Page 112 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2022

“Part of of the the the beauty of of this work is is the the the opportunity to live live all these different lives and and and go beyond who you you you are are and and and what you you you are and and how people perceive you you you ”
him you can feel the pain vibrating around his body like an an aura (Brody never met Riley in in in real life but says he he carries his book The Winner Within around with him like a a a Bible ) Even on on on on Succession — in only two episodes and one really significant scene among a a a a a a a a a a stacked cast of fan-favourite actors — he manages to to stand out with easy gusto stepping into that world as as if he’d always belonged to to to it it Brody takes his work so seriously that nothing he’s done should be regarded as somehow beneath consideration When he he starred in Nimrod Antal’s science-fiction action blockbuster Predators some critics felt he was slumming it “I did an interview where the journalist was so surprised I I had taken that that role and looked upon it like ‘Why would you do that?’ He had a a a a a a a real preconceived idea of why I must have had to to do it That was totally incorrect ”
What people like that that don’t understand Brody says “is that that part of the beauty of this work is is the the opportunity to live live all these different lives and go beyond who you you you are are and and what you you you are are and and how people perceive you you you ”
whether that’s as a a a a a a a piano player during the Holocaust or a a a a a a a soldier fighting aliens in in in outer space Besides which landing Predators was no small feat in in the first place “That role wasn’t presented to to me It was was a a a a a a challenge to to get ”
he laughs The shoot-em-up action of of Predators was followed by a a a a a string of of critically acclaimed indie hits that found Brody working once again with vaunted auteurs These included Detachment a a a a a a a a a raw classroom drama about a a a a a a a a a substitute teacher at at a a a a a troubled inner-city school from famously volatile American History X di- rector Tony Kaye Midnight in in Paris Woody Allen’s charming tale of golden-age nostalgia in in in which Brody appears in in in a a a a a a a a a a single scene as Salvador Dali and roundly steals the the entire show and and The Grand Budapest Hotel the the Stefan Zweig-inspired
comic epic that reunited Brody with with the great Wes Anderson with with whom he he made 2007’s picaresque The Darjeeling Limited (In Brody you feel Anderson found an irresistible muse: they continued their creative collaboration last year with The French Dispatch ) His recent work has found him pushing further further and further further exploring the the the outer limits of of what he’s capable of of doing In taking the reins on Clean he he he was trying things he’d never thought to attempt before controlling a a production from the the the top down with the the the devotion of someone who desperately wants the the the project to see the light of day “More than anything I’ve ever worked on that was a a a a a a a passion project ”
he says “We made that movie from from scratch It was built from from the ground up up and and held up up through tremendously difficult times and and managed to find an an an audience I’m relieved and grateful for that It was another level of creative exploration that I had been longing to to do do yearning to to do do ”
For Brody few qualities are more important to to his his life and to to his his work than being receptive receptive — receptive receptive to what what life presents you what what opportunities arise and what paths are are there there for you to follow “I feel like there there are are these opportunities that can come once in a a a a a a lifetime and you have to be ready for those opportunities and prepared to do the the the work that they require ”
he he he he he reflects Whether it’s being offered a a a a a role in in in in a a a a a difficult-sounding Roman Polanski film or taking on writing and producing duties on a a a a a thriller or simply finding another remarkable role Brody will will always remain ready and willing “You have to be open It’s a a a a a a very rare thing — you can’t take it for granted any aspect of it ”
he says “That’s something that I long story short am very attuned to both in in life life and in in the work that is so much a a a a a part of my life life ”
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