Adrien Brody Becomes World Record Holder With Longest Acceptance Speech in Oscars History
According to Guinness World Records, Adrien Brody delivered the longest acceptance speech in Oscars history when he won best actor at the 2025 Academy Awards. Brody beat competitors Timothée Chalamet, Sebastian Stan, Colman Domingo and Ralph Fiennes at the Dolby Theatre during Hollywood's most prestigious evening, winning for his role as Hungarian-Jewish architect László Tóth in "The Brutalist." Before taking the stage, he spit out his gum and tossed it to his partner Georgina Chapman, then spoke for five minutes and 40 seconds, ignoring the standard 45-second limit. This surpassed the previous record of five minutes and 30 seconds set by Greer Garson in 1943 for her "Mrs. Miniver" win, as reported by GWR, though complete footage of her speech does not exist.
When the orchestra tried to play him off, Brody stated: "Turn the music off! I've done this before. Thank you. It's not my first rodeo, but I will be brief." This moment recalled his first Oscar win at age 29 for "The Pianist" in 2003, which was also cut short. Back then, he protested: "One second, please. One second. Cut it out. I got one shot at this. I didn't say more than five names, I don't think."
This time, Brody covered many subjects, including social issues: "I'm here once again, to represent the lingering traumas, and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression, and of antisemitism, and racism, and of othering and I believe that I pray for a healthier and happier, and a more inclusive world, and I believe if the past can teach us anything it's a reminder to not let hate go unchecked."
He also described acting as "a very fragile profession," adding: "It looks very glamorous, and certain moments it is, but the one thing I've gained, having the privilege to come back here is to have some perspective and no matter where you are in your career, no matter what you've accomplished, it can all go away, and I think what makes this night most special is the awareness of that and the gratitude that I have to still to do the work that I love."
Concluding his remarks, Brody said: "OK, I'll get out of here, I love you, I appreciate you all. Let's fight for what's right, keep smiling, keep loving one another, let's rebuild together. Thank you."
In a post-win interview with "GMA," Brody explained, "It's a pretty long movie so I had to have a little extra time to say what's relevant. It's been a very long time between speeches."
While "Anora" dominated the 2025 Oscars, "The Brutalist" also claimed awards for best original score and best cinematography.
Mikey Madison received the best actress accolade, while Sean Baker achieved a historic four-award sweep for his film, including best director, best original screenplay, best film editing, and best picture. In additional performance categories, Kieran Culkin secured the best supporting actor Oscar for his work in "A Real Pain," and Zoe Saldaña claimed the best supporting actress prize for her role in "Emilia Pérez," highlighting that she represents the "first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award."
