Adrien Brody is still the youngest best actor Oscar winner: How old was he?
The coveted Oscar for best actor marks a peak achievement in a movie star's career. But the honor can come sooner for some stars than for others.
Adrien Brody, 51, is the only actor under 30 to have won the Academy Award in the actor in leading role category, a record he's maintained for over 20 years.
The New York native won back in 2003 for his role as Polish pianist and Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman in Roman Polanski's 2002 war film "The Pianist."
"I haven't really written a speech because every time I wrote a speech for the past one of these things I didn't win. But, you know, there comes a time in life when everything seems to make sense and this is not one of those times," Brody said at the 2003 ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. "It means a great deal to me. And if it weren't for the insomnia and those sudden panic attacks, this has been an amazing, amazing journey."
The actor has made his way back into the best actor race more than two decades later as a Oscar nominee for his role as Hungarian-Jewish immigrant in "The Brutalist."
Brody has already cemented his status as an Oscar frontrunner this year after taking home wins at the Golden Globes in January and the Critics Choice Awards last week. He is also nominated at the SAG Awards that are scheduled for Feb. 23, a week ahead of the Oscars.
How old was Adrien Brody when he won his Oscar?
Adrien Brody was 29 when he won the best actor Oscar at the 75th Academy Awards on on March 23, 2003, less than a month before he turned 30.
Who is the youngest best actor nominee?
Late actor Jackie Cooper was the youngest performer to be nominated in the best actor Oscar category at the age of 9 during the 1931 ceremony for his role in "Skippy."
However, Lionel Barrymore won the race that year for his role in "A Free Soul" when he was 53.
Who are the best actor nominees this year?
- Adrien Brody, "The Brutalist"
- Timothée Chalamet, "A Complete Unknown"
- Colman Domingo, "Sing Sing"
- Ralph Fiennes, "Conclave"
- Sebastian Stan, "The Apprentice"
When are the Oscars?
The 97th Academy Awards are set for Sunday, March 2, 2025.
What time are the Oscars?
The 2025 Oscars will air on March 2, 2025 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.