Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody has pretty much done it all in his impressive career, from playing an action hero in Predators to starring as a billionaire investor on Succession. But his latest role might be his most personal yet.
The Brutalist stars Brody as László Tóth, a Hungarian architect who flees post-war Europe for America. It’s an incredibly meaningful film for Brody – his mother was a refugee and artist who escaped Hungary during the 1956 revolution to settle in America.
“Mum was probably 12 when she and her parents first left,” he tells Broadsheet. “They were refugees in Vienna. They had to hide under the back of a cart or a pickup bed covered in corn. It was very harrowing and she had a great deal of hardship, and eventually immigrated to New York.”
This connection attracted Brody to the role of Tóth, as did his love of architecture.
“I spent many, many years consumed with rebuilding a real triumph of an architectural achievement,” he says. “Almost two decades ago, I bought an old stone barn structure and spent a good seven years renovating it with local artisans and blacksmiths and stonemasons and was really hands-on involved with the restoration of it. It was quite a painful process.”
The role was similarly difficult on many levels for Brody, partly because of the huge preparation required and partly because of time limitations.
“You have these burdens of dialect specificity and emotional scenes back-to-back and tons of very beautiful dialogue that has to sing and you can’t wing it,” he says. “You’re just constantly immersed, working and day and night, and you go home, you have an eight-hour turn around and you’ve got an eight-page day the next day, and you didn't have sufficient time during the week prepping it.”
Brody won his first Oscar almost two decades ago, for his role in The Pianist. And while he’s already won a Golden Globe for The Brutalist, many consider him a frontrunner to win another Oscar. He says he’s just glad to have had the opportunity to be in the film. Brody hopes it leads to more understanding of the plight of immigrants.
“I can’t tell you how unbelievably overjoyed I am that the film was achievable and that I ultimately was selected to be in it,” he says. “Just even to be given an opportunity as an actor is just so hard. So, really, I’m amazed.”
The Brutalist is in cinemas now.