Adrien Brody delivered an emotional acceptance speech at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on Wednesday night, shedding tears for the victims of the devastating Los Angeles fires. The event, held at Tao Downtown in New York City, saw Brody take home the Best Actor prize for his performance as László Tóth in Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist.
My heart goes out to all the families and the animals and our colleagues. Most of the homes on the west side, the beach side of the [Pacific Coast Highway], are gone. From the Palisades on, this is our community. So I just want to thank and commend the bravery of the first responders, and their sacrifices and their meaningful work that deserves our recognition tonight.
Brody said as he fought back tears
Brody wasn’t the only one to address the crisis. Host David Sims and Sean Baker, who received the Best Screenplay award for Anora, also shared their concerns for Los Angeles. Jim Jarmusch, presenting Baker’s award, called out the climate crisis, saying,
Climate crisis is brought to you by climate deniers… They are telling us that woke is a negative thing, and I would just like to say it’s time we wake the f-ck up!
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Brady Corbet, who accepted the Best Film award for The Brutalist, shared his own experience with loss during his speech. “My New York home burned down several years before I shot my 2018 film Vox Lux,” he revealed, offering support to those affected by the fires.
During his acceptance speech, Brody also paid tribute to his co-star Guy Pearce, who portrayed Van Buren in The Brutalist.
I loved acting with you every day. For those of you who haven’t [seen the film], Guy delivered such a complex and nuanced representation of Van Buren. I don’t feel that I would be standing here tonight if he didn’t deliver such a magnificent performance.
Brody said
The ongoing fires in Los Angeles, which began on January 7 following a severe windstorm, have caused widespread destruction across the Pacific Palisades, Eaton Canyon, and Hollywood Hills. Iconic landmarks like the TLC Chinese Theater and the Magic Castle have temporarily closed their doors as flames continue to rage.
Adrien Brody’s heartfelt words poignantly reminded us of the human toll of these disasters. He balanced his well-deserved recognition with a call to honor the bravery and sacrifices of first responders.
Source: Variety