December 25th 2024.
Adrien Brody, the talented actor known for his mesmerizing performance in the 2002 film The Pianist, recently revealed the intense physical and emotional toll that the role took on him. In a candid interview with New York Magazine's Vulture, Brody shared that preparing for the role left him with an eating disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The 51-year-old actor won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Polish Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, who fought for survival during World War II. It was a historic win, and Brody became the youngest ever star to win the Best Actor Oscar. However, the achievement came at a great cost.
Brody explained that the physical transformation he underwent for the role was necessary for storytelling, but it also opened him up spiritually to a deeper understanding of emptiness and hunger. In order to prepare, he went on a near-starvation diet, dropping 30 pounds and barely drinking water while also playing the piano for hours every day.
The effects of this extreme diet lingered long after production ended, leading Brody to suffer from insomnia and panic attacks. He even joked that he may have had an eating disorder for a year and was depressed for a lifetime. This was not the first time he had spoken about the toll the role took on him. In a 2022 interview with The Times, he admitted that he could not even watch the film and that the diet had a cumulative effect on his physical and mental well-being.
The impact of the role was so significant that Brody had to pass on another film shortly after because he had not fully recovered. But now, he is back with a new project, the three-and-a-half-hour movie The Brutalist, which has received widespread praise and Oscar buzz. The historical drama, which also stars Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce, follows a Hungarian Holocaust survivor trying to revive his career in the US.
Brody described his new role as reaching the same magnitude as his performance in The Pianist, and critics have raved about his electric performance. The Brutalist received a 13-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival and has been hailed as the film to beat at the Oscars.
Reflecting on the film's premiere, Brody said it was an incredibly difficult movie to make and that he felt emotional since he had been working on it for seven years. He also shared that his early Oscar win made it challenging for him to find another role of similar magnitude. However, The Brutalist finally offered him the opportunity he had been looking for, and he felt connected and responsible for the character.
The Brutalist is set to release in UK cinemas on January 24, 2025. In the meantime, Brody is using his platform to raise awareness about eating disorders and the importance of seeking appropriate treatment. He encourages anyone who suspects they or a loved one may be struggling with an eating disorder to contact Beat, an organization that provides information and advice on the best way to get help.
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