Adam Brody
Adam Jared Brody (born December 15, 1979)[1] is an American actor, writer, musician, and producer. He is known for his breakthrough role as Seth Cohen on the Fox television series The O.C., which premiered in 2003.[2] Brody appeared in films including Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Thank You for Smoking (2005), In the Land of Women (2007), and Jennifer's Body (2009).
Adam Brody | |
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Brody in 2011 | |
| Born | Adam Jared Brody December 15, 1979 San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
In the 2010s, Brody had supporting roles in comedies like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) and Sleeping with Other People (2015), as well as more serious films like Lovelace (2013). He appeared in a number of television series during this time; he starred in and was a producer of the television series StartUp (2016–2018).
Brody has appeared in the DC superhero film Shazam! (2019) and will appear in its 2023 sequel, in the thriller Ready or Not (2019), and in the film Promising Young Woman (2020). He starred in the indie dramedy The Kid Detective in 2020. In 2022, he was part of the main cast of the Hulu miniseries Fleishman Is in Trouble.
Early life
Brody was born in San Diego, California, to Valerie Jill (née Siefman),[3] a graphic artist, and Mark Alan Brody, an attorney.[4] He has younger twin brothers, Sean and Matthew (born 1985).[5] His parents, both Jewish, are originally from Detroit. Brody had a bar mitzvah ceremony and grew up celebrating Hanukkah.[6][7]
Brody grew up in suburban San Diego, where he attended Wangenheim Middle School and Scripps Ranch High School and received "poor grades".[8] He spent much of his time surfing,[9] admitting that he "pretty much lived at the beach".[8]
Brody attended community college for one year, dropping out at the age of 19, he then moved to Hollywood to become an actor.[2]
Acting career
After a year of training and auditioning, Brody landed the role of Barry Williams in the television film Growing Up Brady (2000). He also appeared in the Canadian comedy series The Sausage Factory. In 2001, he played a minor role in American Pie 2.[10] Brody's first major role in a television series came in 2002, when he was cast in a recurring role on the comedy-drama series Gilmore Girls, portraying Dave Rygalski, Lane's bandmate and love interest.[citation needed]
In 2003, Brody appeared in the movie Grind and the music video for "Too Bad About Your Girl" by the Donnas. The same year, Brody was cast in his breakout role as Seth Cohen on the teen drama series The O.C.. Brody is reported to have improvised some of the character's comedic dialogue.[9] The role turned him into a teen idol, with the character having been described by the Los Angeles Times as "TV's sexiest geek"[9] and by Time as having "redefined" the screen persona of "unapologetic" nerdiness.[2] Brody was the first male on the cover of Elle Girl.[2][11]
In 2005, Brody appeared in a supporting role in the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and played a Hollywood studio assistant in the film adaptation of Thank You for Smoking (2006).[9] His next film role was in the romantic comedy In the Land of Women (2007). Brody played a writer who returns to his mother's Michigan hometown to take care of his sick grandmother. He did not have to audition for the part, but was almost unable to appear in the film because of scheduling conflicts with the second season of The O.C.; the film's director pushed filming back eight months because he wanted Brody to star.[9][11] The O.C. ended its run in 2007 after four seasons. Brody had said that he was "not unhappy" with the show's cancellation,[11] and that although he was "fortunate" to be on a successful series, he was also glad to "not be on it for 10 years".[2]
