After he famously starved himself for Roman Polanski's Holocaust epic The Pianist, Adrien Brody has been showing equal commitment to his latest role. The Oscar-winning star is in Spain filming the eponymously titled bullfight drama Manolete.
With his intense, dark looks the New Yorker is said to bear an uncanny resemblance to the legendary matador, who died tragically young at the peak of his fame. One of the first sports superstars, the handsome torero toured Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and Colombia before being killed in the bullring at the age of 30.
Adrien is currently busy learning the secrets of a profession regarded as an art form - one requiring years of training - by traditionalists in the Mediterranean country. Penelope Cruz also stars as the voluptuous actress Lupe Sino, who had a turbulent affair with Manolete in the 1940s.
Since his Academy Award win three years ago the actor has picked his movies carefully, preferring to spend quality time with off-screen love interest, girlfriend Michelle Dupont. Apart from an ensemble part in Peter Jackson's King Kong, his only substantial role has been opposite Keira Knightley in the 2005 thriller The Jacket.
But cinema audiences can expect to see rather more of Adrien in the near future as he recently signed up for Speechless, an independent romantic comedy with Lindsay Lohan.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
