Adrien Brody lost so much weight for ‘The Pianist’ that he developed an eating disorder

PEOPLE – A striking, unforgettable role but at the cost of sacrifices. Actor Adrien Brody, incredible Pianist in Roman Polanski’s film released in 2003, returned to his preparation for this feature film and in particular to his weight loss which left him with after-effects.

He spoke on this subject in Vulture on Monday December 23, as part of the release of his new film The Brutalist. The specialist magazine recalls that filming began in reverse, showing the main character Wladyslaw Szpilman played by Adrian Brody very emaciated after fleeing the Warsaw ghetto.

To obtain the most realistic build possible, he lost 14 kg and only weighed 58 kg for 1m85. He barely ate anything, just a few bites of protein while rehearsing Chopin for hours, says Vulture. He barely even drank water anymore. “It was a physical transformation necessary for the story. But then it sort of opened me up, spiritually, to a deep understanding of emptiness and hunger in a way that I had never known.”tells Adrian Brody to the magazine.

Post-traumatic stress and TCA

Except that there were harmful long-term effects, including insomnia and panic attacks. Did he have post-traumatic stress disorder? “Yes, I had one,” he says. And to add: “I definitely had an eating disorder for at least a year. »

His performance in The Pianist won him the Oscar for best actor, but also the César for best actor. The film received the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002, and its director Roman Polanski won the Oscar for best director and best film.

Adrien Brody’s new project echoes the Pianistsince he embodies in The Brutalist a Jewish architect who moves to the United States after surviving the concentration camps. A fresco that lasts no less than 3 hours 30 minutes and is expected in cinemas on February 12, 2025.