Adrien Brody's second Best Actor Oscar win for "The Brutalist" was marred by a record-breaking, nearly six-minute speech deemed "abominable" by critics. Experts suggest the speech, coupled with Brody's pre-existing reputation, may impact his future career, overshadowing his acting achievements and raising questions about his standing in Hollywood.
Adrien Brody's recent Oscar win for Best Actor in "The Brutalist" has sparked considerable debate, not just for the award itself, but for the acceptance speech that followed. Clocking in at a record-breaking five minutes and 40 seconds, the speech has been labeled "abominable" and "insufferable" by critics, overshadowing what should have been a celebratory moment.
Brody's lengthy address, accepting the award for his portrayal of a Holocaust survivor, included twice demanding the orchestra cease playing him off. This was perceived by many as arrogant, despite his expressions of gratitude. Bloomberg News entertainment reporter, Lucas Shaw, noted on The Town podcast, "I’ve heard from way more people about how bad his speech was than anything during that show. It was painful for everyone watching.”
Matthew Belloni, host of The Town and founder of Puck, suggested the speech might reflect Brody's character, stating he doesn't have "the greatest reputation in town for being a good guy.”
While Brody spoke of "tremendous outpouring of love," thanked his girlfriend Georgina Chapman for revitalizing his "self-worth," and called for an end to war, oppression, antisemitism, and racism, pop culture writer Kaleigh Donaldson criticized the speech's lack of focus and substance.
Adding to the eyebrow-raising moments, Brody reportedly removed a wad of chewing gum from his mouth and handed it to Chapman just before taking the stage. He then devoted a significant portion of his speech to his career struggles.
"You know, acting is a very fragile profession," Brody said. "It looks very glamorous…(but) no matter what you’ve accomplished it can all go away and I think what makes this night most special is the awareness of that and the gratitude that I have to still to do the work that I love.”
Both Shaw and Belloni pointed out that Brody's career didn't skyrocket after his first Best Actor win in 2003 for "The Pianist," where he played another Holocaust survivor. At 29, he was the youngest actor to ever receive the award. While he remained active in film and television, his career trajectory didn't match the expectations for an Oscar winner.
Belloni speculated that Brody's reputation in Hollywood might have influenced his career over the past two decades. He added, “Don’t know. (There are) lots of guys who are not great but who have great careers.”
Shaw acknowledged that winning two Best Actor awards places Brody among a select group of acting "legends," including Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Tom Hanks. Yet, he questioned why Brody's career was "unremarkable" between his two Oscar-winning roles.
Donaldson, writing for the Daily Beast, argued that Brody's self-importance didn't resonate well, stating, “Viewers weren’t entertained. In an evening with many lovely, attention-grabbing, and charismatic speeches, Brody felt out of step with the tone of the ceremony.”
While acknowledging the seriousness of craft is admirable, Donaldson noted, "But it takes real charm and planning to convey that in the moment without descending into smothering smugness…And to do it over the course of close to six minutes?!”
It remains to be seen whether Brody's "abominable" speech will have lasting consequences, potentially overshadowing his accomplishments and raising questions about his standing in Hollywood.