Adrien Brody made sure to take his time — despite wrap up music attempting to cut his speech short — to thank his family and more after he won for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 2025 Oscars.
Brody, 51, accepted the accolade for his role in The Brutalist during the Sunday, March 2, ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
“If I may just humbly begin to give thanks to the tremendous love I have felt from this world and every individual who treated me with respect and appreciation,” Brody said. “I feel so fortunate. Acting is a very fragile profession. It looks very glorious — and in certain moments it is.”
The actor reflected on gaining “perspective” while making the movie. “No matter where you are in your career or what you accomplished, it can all go away,” he continued. “What makes this night so special is the awareness of that and the gratitude I have to still do the work.”
2025 Oscars Red Carpet Fashion: From Ariana Grande to Halle Berry
Brody mentioned his partner, Georgina Chapman, who “reinvigorated my own self worth but also my values and our values.” He also gave a shout-out to “her beautiful children” and thanked them for accepting him into their lives, revealing they call him “Popsy.” (Chapman shares daughter India, 14, and son Dashiell, 11, with disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein.)
Chapman and Brody have been together since 2019, two years after she filed for divorce from Weinstein amid his sexual assault scandal.
“Adrien and Georgina are very happy and secure in their relationship,” a source exclusively revealed in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “She loves supporting him at awards shows. She’s so proud of his talent; his humor and talent were what drew her to him.”
Before Brody was played off on Sunday, he interrupted the music to say he wasn’t finished — but would be soon. “Please turn off the music,” he said before continuing his speech. “I have done this before.”
A Complete Unknown’s Timothée Chalamet, Sing Sing’s Colman Domingo, Conclave’s Ralph Fiennes and The Apprentice’s Sebastian Stan were also nominated in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category.
Unforgettable Oscars Moments: From Will Smith’s Slap to Best Picture Mix-Up
Of the five nominees, Brody is the only one who was already an Academy Award winner prior to the 2025 ceremony. He previously received a Best Actor in a Leading Role trophy in 2003 for his role as Polish-Jewish musician and Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman in the biopic The Pianist. At the time, he was the youngest person to ever win the category at age 29.
Before this year, Fiennes, 62, had been nominated for two Oscars throughout his career: Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1994 for Schindler’s List and Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1997 for The English Patient.
Chalamet, 29, and Domingo, 55, both had one previous nod for Best Actor in a Leading Role under their belts for Call Me by Your Name in 2018 and Rustin in 2024, respectively.
Meanwhile, Stan, 42, was a first-time Oscar nominee this year.
Where to Watch the Best Picture Oscar Nominees: ‘The Substance’ and More
Throughout the 2025 awards season, Brody was a favorite, winning Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globe Awards, Leading Actor at the British Academy Film Awards and Best Actor at the Critics Choice Awards.
In his Golden Globes acceptance speech in January, Brody acknowledged, “There was a time not too long ago that I felt this may never be a moment afforded to me again,” referring to his awards season resurgence after two decades.
The following month, Chalamet prevailed over Brody, Domingo, Fiennes and Queer’s Daniel Craig in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role category at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
“I can’t downplay the significance of this award because it means the most to me,” Chalamet said in his acceptance speech. “And I know we’re in a subjective business but the truth is I’m really in pursuit of greatness. I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by the greats. I’m inspired by the greats here tonight. I’m as inspired by Daniel Day-Lewis and Marlon Brando and Viola Davis as I am by Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps, and I want to be up there. So I’m deeply grateful to that. This doesn’t signify that, but it’s a little more fuel, it’s a little more ammo to keep going.”
