Adrien Brody names five films that “changed his career”
Among the most celebrated figures within the current landscape of Hollywood, Adrien Brody has made a significant impact in both film and TV. Having collaborated with incredibly talented filmmakers such as Terrence Malick and Wes Anderson, the American actor has continued to make interesting additions to his acclaimed filmography. With roles in iconic TV shows like Peaky Blinders and Succession, he has forged ahead while trying to perfect his craft.
Brody’s latest project was Asteroid City, yet another collaboration with Wes Anderson where he starred alongside other major names such as Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks. While reflecting on the trajectory of his fantastic journey, the actor spoke to A.Frame about the definitive works that completely “changed his career”. Ranging from comedic turns to serious dramatic efforts, the list undoubtedly demonstrates Brody’s vast skillset.
“Working with Wes Anderson, and the friendship that’s ensued, is a big part of my life,” Brody said. “That began on The Darjeeling Limited, which was a wonderful experience spending a great deal of time in India, travelling around together. We worked on a moving train, and he encouraged a comedic sensibility that I always love to incorporate into work. When you do certain films and roles and become known for them, I think it’s harder for people to give you opportunities to find more levity”.
The actor cited Roman Polanski’s The Pianist as the apotheosis of his acting work. He revealed: “The Pianist was the greatest triumph on so many levels, and not just for my career — but as a man, understanding the work that was required to portray Szpilman. To represent loss at that magnitude and to be a part of the enormity of a film like that. It unsentimentally represents all that can go wrong in the civilised world, and has gone wrong historically. I think for young people to have a work like that existing is a remarkable thing.”
While talking about his 2021 effort Clean, Brody commented: “[Clean] feels like something I’ve yearned to do that I didn’t really have the courage or the wherewithal to apply all of the creative and artistic yearnings that I have. I was very busy working as an actor, and I didn’t really have the confidence to write something. With that project, I just took the initiative. It took me some time to realise that it was really important to me, and I brought Paul Solet, my director and co-writer, on board, and I started pulling the pieces together to make this.”
Check out the list below.
Five films that changed Adrien Brody’s career:
- The Pianist (Roman Polanski, 2002)
- King of the Hill (Steven Soderbergh, 1993)
- Clean (Paul Solet, 2021)
- The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, 2007)
- The Thin Red Line (1998)
Including other works like Steven Soderbergh’s King of the Hill, Brody’s list contains impressive projects that definitely provided significant boosts to his status as a talented actor. He also singled out The Thin Red Line as a defining moment: “The Thin Red Line was a big influence in my career and my understanding of work. I was cast in that film as Fife, which is the persona of the author of the novel that Malick adapted.”
Brody continued: “It was really the main voice of the story, and, ultimately, Malick made a very different movie in the end. This was a half a year of committing to portraying a soldier and trying to comprehend loss and fear and all that he faced, and when the movie came out, I was hardly in the film. It was surprising to me and my family. I devoted a lot of time to that. I was 23, 24, when it came out.”
