The Brutalist star Adrien Brody has launched the 2025 awards season campaign with a Golden Globes victory, cementing his position as a frontrunner for the upcoming Academy Awards. The last time Brody was in such a spotlight was 22 years ago for his role as Władysław Szpilman in The Pianist, another epic drama about Holocaust survivors. Then, he lost the Golden Globe to Jack Nicholson (About Schmidt) but won the Oscar, becoming the youngest-ever Best Actor recipient.
That March 2003 evening, however, is often remembered for a different reason: the unplanned kiss Brody planted on presenter Halle Berry. The Grand Budapest Hotel actor now has the rarest of chances to revisit the Oscars stage — this time with an opportunity to rectify the recklessness of his past. Fortunately for Brody, Berry, who had won the Oscar for Monster’s Ball the previous year, later dismissed the incident, stating she hadn’t taken offense and allowed him to celebrate in his preferred manner.
Berry clarified, however, that the kiss was entirely unplanned. When asked if the surprise element added charm to the moment, she recalled thinking, “What the fu** is happening?” Interestingly, the ceremony, as well as The Pianist — an acclaimed drama — were highly controversial in and of themselves, with director Roman Polanski, a fugitive accused of statutory rape, also winning the Best Director trophy to a standing ovation. This decision faces condemnation to this day.
Since then, the moment between Brody and Berry has been frequently revisited and debated. The Midnight in Paris actor humorously reenacted the scene at the following year’s ceremony with Charlize Theron (Best Actress winner for Monster), who had consented to and even initiated a soft kiss. Fast forward to 2025, and the social landscape has drastically shifted. With movements like #MeToo, cancel culture, and social media’s unrelenting gaze and pervasive influence, such incidents, especially on international television, are bound to face immense vitriol.
Having triumphed over acting legends such as Michael Caine, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson, and Nicolas Cage back on that fateful 2003 evening, odds are again in Brody’s favor to climb the Academy’s stage a third time. However, the context of the infamous kiss still lingers. As awards season progresses, he remains the frontrunner to sweep ceremonies along with The Brutalist, but whether he does win and addresses or reflects on past controversies remains uncertain.
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