I was surprised as I sat watching the 2003 Academy Award ceremony. Up for Best Actor was previous winners Jack Nicholson (for About Schmidt), Nicolas Cage (for Adaptation), Daniel Day-Lewis (for Gangs of New York – seemingly the favorite to win), and Michael Caine (for The Quiet American). And, the fifth nominee? A relatively unknown young actor named Adrien Brody. Up against the big guns, few people expected Brody to win. He was not a big name, he was up against brilliant actors, and Roman Polanski, a Hollywood outcast who would not even attend the ceremony for fear of incarceration … Continue reading →