Who

Brody is best known for his Oscar-winning role in 2003's The Pianist and for the kiss he planted on Halle Barry after he won the award.

Backstory

The son of noted Village Voice photographer Sylvia Plachy, Queens native Brody attended the High School of the Performing Arts and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before landing small roles in several 1990s flicks including Bullet, Restaurant, and Liberty Heights. He had a small part in 1998's war drama The Thin Red Line that ended up on the cutting room floor, but it did appear on the DVD, which is where Brody was first spotted by famed director Roman Polanski, who cast him as the lead in the 2002 Holocaust drama The Pianist. Brody received endless critical acclaim for his portrayal of Polish-Jewish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman, a role for which he starved himself down to 130 lbs. He again created buzz (and activated our gag reflexes) when, after winning the Oscar for Best Actor, he planted a six-second kiss on an unsuspecting Halle Berry. Since then, he's been comparatively under the radar, despite roles in The Village, King Kong, Hollywoodland, and Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited.

On the side

Brody is also an amateur rap producer; he started putting together tracks under the name A. Ranger long before he became a successful actor. But it's not hip hop that brings home the bacon. He's appeared in a handful of ads over the past few years, including a Michel Gondry-directed spot for Diet Coke that also featured Kate Beckinsale.

Personal

Brody is currently dating bombshell Spanish actress Elsa Pataky (of Snakes on a Plane fame). In the past, he's been linked to model/DJ Sky Nellor and hard-partying ice dancer Oksana Baiul. Brody is rarely spotted these days without his Chihuahuas named Ceelo Vicious (a snow white male) and Lolly. To keep up his hip hop cred, though, Brody drives a customized Hummer H2 with 28-inch chrome wheels.

Habitat

Brody and Pataky split their time between an apartment in SoHo and a home in Beverly Hills. They also own a 19th-century chateau in Cleveland, NY.