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Adrien Brody - Biography

The Pianist star also known for his frequent collaborations with Wes Anderson was born in 1973

Adrien Brody smiling at a red carpet event
Hannah Watkin
Content Writer
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Early life

Adrien Nicholas Brody was born in the New York neighborhood of Queens on April 14, 1973. His mother, renowned photographer Sylvia Plachy, and his history professor father Elliot Brody quickly recognized their son's talent for performing when he began doing magic shows at birthday parties under the name of 'The Amazing Adrien'.

When Sylvia received a commission to photograph the American Academy of Dramatic Arts she encouraged Adrien to join the institution's weekend program for young people. And having enjoyed his first taste of acting, the Brooklyn-born actor quickly realized he had found his calling. It wasn't long before he made his way onto the big screen, staring in Bullet (1996) and then Restaurant (1998) for which he received and Independent Spirit Award nomination.

Career success

Adrien became a hugely in demand star soon after, having worked with internationally renowned directors such as Steven Soderbergh (King Of The Hill), Spike Lee (Summer Of Sam), Barry Levinson (Liberty Heights), Ken Loach (Bread And Roses) and Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line). 

His big breakout role came when starring in Roman Polanski's The Pianist in 2002, a job which he found incredibly demanding, but immensely rewarding. More recently, Adrien has become known for being a frequent collaborator with Wes Anderson, and has starred in The Darjeeling Limited, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch to name only a few. The New Yorker has also starred in television works as well, such as 2014's Houdini and Succession in 2021. 

Personal life

In 2006, Adrien began dating the Spanish model Elsa Pataky. They dated for several years, but broke up in 2009. Since 2020, he is believed to have been dating British fashion designer Georgina Chapman.

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