After the end of The O.C.'s run, Brody turned to a full-time film career.[9] In 2007 Brody appeared in supporting roles in the films Smiley Face and The Ten.[9] In 2009, he starred in Boaz Yakin's drama Death in Love and in Diablo Cody's horror film Jennifer's Body. In 2010, he appeared in Kevin Smith's film Cop Out, and then in The Romantics. In July 2010, it was announced that Brody landed the role of Detective Hoss in Scream 4,[12] released in April 2011. In 2011, Brody voiced Woodie in the MTV animated series Good Vibes.[13] In the same year Brody appeared in The Oranges.[14]
In January 2012, it was announced that Brody had joined the cast of Lovelace, a biopic about the late 1970s porn star Linda Lovelace, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Brody portrayed Harry Reems.[15] Brody starred in Some Girl(s), which premiered at the 2013 SXSW Festival.[16] He appeared in Life Partners (2014).[17] In 2015, he appeared in Sleeping with Other People and starred as Billy Jones in Direct TV's sitcom Billy and Billie.[18][19][20]
In 2016, Brody starring in Sony Crackle's drama series StartUp.[21] Brody played the older version of Jack Dylan Grazer's character in the superhero film Shazam[22] and starred in the thriller Ready or Not, the latter directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett for Fox Searchlight.[23] The films were released in April and August 2019, respectively, both to positive reviews. Brody has also appeared as Max Larssen in the eight-part drama Curfew, beginning in February 2019.[24]
Other works
Aside from acting, Brody is credited as a musician and writer; he says that he "writes screenplays and songs during [his] spare time."[25] In 2003, Brody wrote and produced the short film Home Security.[26]
In 2005, Brody, along with Nathaniel Castro, Bret Harrison, and Brad Babinski, formed the Los Angeles-based rock band Big Japan, with Brody as the lead drummer.[26] Big Japan's first release, Music for Dummies, was digitally released through Nightshift Records on August 23, 2005. The four-piece indie band played gigs at pubs and festivals from 2005 to 2007 such as The Knitting Factory, Bamboozle Left, The Roxy, Spaceland, and The Viper Room.[citation needed]
In 2007, Brody, along with Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, co-wrote a comic book miniseries for DC's Wildstorm Comics titled Red Menace.[27] The limited series had six issues and was collected into a trade paperback. Since 2010, Brody has played the drums in the project band The Shortcoats. They released their first EP, This Time Last Year, on October 4, 2011. Their song, "Morning, Shipwreck," which Brody co-wrote, is featured in the sitcom Ben and Kate and the 2015 film The Meddler.[citation needed]
Personal life
Brody is a secular Jew and is non-religious.[28] He has described himself as being a "faux intellectual"[29][30][31] and is a member of the Democratic Party. He has joined voting action campaigns including Swing Left.[32][33]
In March 2010, Brody met actress Leighton Meester while filming The Oranges in Westchester, New York.[34][35] They got engaged in November 2013, and married in a private ceremony on February 15, 2014.[36][37][38] Their first child, a daughter, was born in 2015.[39] In 2020, the couple revealed they were expecting their second child,[40] a son who was born later that year.[41]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Random Acts of Violence | Student | |
| 2001 | According to Spencer | Tommy | |
| American Pie 2 | High school guy | Unrated version | |
| 2002 | The Ring | Male teen #1 / "Kellen" | |
| 2003 | Grind | Dustin Knight | |
| Home Security | Greg | Short film; also writer and producer[26] | |
| Missing Brendan | Patrick Calden | ||
| 2005 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Benjamin Danz | |
| Thank You for Smoking | Jack Bein | ||
| 2007 | In the Land of Women | Carter Webb | |
| Smiley Face | Steve the Dealer | ||
| The Ten | Stephen Montgomery | ||
| 2008 | Death in Love | Talent agent | |
| 2009 | Jennifer's Body | Nikolai Wolf | |
| 2010 | Cop Out | Barry Mangold | |
| The Romantics | Jake | ||
| 2011 | Damsels in Distress | Charlie Walker | |
| The Oranges | Toby Walling | ||
