Actor Adam Brody is best known to American television viewers as adorably geeky Seth Cohen, from the series The O.C. He grew up in San Diego and began his acting career in the late 1990s, moving to Hollywood in 1999. After numerous TV appearances, Brody's first big break came with Growing Up Brody (2002), a TV movie based on actor Barry Williams's tell-all book about working on the series The Brady Bunch (1969-74). He then appeared in several small roles in movies and on television before joining the cast of The O.C. in 2003. His film credits include The Ring (2002, starring Naomi Watts), Grind (2003), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005, with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) and Thank Your For Smoking (2005, as Rob Lowe's facile assistant).
Career Highlights: Jennifer's Body, Thank You for Smoking, Mr. and Mrs. Smith
First Major Screen Credit: Growing Up Brady (2000)
Biography
Upon realizing that his parents would never accept the fact that their son wanted to pursue a career in acting, Adam Brody did exactly what any red-blooded, determined American teen would do in order to achieve his dream -- he lied to them. Thankfully for Brody, his gamble at fame was a success, and following a noteworthy feature debut in the made-for-television movie Growing Up Brady, the talented young star would go on to land roles in such high-profile releases as American Pie 2 and The Ring. Knowing that he had what it took to launch a successful film and television career -- but unable to convince his parents of his certainty -- the San Diego native eventually persuaded his mother and father to allow him to remain on the West Coast following his high-school graduation and attend college in Los Angeles. Of course, Brody's higher education was merely a guise for his true plans, and in lieu of enrolling in classes, the deceptive aspiring thespian instead opted to hire an acting coach and a personal manager in preparation for hitting the audition circuit. Soon chosen to portray Brady Bunch actor Barry Williams for the screen adaptation of his revealing memoir Growing Up Brady, Brody was on his way to stardom. The millennial turnover proved an incredibly fruitful period for the young actor's blossoming career, with a series of small-screen appearances in such popular television series as Once and Again, Grounded for Life, and Judging Amy offering notable exposure before Brody joined the cast of the hit MTV series Undressed. After a brief appearance in American Pie 2, Brody returned to the small screen and MTV for the short-lived cult series The Sausage Factory in 2001. Following a doomed appearance in The Ring, Brody once again returned to television for a lead role on the popular Fox drama The O.C. At this point, it was obvious to all who had followed his career that Brody was more than just another pretty face, with roles in the carefree skateboard comedy Grind and the affecting family drama Missing Brendan serving to highlight his remarkable versatility before the cameras. In 2005, Brody could be seen opposite Hollywood heavies Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Go director Doug Liman's action thriller Mr. and Mrs. Smith. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Brody was born in Carlsbad, San Diego County, California, the oldest son of Jewish parents Valerie (née Siefman), a graphic artist, and Mark Brody, a lawyer.[2][3] He has younger twin brothers, Sean and Matt. Brody attended Wangenheim Middle School and Scripps Ranch High School, receiving "poor grades",[4] and grew up in suburbanSan Diego, spending time surfing.[5] He has said that while he was not a "Casanova", he had "cute girlfriends" and "pretty much lived at the beach".[4] Brody attended community college for one year and dropped out at the age of nineteen, moving to Hollywood in order to become an actor.[1] He subsequently hired an acting coach and signed with a manager.[6]
Career
After a year of training and auditioning, Brody landed the role of Barry Williams in the 2000 TV movieGrowing Up Brady. He was cast in recurring roles on Gilmore Girls as Dave Rygalski, Lane's bandmate and love interest, and the Canadian comedy television series The Sausage Factory. In 2001, he played a small role in American Pie 2, named as "high school guy". He was one of two high school guys who get chased away from Steve Stifler's party. In 2003, he wrote "Home Security" (a short film),[5] appeared in the feature film Grind, and began playing his most famous role to date, Seth Cohen, a slightly awkward teenager, on the television show The O.C. The role turned Brody into a teen idol, with the character having been described by the Los Angeles Times as "TV's sexiest geek"[5] and by Time as having "redefined" the screen persona of "unapologetic" nerdiness;[1] his character (defined by director Jon Kasdan as the "new kind of nerdy Jewish guy: both self-deprecating and self-obsessed")[1] has since inspired scripts to describe particular characters as "Adam Brody types".[1] The role also developed Brody a female fan following and as a result, Brody was ranked No. 17 in Independent Online's "100 Sexiest Men Alive", was twice placed on Teen People's annual list of "25 Sexiest Stars under 25", and was the first male on the cover of Elle Girl.[1][7][7] Brody improvised some of the character's comic dialogue.[5]
2005 Toronto International Film Festival
During the show's run, Brody appeared alongside Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in 2005's film Mr. & Mrs. Smith and played a Hollywood studio assistant in the 2006 film adaptation of Thank You for Smoking. Brody was signed to a seven-year contract for The O.C., playing the role of Seth Cohen, where he acted much like himself. The show was eventually canceled in 2007 and ended its run in February of that year; Brody has said that he is "not unhappy" with the show's cancellation[7] and that although he was "fortunate" to be on a successful series, he was also glad to "not be on it for 10 years".[1] After the end of The O.C.'s run, Brody turned to a full-time film career.[5] His next role was the film In the Land of Women, a romantic comedy co-starring Meg Ryan and Kristen Stewart and released on April 20, 2007. In the film, Brody plays the lead role, a writer who returns to his mother's Michigan hometown in order to take care of his sick grandmother. Brody did not have to audition for the part, but was almost unable to appear in the film because of scheduling conflicts with the second season of The O.C.; the film's director pushed filming back eight months because he wanted Brody to star.[5][7] The same year, Brody also appeared in supporting roles in the lower budget films Smiley Face, playing a pot dealer, and The Ten, as a skydiver.[5] He also guest appeared in the Smallville episode "Crush".
Brody, along with actor Zac Efron, was in consideration for the lead part in the film Speed Racer, a role which was eventually given to Emile Hirsch.[1] Brody was also set to produce a remake of Revenge of the Nerds, which was canceled early during filming.[8]
Brody lives in Los Angeles. He dated The O.C. co-star Rachel Bilson for three-years[5]. The relationship ended in December 2006. Their relationship was both on screen and off screen.
Brody plays drums for the band Big Japan[5] with actor Bret Harrison. He writes screenplays and songs during his spare time[1] and has co-written, along with Danny Bilson (father of ex-girlfriend Rachel Bilson) and Paul DiMeo, a comic book miniseries for Wildstorm Comics called Red Menace. Brody has also volunteered as an actor with the Young Storytellers Program, which is dedicated to developing literacy, self-expression and self-esteem in elementary school children.
Brody has described himself as a "fake intellectual" and his sense of humor as sarcastic.[1] He is a secular Jew[9] and has stated that he "couldn't be less religious".[2] Brody has said that when he moved to Hollywood he became "more nerdy" and embraced his "neurotic side".[4]
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