Adrien Brody Opens Up About PTSD After ‘The Pianist,’ Reflects on Transformation for Oscar-Winning Role

Adrien Brody, who became the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2002 for his performance in The Pianist, has revealed the physical and emotional toll the role took on him. In a recent interview with Vulture, the actor admitted to developing PTSD after portraying Polish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Holocaust survivor, in Roman Polanski’s critically acclaimed film.

“That was a physical transformation that was necessary for storytelling. But then that kind of opened me up, spiritually, to a depth of understanding of emptiness and hunger in a way that I didn’t know, ever. I do [have PTSD], yeah,” Brody said.

The actor also shared the long-lasting effects of the intense preparation for the role, which included significant weight loss. “I definitely had an eating disorder for at least a year. And then I was depressed for a year, if not a lifetime. I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he added.

Brody is now making headlines for his performance in Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival to a 12-minute standing ovation. Tipped as an Oscar contender, the 215-minute epic features a star-studded cast including Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, and Joe Alwyn.

According to the festival’s official synopsis, The Brutalist “chronicles the journey of Hungarian-born Jewish architect, László Tóth, who emigrates to the United States of America in 1947. Initially forced to toil in poverty, he soon wins a contract that will change the course of the next 30 years of his life.”

With his performance in The Brutalist generating Oscar buzz, Brody continues to prove his mettle as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and transformative actors.