Adrien Brody Honors “Sacrifice” Of His Immigrant Family Members As He Accepts First Golden Globe For ‘The Brutalist’

Adrien Brody tonight won his first Golden Globe for his lead turn in The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s post-WWII immigrant drama released by A24, reflecting in his speech on his family’s ties to the story he helped to tell.

“This story, the character’s journey is very reminiscent of my mother’s and my ancestral journey of fleeing the horrors of war, coming to this great country. And I owe so much to my mother and my grandparents for their sacrifice,” Brody said. “Although I do not know fully how to express all of the challenges that you have faced and experienced, and the many people who have struggled immigrating to this country, I hope that this work stands to lift you up a bit and to give you a voice. I’m so grateful. I will cherish this moment forever.”

Brody’s nomination was his second on the heels of 2003’s The Pianist, another highly lauded film about a Holocaust survivor, which ultimately brought him his first Oscar for Best Actor. In his speech tonight, he admitted, “there was a time not too long ago that I felt that this may never be a moment afforded to me again.”

“Deeply humbled,” he kicked things off by thanking his fellow nominees. “At the core of The Brutalist, it’s really a story about the human capacity for creation, so I’d be remiss to not acknowledge my fellow nominees…” said the actor. “You guys really just reach such heights with your work, and you are such inspirations to me.”

Subsequently, Brody addressed filmmakers Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold, “for giving me wings.”

Said the thesp: “Thank you for allowing me to be a small part of building this triumph and monument to humanity and the arts. To my cast and crew and everyone who has been a part of making this movie, this is a collaborative effort, and I share this with all of you.”

Later on, Brody noted that his parents were in attendance at the awards ceremony, and acknowleged how they’ve held him up over the course of his life. “I often credit my mother for her influence on me as an artist,” he said. “But Dad, you are the foundation of this family, and all this love that I receive flows back to you.”

Brody also thanked his “beautiful and amazing partner,” Georgina Chapman, saying, “your generosity of spirit, your own resilience, your immense creativity are a daily reminder of how to be. I would not be standing here before you if it wasn’t for you.”

While his biggest competitor tonight in the category of Motion Picture Drama Actor was Timothée Chalamet of A Complete Unknown, Brody also beat out talent including Ralph Fiennes (Conclave), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing), Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice), and Daniel Craig (Queer).

In The Brutalist, which world premiered at the Venice Film Festival, the actor plays László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect and Holocaust survivor, who emigrates to post-war America to rebuild his life. Written by Corbet and Fastvold, the film was up for a total of seven nominations tonight and capped the night with a win for Best Motion Picture – Drama, following Corbet’s win in the category of Best Director – Motion Picture. Other categories in which the film was nominated included Motion Picture Drama Actress (Felicity Jones), Motion Picture Supporting Actor (Guy Pearce), Screenplay – Motion Picture, and Original Score.

A frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson’s who prior to The Brutalist appeared in Anderson’s Asteroid City, Brody will next be seen starring opposite Vince Vaughn in The Bookie & the Bruiser, a gangster thriller from Bone Tomahawk‘s S. Craig Zahler, which launched sales in Cannes.