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Adrien Brody knew the 2003 Oscars was going to be an unforgettable one – whether he won or not.
The actor recently alleged to The Sunday Times that ahead of the ceremony, Jack Nicholson requested all the Best Actor nominees to convene beforehand in his home to discuss potentially boycotting the show amid the Iraq war. The Academy Awards was taking place that year just four days after the U.S. invasion at the time.
The star was nominated for “The Pianist,” where he played Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish composer of Jewish descent who survived the Holocaust. Brody said he and his fellow actors gathered at Nicholson’s house and discussed the situation over scotch and cigars.
Adrien Brody and Jack Nicholson during Cannes 2002 – New Line Cinema’s ‘About Schmidt’ party in Cannes, France.
(Photo by J. Vespa/WireImage)
The 48-year-old admitted he was reluctant to skip the show as he was the only one in the group who hadn’t won an Oscar yet.
“I said, ‘I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going,'” Brody recalled to the outlet. “I said, ‘I kind of have to show up. My parents are coming. This doesn’t come around too often. I know you guys are all winners. You can sit it out. But I can’t'”
Ultimately, all the Best Actor nominees attended the ceremony. And at age 29, Broady became the youngest to win Best Actor in history. He still holds that record today.
The Guardian noted that several stars chose not to attend the Oscars that year out of respect for the Iraq War, including Elizabeth Taylor, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise.
Adrien Brody and his Oscar for Best Actor in ‘The Pianist’.
(Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc.)
A spokesperson for Nicholson, 84, didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Memorably, Brody gave presenter Halle Berry a swooping smooch after winning that night. However, his acceptance speech took a more somber note when he discussed the war.
“I’m filled with a lot of sadness tonight because I’m accepting an award at such a strange time,” Brody told the audience. “My experience of making this film made me very aware of the sadness and the dehumanization of people at the times of war, and the repercussions of war.”
He also mentioned a friend who was stationed in Kuwait at the time.
Adrien Brody with his parents during New York premiere of Roman Polanski’s ‘The Pianist’.
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)
“Whomever you believe in, if it’s God or Allah, may he watch over you, and let’s pray for a peaceful and swift resolution,” said Brody.
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Despite his major win, Brody said he still can’t watch the biographical war drama today. He reflected how he immersed himself in the role by selling his car, disconnecting his phone, giving up his home, losing a dramatic amount of weight and learning how to play Chopin.
“I can’t even watch the film,” said Brody. “I can’t. I kind of cry when I talk about it.”
Szpilman passed away in 2000 at age 88.
