Adrien Brody has been working on his house for 10 years. He’s traveled the world to find things to fill it. He’s dealt with a decade of renovations and updates, projects with masons and blacksmiths and carpenters. “It’s been a real passion and something that brought me a lot of joy and pain,” he tells me over the phone, “but I really have learned so much and appreciate the artistry and the artisans that I’ve encountered along the way.”
It’s that sense of appreciation for design and décor that’s got us chatting not long after Brody stopped by the opening of Banana Republic’s BR Home store opening in Melrose. He’s best known as an actor (not working or talking about it now, naturally, due to the SAG-AFTRA strike), but Brody is also an avid painter, sculptor, fashion guy, and, yup, design enthusiast. At a moment where more and more people have come to understand just how much impact the spaces we inhabit can have on our mood, our creative output, and our lives, I wanted to pick his brain. Plus, the dude dresses well, and I wanted to know what outfit he’d choose if he could only wear one for the rest of his life. Read on for our conversation, which has been condensed and edited, and to learn how Brody seeks equilibrium and harmony in his own spaces.
Esquire: I wanted to start out with what you’re into when it comes to design in the broadest of senses. Are you a décor buff? Do you love fashion? Is it industrial design? What gets you going?
Adrien Brody: All the above, to be honest. Architecturally, I’m obsessed with many types of structures and the complexity and beauty of simplicity in industrial spaces. In my own home, I’ve merged many of the styles I’ve always loved. I love stonework and classical architecture that has grand open spaces that inspire a creative, live/work environment.
I paint quite seriously. And I sculpt. But I need to be in a space that is inspiring. So, it’s been a real passion and something that brought me a lot of joy and pain, but I really have learned so much and appreciate the artistry and the artisans that I’ve encountered along the way.
I paint quite seriously,” Brody explains. “And I sculpt. But I need to be in a space that is inspiring.”
So it makes sense that you’d stop by a BR Home opening. How did you like it?
I really was very impressed by everything that I saw. They did such a beautiful job with not only creating timeless pieces that are very elegant and chic but fit their brand ethos. Banana Republic is a brand that’s always been about mission and travel, and I relate to very much personally, bringing that sense of exploration home.
You’re also a pretty big fashion guy.
As an actor, I’m very accustomed to both the influence of the costumes and wardrobes and how it helps me become someone else and embody someone very different from myself. It goes beyond the superficial and creates a real internal shift. And whether you relate to those materials or colors or that aesthetic or not, you do change. It’s a fantastic thing and very useful, obviously.
And then I’ve done a fair share of work within the fashion industry and modeling—things where you’re fortunate enough to have a place and space and a greater understanding. And currently I’m even working on designing a line for Bally. That’s very exciting in my own evolution.
“As an actor, I’m very accustomed to both the influence of the costumes and wardrobes and how it helps me become someone else and embody someone very different from myself,” he says. “It goes beyond the superficial and creates a real internal shift.”
If you had to wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Maybe a very wearable, streamlined black suit with a black undershirt and a black shirt. That could work. You could show up wherever you needed to show up. You could roll up the legs a bit and relax in the T-shirt. And you could get into the studio and paint—and try not to get any paint on your one outfit.
You mentioned working to create harmony within the pieces that you brought into your own home. Does that same concept play out with your other interests?
We’re exposed to so much these days, in general. We have so much available to us, and we’re all yearning for harmony and finding that sense of home and comfort within ourselves and the world around us and how we interact with one another. I think they’re all interrelated.
Jonathan Evans is the style director of Esquire, covering all things fashion, grooming, accessories, and, of course, sneakers. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. You can follow him at @MrJonathanEvans on Twitter and Instagram.
