work sought to “lift up” those who have struggled with immigration.
