Adrien Brody Says ‘The Pianist’ Led to PTSD and Eating Disorder

Adrien Brody says preparing for his role in The Pianist took a major toll on him.

For his Oscar-winning role as Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman in the 2002 film, Brody lost 30 pounds on a near-starvation diet and dropped to 129 pounds and drank minimal water during filming. The Roman Polanski film was also shot in reverse to depict Szpilman’s at his most depleted point.

“That was a physical transformation that was necessary for storytelling,” the 51-year-old actor told Vulture. “But then that kind of opened me up, spiritually, to a depth of understanding of emptiness and hunger in a way that I didn’t know, ever.”

The physical transformation left lasting effects, including insomnia and panic attacks.

When asked if he felt like he developed PTSD from the experience, Brody said, “I do, yeah. I definitely had an eating disorder for at least a year. And then I was depressed for a year, if not a lifetime. I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”

It wouldn’t be the first time he’s embraced extreme Method acting to connect with his roles.

While filming The Jacket, Brody says he asked the director to leave him in a straightjacket to get a feel for the experience. During Summer of Sam, he broke his nose and sustained a permanent dent after he was accidentally punched in the face.

For Oxygen, in which he played a serial killer with braces, Brody also chose real braces instead of getting prosthetics, saying, “I didn’t know how fucking painful that was until they stuck in pliers and ripped them off my teeth at the end.”