Throughout his career, Adrien Brody has proven himself to be an extremely engaging and thoughtful actor, giving raw and truthful performances time and time again. Critics have raved about his ability to command audiences, and the wide range of films Brody has been a part of shows what a talented actor he is. In 2003, Brody received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Wladyslaw Szpilman in Roman Polanski’s war/drama The Pianist. In addition to making him the youngest actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor, this film brought Brody’s career to a new level and gained him widespread respect across the entire industry, as well as making him a household name.

Since his iconic role in The Pianist, Brody has gone on to work with some of the most successful actors and directors in the industry. In 2007, 2014, and 2021, the actor worked with Oscar-nominated director Wes Anderson on his comedy/drama The Darjeeling Limited, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and most recently The French Dispatch. Some of the actors he is commonly linked to due to the work they have done together range from Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Meryl Streep. Next, Brody is set to star alongside Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in the action romance Ghosted. Until then, here are the best performances from Adrien Brody in both film and television, ranked.

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8 The Thin Red Line

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Director Terrence Malick's war/drama The Thin Red Line was one of the most celebrated and acclaimed films to be released in 1998. Besides the incredible score composed by the great Hans Zimmer and the cinematography, one of the main reasons why the film was so successful is due to the hugely talented cast. Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Adrien Brody, George Clooney, Woody Harrelson, John Travolta, and Jared Leto all give memorable performances throughout the nearly three-hour film. In total, The Thin Red Line was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

7 The Darjeeling Limited

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The Darjeeling Limited is the first of many collaborations between Adrien Brody and director Wes Anderson. To say Anderson's films are original is an understatement; his style of filmmaking is so unique, from the cinematography, screenplay, and use of color, there is truly nothing like it. Brody is able to bring Anderson's characters to life and further emphasize the essence of the film. Owen Wilson and Bill Murray are also long-time collaborators with Anderson and star in the film alongside Brody.

6 Succession

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HBO Max's Succession has been raved about since its release in 2018, but this year it has been attracting a whole new level of praise. The third season of the show was released on October 17, 2021, and was nominated for five Screen Actors Guild Awards. Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Strong, Brian Cox, and Sarah Snook were all nominated for their performances and the cast ended up winning the SAG Award for Ensemble in a Drama Series. Adrien Brody's performance in the show may not be a leading role, but it is extremely memorable and even at times unsettling. Despite this, both critics and audience members have said that it was one of the best and most shocking guest appearances in the show.

5 King Kong

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The story of King Kong is a classic and the image of a monstrous ape towering over the city in the original 1933 film is legendary. Peter Jackson, the Academy Award-winning director responsible for The Lord of the Rings franchise, The Lovely Bones, and Heavenly Creatures directed the 2005 King Kong remake. Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Naomi Watts, Andy Serkis, and Colin Hanks star in this extremely successful film that ended up grossing over $500 million at the box office and has an 84% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

4 The French Dispatch

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The French Dispatch released in October 2021, and is one of Adrien Brody's most recent performances. Wes Anderson's comedy/romance is a love letter to journalism and tells the very interesting and wild story of an American newspaper published in France. The French Dispatch is perhaps one of the most visually appealing films to be released this past year. From the cinematography to the set design and costuming, everything about the movie is delightful to watch. Some of the greatest actors working today came together to star in the film including Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Benicio del Toro, Mathieu Amalric, Saoirse Ronan, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Léa Seydoux, and Elizabeth Moss.

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3 The Grand Budapest Hotel

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Next on our list is another Adrien Brody and Wes Anderson collaboration, the 2014 comedy/drama The Grand Budapest Hotel. This movie is probably Anderson's most critically acclaimed work, receiving nine Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Ultimately, the film ended up winning three Oscars in the categories of Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design. Brody gave an incredible performance as the villain in Anderson's creation called Dmitri. Greedy and headstrong, he is willing to kill or end anyone who comes between him and his fortune.

2 Midnight in Paris

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Midnight in Paris is equally beautiful of a film as it is hilarious. Movies like this one that are rooted in hopes and dreams allow us to fall in love with the characters on screen and the actors who play them. Not only does Adrien Brody live up to all our expectations, Marion Cotillard gives one of the best performances of her career alongside Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and the legend that is Kathy Bates. Critics and audiences have been giving Midnight in Paris an abundance of love since its release in 2011 receiving a 93% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is available to stream on Hulu and is definitely a must-watch.

1 The Pianist

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By far Adrien Brody's most heartbreaking and incredible performance is that of Wladyslaw Szpilman in director Roman Polanski's war/drama The Pianist. We watch Wladyslaw and his Polish-Jewish family live through the holocaust until they ultimately get separated and Wladyslaw is forced to attempt to survive his devastating and inhumane reality alone. It is extraordinary that this film was based on a true story and the mind-blowing performance Brody gives is beyond heart-wrenching. This film earned the actor his first Academy Award for Best Actor in addition to The Pianist winning Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director.