Adrien Brody Says His Role inThe BrutalistMirrored His Mom’s Life: ‘She Has Been a Constant Inspiration’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Adrien Brody with his mom, photographer Sylvia Plachy.Photo:Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Even almost 20 years apart, the similarities betweenAdrien Brody’s two award-winning roles are not lost on the actor.

In 2003, his portrayal of a Holocaust survivor inThe Pianistmade the 29-year-old the youngest man ever to win the Best Actor Oscar. On Jan. 5, Brody, now 51, took home his first Golden Globe for starring as a post-World War II refugee in the movieThe Brutalist.

“It’s a remarkable thing to be an actor because you’re experiencing such a range of life experiences that you wouldn’t necessarily have to go through,” he tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “The roles I’ve portrayed have given me tremendous understanding and empathy.”

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Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones in ‘The Brutalist’.Lol Crawley

Lol Crawley

InThe Pianist, real-life musician Wladyslaw Szpilman lives through the horrors of war whereasThe Brutalist’s fictional architect László Tóth tries to find peace and create a legacy in the aftermath. Tóth’s story mirrors that of Brody’s mother, Hungarian-born photographer Sylvia Plachy.

“My mother and my grandparents owned a very similar journey of fleeing war-torn Europe and coming to the U.S. in the ’50s,” Brody says. “And the hardships and sacrifice and their own resilience and everything that they endured — in addition to my mother as an artist and her yearnings to leave behind a body of work of some great significance, they’re all things that are very personal to me. So I felt a deep responsibility to convey that authentically.”

Adrien Brody with his parents, Sylvia Plachy and Elliot Brody.Gilbert Flores/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty

Gilbert Flores/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty

Plachy “has been a constant source of inspiration,” Brody adds. “She’s maintained this wonderful perspective of the world.”

Adrien Brody with Alessandro Nivola in ‘The Brutalist’.Lol Crawley

Having become a renowned photographer, Plachy and Elliot have been together for 62 years and still live in the Queens house where they raised their son. “She’s incredibly curious and funny,” Brody says. “She takes care of every animal she finds and is genuinely interested in everyone that she meets and knows how to capture that. I think growing up immersed in her imagery of our city and the humanity gave me a curiosity that is needed to be a great actor.”

Adrien Brody with his parents, Sylvia and Elliot.Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Penske Media via Getty

Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Penske Media via Getty

His mom insists she’s just grateful that her only child “is so much a part of our life and gives us so much joy with everything he does,” she adds. “And he allows us to come on his movie sets and watch him play.”

The Brutalistis now playing in select theaters, including IMAX. It will expand nationwide January 24.

source: people.com