The son of Hungarian-born photojournalist Sylvia Plachy and retired history teacher Elliot Brody, Adrien grew up an only child in Woodhaven, Queens, where he accompanied his mother on assignments for the Village Voice. He credits her with making him feel comfortable in front of the camera. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York.

Despite a strong performance in The Thin Red Line, time constraints forced the director to edit out much of Adrien's part. In spite of his later work with Spike Lee and Barry Levinson, he never became the star many expected he would become...until Roman Polanski called on him to play a celebrated Jewish pianist in the Nazi-occupied Warsaw. He pulled off a brilliant performance in The Pianist drawing on the heritage and rare dialect of his Polish grandmother, as well as his father, who lost family members during the Holocaust, and his mother, who fled Communist Hungary as a child during the 1956 revolution against Russia.
The Village (2004): $3,000,000
His mother is the Hungarian-born photojournalist Sylvia Plachy. Is the only actor to win a Best Actor Oscar when nominated alongside four previous Oscar winners. In 2003, at the age of 29, he replaced Richard Dreyfuss as the youngest actor ever to win the Best Actor Academy Award, for his role in The Pianist. Has great appreciation for hip-hop. Like Beatnuts, one of his favorite groups, Brody is also from Queens. Performed magic shows at children's birthdays as a child, as 'The Amazing Adrien'. In 2004, Esquire Magazine named him the Best Dressed Man in America. Owned and drove a Hummer, which is famous in Hollywood for being Arnold Schwarzenegger's favorite vehicle. This ecologically-unfriendly vehicle gets under ten miles per gallon and was originally designed for warfare. Was considered for a role in Pearl Harbor. Was dressed by Zegna for the Academy Awards. Is a big hip-hop fan and plans on becoming a producer. He is being mentored by RZA. Ranked #21 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties. Has a chihuahua called Ceelo. His father, Elliot Brody, is a retired history teacher of Polish-Jewish descent who lost family members in the Holocaust. His mother Sylvia Plachy, the renown photographer, fled Communist Hungary as a child during the 1956 revolution against Russia. Taking acting classes as a youth, by age 13 he had done an off-Broadway play and a PBS-TV-movie. In 1992, he was seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident in which he flew over a car and crashed feet-first into a crosswalk. He spent months recuperating. To prepare for his title role in The Pianist, he learned to play Chopin on the piano and shed 30 pounds off his already-thin frame. He cut himself off from his real life by giving up his car and apartment because he felt responsible to those Polish Jews who had suffered greatly and wanted to connect, to some small degree, with their hurt and despair. Shares a birthday with Sarah Michelle Gellar. Admits a shot of his parents in a passionate, back-bending embrace inspired his famous kiss with Halle Berry at the Oscars in 2003. Is the only American actor to win a Cesar, the French equivalent to the Oscar. Has been compared to Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for his unconventional acting skills and unique looks. Did sessions in an isolation tank, performed prison exercises, and went on a protein diet for his role in The Jacket. He was furious when his nose was broken during the final fight in Summer of Sam. When he had it fixed, he didn't change it: his nose is one of his most distinctive features and sets him apart from other actors. Close friends with Asia Argento and Benicio Del Toro. Grew up in Woodhaven, Queens in New York. Was very good friends with the late Tupac Shakur, with whom he starred in the little known film Bullet. He signed on to make Bread and Roses without a script, because he trusted the director Ken Loach. Prior to filming, he also went undercover to research life as a union member in Los Angeles. He went to conventions and sat in on strike talks. A couple of the members recognized him, but Brody persuaded them not to blow his cover. Graduated from CUNY Queens College in Flushing, New York.