| Scream 4 | Deputy Hoss | ||
| 2012 | Seeking a Friend for the End of the World | Owen | |
| Revenge for Jolly! | Danny Fidazzo | ||
| 2013 | Baggage Claim | Sam | |
| Lovelace | Harry Reems | ||
| Some Girl(s) | The Man | ||
| Welcome to the Jungle | Chris | ||
| 2014 | Growing Up and Other Lies | Rocks | |
| Life Partners | Tim | ||
| Think Like a Man Too | Isaac | ||
| 2015 | Sleeping with Other People | Sam | |
| 2016 | Showing Roots | Bud | |
| Yoga Hosers | Ichabod | ||
| 2017 | CHiPs | Clay Allen | |
| Big Bear | Eric | ||
| 2018 | Isabelle | Matt Kane | |
| 2019 | Jay and Silent Bob Reboot | Chronic-Con Hot Topic salesman | |
| Ready or Not | Daniel Le Domas | ||
| Shazam! | Freddy Freeman (adult) | Shared role with Jack Dylan Grazer | |
| 2020 | The Kid Detective | Abe Applebaum | |
| Promising Young Woman | Jerry | ||
| The Last Blockbuster | Himself | ||
| 2022 | Scream | Partygoer | Voice cameo |
| My Father's Dragon | Bob | Voice | |
| 2023 | Shazam! Fury of the Gods | Freddy Freeman (adult) | Post-production; shared role with Jack Dylan Grazer |
| 2023 | Untitled Erasure adaptation | Wiley | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Amanda Show | Greg Brady | Episode: "When Brady's Attack" |
| 2000 | City Guys | Customer #1 | Episode: "Makin' Up is Hard to Do" |
| Family Law | Noel Johnson | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" | |
| Go Fish | Billy | Episode: "Go Student Council" | |
| Growing Up Brady | Barry Williams | Television film | |
| Judging Amy | Barry Gilmore | Episode: "Romeo and Juliet Must Die – Well, Maybe Just Juliet" | |
| Undressed | Lucas | 3 episodes | |
| 2000–2001 | Once and Again | Coop | 3 episodes |
| 2000–2002 | The Sausage Factory | Zack Altman | Main role |
| 2001–2004 | Grounded for Life | Brian | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Smallville | Justin Gaines | Episode: "Crush" |
| 2002–2003 | Gilmore Girls | Dave Rygalski | Recurring role (season 3) |
| 2003–2007 | The O.C. | Seth Cohen | Main role |
| 2004 | MADtv | Seth Cohen | Episode 9.22 |
| 2006 | The Loop | Keith MacDonald | Episode: "The Rusty Trombone" |
| 2011 | Good Vibes | Woodie Stone | Voice role; 12 episodes |
| 2013 | Burning Love | Max | Main role (season 2) |
| House of Lies | Nate Hyatt | 3 episodes | |
| Kroll Show | Joel Faizon | Episode: "Ice Dating" | |
| The League | Ted Rappaport | 4 episodes | |
| 2014 | New Girl | Berkley | Episode: "Exes" |
| 2015 | Billy and Billie | Billy Jones | Main role |
| 2016–2018 | StartUp | Nick Talman | Main role; also producer |
| 2018 | Urban Myths | Jack Lemmon | Episode: "Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder" |
| 2019–2020 | Single Parents | Derek | Guest role (season 1); recurring role (season 2) |
| 2019 | Curfew | Max Larssen | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Mrs. America | Marc Feigen Fasteau | Episode: "Phyllis & Fred & Brenda & Marc" |
| 2022 | Fleishman Is in Trouble | Seth | Supporting role |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor: Drama | The O.C. | Won | [42] |
| Choice TV: Breakout Actor | Nominated | [43] | |||
| 2005 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Chemistry (shared with Rachel Bilson) | Won | [44] | |
| Choice TV Actor: Drama | Won | ||||
| 2006 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actor: Drama | Won | [45] | |
| 2010 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor: Horror/Thriller | Jennifer's Body | Nominated | [46] |
References
- ^ "Adam Brody Biography: Film Actor, Television Actor (1979–)". Biography.com. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Stein, Joel (April 12, 2007). . Time. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
- ^ "Personal Details for Adam Jared Brody, "California Birth Index, 1905–1995"". FamilySearch. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
- ^ "Adam Brody". TV Guide. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- ^ . Elle Girl. Archived from the original on June 10, 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2006.
