Adrien Brody Reflects on ‘Blessed’ Life with Georgina Chapman and Their ‘Menagerie’ of Pets — Including Miniature Donkeys! (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

From Left: Adrien Brody with Georgina Chapman on Feb. 05, 2023.Photo:Lester Cohen/Getty

Lester Cohen/Getty

Adrien Brodysays his recent success is, in part, because of the support of his partner.The 51-year-old actor credits fashion designer Georgina Chapman, whom he met in 2019 after she split from disgraced movie producerHarvey Weinstein, for convincing him to ease back into acting — after taking a break in 2018 — with shows likeSuccession,before signing on forThe Brutalist.With Chapman, 48, Brody’s “very grateful to have a partner with kindness and intelligence and insight," he told PEOPLE. “That goes a really long way.”Amid his latest flurry of accolades, which includes aGolden Globe winfor best actor in a motion picture – drama and a SAG Award nomination for outstanding actor in a leading role forThe Brutalist, the actor only uses one word when asked to describe his life: “blessed.”Brody with Chapman at the Golden Globes.Amy Sussman/GettyAs for what makes him most grateful, that’s a little tougher for him to narrow down. “I mean, there are many things. You can have the most fortunate life and be a miserable, unhappy person. You can have a glimpse of happiness or an encounter that can bring such tremendous joy and inspiration that you can carry through in so many other ways,” he says.“It’s impossible not to have perspective if you’ve witnessed and experienced so much. And I’m most grateful for that,” he adds.The actor now lives in upstate New York with Chapman and “a menagerie” of pets, including a dog, four cats and miniature donkeys. When he isn’t working, he loves “to either be in the recording studio or the painting studio,” he says. “And then go for hikes and spend time with the animals. It’s quite special.”Brody with his parents, Sylvia Plachy and Elliot Brody.Gilbert Flores/GG2025/Penske Media via GettyInThe Brutalist, Brody’s fictional character, architect László Tóth, tries to find peace and create a legacy in the aftermath of war. Tóth’s story mirrors that of the actor’s mother, Hungarian-born photographer Sylvia Plachy.“My mother and my grandparents owned a very similar journey of fleeing war-torn Europe and coming to the U.S. in the ’50s,” Brody says. “And the hardships and sacrifice and their own resilience and everything that they endured — in addition to my mother as an artist and her yearnings to leave behind a body of work of some great significance, they’re all things that are very personal to me. So I felt a deep responsibility to convey that authentically.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The Brutalistis playing in select theaters, including IMAX. It expands nationwide Jan. 24.

Adrien Brodysays his recent success is, in part, because of the support of his partner.

The 51-year-old actor credits fashion designer Georgina Chapman, whom he met in 2019 after she split from disgraced movie producerHarvey Weinstein, for convincing him to ease back into acting — after taking a break in 2018 — with shows likeSuccession,before signing on forThe Brutalist.

With Chapman, 48, Brody’s “very grateful to have a partner with kindness and intelligence and insight,” he told PEOPLE. “That goes a really long way.”

Amid his latest flurry of accolades, which includes aGolden Globe winfor best actor in a motion picture – drama and a SAG Award nomination for outstanding actor in a leading role forThe Brutalist, the actor only uses one word when asked to describe his life: “blessed.”

Brody with Chapman at the Golden Globes.Amy Sussman/Getty

Amy Sussman/Getty

As for what makes him most grateful, that’s a little tougher for him to narrow down. “I mean, there are many things. You can have the most fortunate life and be a miserable, unhappy person. You can have a glimpse of happiness or an encounter that can bring such tremendous joy and inspiration that you can carry through in so many other ways,” he says.

“It’s impossible not to have perspective if you’ve witnessed and experienced so much. And I’m most grateful for that,” he adds.

The actor now lives in upstate New York with Chapman and “a menagerie” of pets, including a dog, four cats and miniature donkeys. When he isn’t working, he loves “to either be in the recording studio or the painting studio,” he says. “And then go for hikes and spend time with the animals. It’s quite special.”

Brody with his parents, Sylvia Plachy and Elliot Brody.Gilbert Flores/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty

Gilbert Flores/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty

InThe Brutalist, Brody’s fictional character, architect László Tóth, tries to find peace and create a legacy in the aftermath of war. Tóth’s story mirrors that of the actor’s mother, Hungarian-born photographer Sylvia Plachy.

“My mother and my grandparents owned a very similar journey of fleeing war-torn Europe and coming to the U.S. in the ’50s,” Brody says. “And the hardships and sacrifice and their own resilience and everything that they endured — in addition to my mother as an artist and her yearnings to leave behind a body of work of some great significance, they’re all things that are very personal to me. So I felt a deep responsibility to convey that authentically.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Brutalistis playing in select theaters, including IMAX. It expands nationwide Jan. 24.

source: people.com