Adrien Brody

Oscar Award for Best Leading Actor Acceptance Address

Delivered 23 March 2003, Kodak Theater, Hollywood, California

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio]

Whoa. I bet they didn't tell you that was in the gift bag. Oh, my god. Thank you. Thank you, really. Oh, my goodness. It -- It doesn't come out in slow motion, but it doesn't really ring a bell. The name -- I didn't know my name when you said that. I was like, "...this Adrien?"

Okay. I haven't really written a speech because every time I wrote a speech for the past one of these things I didn't win. But, you know, there comes a time in life when everything seems to make sense and this is not one of those times.

What I do know, though, is that I've never felt this much love and encouragement from my peers and from -- from people I admire and from complete strangers, and it means a great deal to me. And if it weren't for the insomnia and the sudden panic attacks, this has been an amazing, amazing journey.

I -- I have to thank -- they're already flashing time's up -- I have to thank my mother and father, most importantly, for all the creativity and the encouragement and they've been just real -- real strength. They've given me a great deal of strength -- and what can I say?

This film would not be possible without the blue print provided by Wladyslaw Szpilman. And this is a tribute to his survival.

I'd like to thank Roman Polanski for the role of a lifetime.

And for those of you who have seen the film and -- and sat through the credits, you know there are too many people to thank individually and I would not be here...without all their efforts. And I thank them. And everyone worked extremely hard to make this film. And I have to thank Focus Features for getting us out there. To my long-time friend, manager, agent, consigliere Joanne Colonna, everybody at the firm, PMK/HBH.

And you know, this -- wait one second, one second...please one second. Cut it out -- Cut it out. I got one -- one shot at this. This is -- This is -- I'm sorry. I didn't say more than five names, I don't think, but this is, you know, it fills me with great joy. But I am also filled with a lot of sadness tonight, because I'm accepting an award at -- at such a strange time. And you know my experiences of making this film made me very aware of the sadness and the dehumanization of people at times of war, and the repercussions of war. And 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. Thank you.

And...I have a friend from Queens who's a soldier in Kuwait right now, Tommy Zarobinski, and I hope you and your boys make it back real soon and God bless you guys. I love you.

Thank you very much.

Page Updated: 8/20/20

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