Adrien Brody's epic Oscar speech breaks record as longest in history, actor reacts
After winning an Oscar for the three-and-a-half-hour "The Brutalist," Adrien Brody delivered a speech befitting his film's epic running time.
The "Pianist" star, 51, accepted the Oscar for best actor on Sunday for "The Brutalist" and spoke for 5 minutes and 37 seconds.
As a result, Brody reportedly broke the record for the longest acceptance speech in the history of the Academy Awards, though only barely. According to Guinness World Records, the previous record holder was Greer Garson, who spoke for 5 minutes and 30 seconds after winning best actress in 1943.
Garson's record could not be independently verified, as a full video of her remarks is unavailable. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences's website includes a transcript of almost four minutes of Garson's 1943 remarks, but it notes that the rest of the footage is missing.
Brody opened his speech by noting that "they're already counting me down," and he expressed gratitude for the "tremendous outpouring of love" he has received for his performance in "The Brutalist." He reflected on the more than 20-year gap between his first and second Oscar wins, saying he is grateful to still be acting because "no matter what you've accomplished, it can all go away."
Brody previously won best actor in 2003 for "The Pianist."
After Brody spoke for almost four minutes, producers began playing him off, but he asked for more time.
"Please turn the music off," he said. "I've done this before. Thank you. It's not my first rodeo."
As requested, the music was turned off, and Brody spoke for about 90 additional seconds before being played off again. This time, he did wrap up, saying, "OK, I'll get out of here." He closed, "Let's fight for what's right. Keep smiling. Keep loving one another, and let's rebuild together."
Adrien Brody jokes about longest-ever speech and reflects on win: 'I'm grateful'
In an Instagram video on Monday, Brody joked about earning the world record and echoed the gratitude he gave during his speech.
"I'm gonna keep this video short 'cause I know I made the longest Oscars speech in history," Brody said on a walk the morning after the award show. "So, I love you all. You know I'm grateful. Keep smiling, and I hope that this proves that dreams can come true, and I hope your dreams can come true as well."
Brody's speech was significantly longer than that of his fellow acting winners. Best supporting actor winner Kieran Culkin and best supporting actress winner Zoe Saldaña both spoke for about two minutes and 30 seconds each, while best actress Mikey Madison's speech was just under two minutes long.
Another lengthy acceptance speech from recent years was the tearful one that Will Smith delivered in 2022 when he won best actor on the same night he slapped Chris Rock. But Brody still has Smith beat, as the "King Richard" star spoke for five minutes and 12 seconds.
In his opening monologue, host Conan O'Brien joked that if anyone's Oscar acceptance speech went too long, the show would "cut to John Lithgow in the audience looking not angry, but slightly disappointed."
Culkin previously mocked Brody for his long speeches at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. While accepting the SAG Award for best supporting actor, the "Succession" star quipped that 45 seconds "is the allotted time, Adrien Brody."
"There was no reason to take that shot," Culkin added. "I love you. It's a joke. You take your time."