- ^ Yuan, Jada (April 5, 2012). . Vulture.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2012.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (October 30, 2012). . Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Gillard, Honey (April 19, 2007). . Blogger News Network. Archived from the original on May 1, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lytal, Cristy (April 15, 2007). . Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
- ^ Fury, Rich (August 22, 2019). "We Could All Use More Adam Brody On Our Movie Screens (And In Our Lives)". W. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
It's been eighteen years since Adam Brody appeared in his first feature film, as "High School Guy" in American Pie 2.
- ^ a b c Lawson, Terry (April 15, 2007). . Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
- ^ "Three More Join Scream 4". ComingSoon.net. July 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
- ^ Ross, Robyn (November 16, 2011). . TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
- ^ Ng, Philiana (July 24, 2012). "'The Oranges' Trailer Features Unlikely Couple Hugh Laurie and Leighton Meester (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ . HitFix. January 2, 2011. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
- ^ Leydon, Joe (March 11, 2013). "SXSW Review: 'Some Girl(s)'". Variety. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ Dibdin, Emma (April 25, 2013). . Digital Spy. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Get a Sneak Peek at Neil LaBute's DirecTV series Billy & Billie". Playbill. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (March 2, 2015). "Review: In 'Billy & Billie,' a Step-Sibling Romance Tests Taboos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ Schulz, Lisa (February 26, 2015). "Adam Brody and Lisa Joyce Get Incestuous in DirecTV's 'Billy & Billie'". Variety. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ McCarthy, Lauren (September 5, 2016). "#ManCrushMonday: Adam Brody Is Not Seth Cohen on His New Show". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ Buchanan, Kyle (April 16, 2019). "The Big Twist in 'Shazam!' Hides Another Fun Easter Egg". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ Miska, Brad (October 18, 2018). "Adam Brody Joins Samara Weaving In Radio Silence's 'Ready or Not'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ "Another boost for Sky One's Curfew as Adam Brody joins supercharged cast". Sky Corporate. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
- ^ Stein, Joel (April 12, 2007). . Time. Archived from the original on May 19, 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
- ^ a b c Lytal, Cristy (April 15, 2007). . Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2007.
- ^ "O.C.'s Adam Brody Takes a Comic Turn". TV Guide. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ Bloom, Nate (October 17, 2003). "Celebrity Jews". JWeekly. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- ^ "Actor Adam Brody here, ask me anything". Interviewly. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- ^ Engelberg, Keren (October 31, 2003). . The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
- ^ Reuven, Shmuel (April 15, 2007). . JewReview.net. Archived from the original on April 23, 2007. Retrieved April 16, 2007.
- ^ "Adam Brody Has Rare 'Gilmore Girls' Reunion, Lane & Dave Fans Rejoice". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Network, Action. "Canvassing in Laguna Beach with Swing Left and CADEM (CA48)". actionnetwork.org. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ "Leighton Meester loves 'Oranges' and the Big Apple". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
- ^ "Leighton & Adam's first red carpet pics after secret wedding". Glamour. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ^ Cosgrove Baylis, Sheila (November 20, 2013). . People. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- ^ Eby, Margaret. . New York Daily News. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
- ^ Takeda, Allison (February 18, 2014). "Leighton Meester, Adam Brody Married in Secret Wedding!". Us Weekly. from the original on February 23, 2014.
- ^ Leon, Anya; Jordan, Julie. . People. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ Juneau, Jen (April 2, 2020). "Leighton Meester Is Pregnant! Actress Steps Out and Reveals Baby Bump While in L.A." People. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ Juneau, Jen (September 11, 2020). "Leighton Meester and Adam Brody Welcome a Son: 'He's a Dream Boy'". People. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Bowen, Kit (August 9, 2004). . Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ . Hollywood Auditions. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ Marder, Brian (August 5, 2005). . Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ Thomas, Rachel. . About.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ . Zap2it. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
External links
- Adam Brody at IMDb
- Adam Brody at Rotten Tomatoes