Adrien Brody: Last month, I sailed into New York Harbor on a boat named the Manhattan with Adrien Brody. Our destination was the Statue of Liberty. He had visited the landmark before, spending time there with his mother, who immigrated to America in 1958.
“My mother and my grandparents fled Hungary during the revolution,” Brody shared. “There was so much uncertainty and a lot of loss. All those sacrifices have shaped my existence and what opportunities I’ve had.” Brody’s immigrant background adds a personal touch to his latest film, “The Brutalist,” which tells a sweeping, decades-long story of love, ambition, and a complex American Dream, centered around a man named László Toth. “He’s a Jewish Hungarian architect who endures the horrors of World War II and struggles through poverty to rebuild,” Brody explained.
Toth is commissioned by a wealthy industrialist to construct a large community center in his “brutalist” style—a type of architecture characterized by minimal decoration and an emphasis on concrete. To portray Toth authentically, Brody drew inspiration from his memories of his Hungarian grandfather. “I remember my grandfather had a very thick accent,” he recalled.
“So, do you hear your grandfather’s voice in this character of László?” I inquired.
“Oh, absolutely. I can summon it up. Plus, I learned all the bad words in Hungarian as a kid, so I added some of that into the character that isn’t in the script!” The film has garnered seven Golden Globe nominations, and there’s a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding it. However, at three-and-a-half hours long, it demands a significant time commitment.
“The Brutalist” marks a return to his more serious work and serves as a reminder that Adrien Brody is willing to take on any challenge as an artist. “It’s a great moment for me right now,” he said.
I asked, “What brings you joy when you’re not working?”
“Many things. I need to be creatively engaged. That could be through cooking, painting, or making music. I’m a pretty decent cook.”
“What do you like to make?”
“Well, hot dogs,” he chuckled. “What about you? What do you enjoy?”