Los Angeles [US], March 4: Adrien Brody claimed the Best Actor award at the 97th Academy Awards for his performance in The Brutalist, but it was his unexpected “gum-throwing” incident that became the viral highlight of the night.
As Brody’s name was announced, he was chewing gum. In a spontaneous move, he took it out of his mouth and tossed it toward his girlfriend, Georgina Chapman, as he made his way to the stage. The moment quickly went viral, sparking various reactions across social media.
In an interview on Live With Kelly and Mark backstage after his win, Brody addressed the incident. He confessed, “I could’ve swallowed it, but I didn’t think about that. I had to get rid of it somehow.” However, Chapman revealed that she didn’t quite catch the gum. Kelly Ripa replayed the clip, zooming in on Chapman, who fumbled the catch, leaving Brody’s gum to land on the Oscars carpet in front of the stage.
Despite the viral moment, Brody’s Oscar win was the culmination of strong competition from fellow nominees, including Timothée Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Ralph Fiennes, and Sebastian Stan. In his acceptance speech, Brody captured the audience’s attention once more, politely asking the Academy to stop the music as it began to play, signaling the end of his time on stage. “I’m wrapping up, please turn the music off,” he said, adding, “I’ve done this before. Thank you. It’s not my first rodeo, but I will be brief.”
With this win, Brody secured his second Academy Award, joining a prestigious group of actors, including Spencer Tracy, Jack Nicholson, and Tom Hanks, who have won the Best Actor award twice. His first Oscar win came in 2003 for his portrayal of Wladyslaw Szpilman in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist.