Jack Nicholson wanted to stage a boycott of the 2003 Oscars because of the Iraq war, Adrien Brody recently revealed in an interview with the Sunday Times (via Yahoo). The United States invasion of Iraq began just days before the 2003 Academy Awards. According to Brody, Nicholson invited all of the 2003 Best Actor nominees to his home to discuss how to respond to the war. Nicholson reportedly urged nominees in the category to boycott the ceremony.
“I said, ‘I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going,'” Brody told the Times. “I said, ‘I’ve got to show up somehow. My parents are comming. That doesn’t happen too often. I know you are all winners. You can sit it out. But I can not.'”
Brody was nominated for his performance in Roman Polanksi’s The Pianist. He was the only first-time nominee in this category, which also included nominees Nicholson (“About Schmidt”), Nicolas Cage (“Adaptation”), Daniel Day-Lewis (“Gangs of New York”) and Michael Caine (“The Quieter American”). The men decided not to boycott. Brody eventually won the Oscar and kissed presenter Halle Berry infamously as he arrived at the podium. The actor addressed the Iraq war in his acceptance speech.
“I am very sad tonight to accept an award at such a strange time,” Brody said in his speech. “My experience making this film made me very aware of the sadness and dehumanization of people in times of war and the effects of war. Whoever you believe in, whether it is God or Allah, may he watch over you and let us pray for a peaceful and speedy resolution.”
Brody told the Times that he “can’t even watch” his Oscar-winning portrayal of Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman given the subject matter. The actor said: “I can’t. I cry when I talk about it.”
At the 2003 Oscars, Brody’s victory was considered one of the biggest upsets of the night. Most pundits expected Day-Lewis to win, having accumulated awards from the SAG Awards and BAFTAs prior to the Oscars. Nicholson was also in the running for the Golden Globe.
optional screen reader