2024’s The Brutalist features an outstanding cast led by Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody. Directed by Brady Corbet (Vox Lux, The Crowded Room), The Brutalist is a Best Picture contender at the 97th Academy Awards, which take place on March 2, 2024. The Brutalist follows a visionary architect named László Tóth (Brody) who flees post-war Europe with his wife Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) for the United States of America. Along the way, László encounters a mysterious and wealthy man who changes the course of his life forever. The Brutalist released in theaters on December 20, 2024.

The Brutalist premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2024, where Corbet won the Silver Lion for Best Direction. He is also considered to be a favorite to win the Best Director Oscar. The Brutalist has received widespread critical acclaim, with a Certified Fresh 94% Rotten Tomatoes score. Although actors such as Joel Edgerton, Marion Cotillard, and Vanessa Kirby were attached to star in the film as recently as September 2020, none of these actors ended up being cast. The film will be distributed by A24 in the United States.

Adrien Brody as László Tóth

Birthdate: April 14, 1973

Actor: Adrien Brody is an Academy Award-winning actor widely known for his leading role in 2002’s The Pianist​​​​​​, directed by Roman Polanski. Brody, age 51, was born in 1973 in New York City. At age 29, Brody became the youngest actor to win a Best Actor Oscar for The Pianist. He has also starred in films such as The Thin Red Line (1998), Harrison’s Flowers (2000), The Village (2004), and King Kong (2005).

He frequently appears in Wes Anderson films such as The Darjeeling Limited (2007), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), The Grand Budapest H๏τel (2014), and The French Dispatch (2021). On television, Brody has appeared in Peaky Blinders (2017), Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022–2023), Houdini (2014), and Succession (2021). Brody was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist cast after big wins at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes Awards.

Notable Works:

Character: Brody plays the protagonist of The Brutalist named László Tóth, a Hungarian-born Jewish man who survives the Holocaust and immigrates to America. He attempts to restart his career as an architect in the United States, but he finds things are not easy for him as an immigrant. He moves to Philadelphia from Europe without any money and then faces obstacles including addiction issues, feeling displaced, and facing harsh hatred from Americans based on bigotry.

Felicity Jones as Erzsébet Tóth

Birthdate: October 17, 1983

Actor: Felicity Jones, 41, is a British actress from Birmingham, United Kingdom. She made her professional acting debut at the age of 12 appearing in The Treasure Seekers (1996). Jones is arguably best known for her performance as Jane Hawking in the 2014 biopic The Theory of Everything which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

She has also starred in films such as The Tempest (2010), Like Crazy (2011), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), True Story (2015), A Monster Calls (2016), and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), and she notably portrayed Ruth Bader Ginsberg in 2018’s On the Basis of Sєx. Felicity Jones picked up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her work in The Brutalist after receiving nominations at the BAFTAs and Golden Globes, although she didn’t win at the latter two ceremonies.

Notable Works:

Character: Jones plays Erzsébet Tóth in The Brutalist, the wife of László Tóth. Erzsébet also is a Holocaust survivor, and she travels to America with her husband to start their lives anew. While László faced trauma and terrible treatment once he arrived in America, it was Erzsébet who was the sole source of encouragement and love for her husband during his struggles. Erzsébet is the one who convinces her husband to remain true to himself despite all the pressure he faces.

Guy Pearce as Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.

Birthdate: October 5, 1967

Actor: Guy Pearce, 57, is an Australian actor born in the United Kingdom in 1967. Pearce rose to prominence in the 1997 crime noir L.A. Confidential before starring in Christopher Nolan’s psychological thriller Memento (2000). He has also appeared in films such as Bedtime Stories (2008), The Road (2009), The Hurt Locker (2009), The King’s Speech (2010), Animal Kingdom (2010), Lawless (2012), Prometheus (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), and Alien: Covenant (2017).

In television, he has starred in Mare of Easttown (2021) and Mildred Pierce (2011), the latter of which he won an Emmy for. Pearce has seen great success during awards season for his performance in The Brutalist, winning the AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also picked up an Oscar nomination for the same award, which he also received at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, although he didn’t win at either of those award ceremonies.

Notable Works:

Character: Pearce plays Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. in The Brutalist, a wealthy industrialist who becomes a client of László’s. It is Van Buren who brings most of the pressure to László thanks to him asking for so much from the man. Van Buren hires him to build a giant architectural community lot center. However, as the project moves on, the two have power struggles, and it shows the dangers of the rich and poor ʙuттing heads.

Joe Alwyn as Harry Lee Van Buren Jr.

Birthdate: February 21, 1991

Actor: Joe Alwyn, 33, is an English actor born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. Alwyn made his feature film debut as the protagonist in Ang Lee’s 2016 film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. He has also appeared in films such as The Favourite (2018), Boy Erased (2018), Mary Queen of Scots (2018), and Harriet (2019). Alwyn is also famous for his seven-year romantic relationship with Taylor Swift from 2016-2023 and working with her on several songs from her Grammy-winning album Folklore.

On television, he played the lead role of Nick Conway in the Hulu series Conversations with Friends (2022). Unlike most of the main The Brutalist cast members, Alwyn did not receive any awards, recognition, or nominations for his performance.

Notable Works:

Character: Alwyn plays Harry Lee Van Buren Jr. in The Brutalist, the enтιтled son of Pearce’s character. He has less of a focus in the movie, although he is still a big part of the idea of the wealthy elites ruling the lower classes with their power. He also shows the age gap, as his father has strong aspirations for their wealth and Harry is more about indulging in the trappings of privilege and arrogance.

The Brutalist Supporting Cast & Characters

Stacy Martin as Maggie Van Buren: Martin plays Maggie Van Buren, Harry’s twin sister. Her character adds more flavor to the idea of the wealthy elite family. She’s known for The Serpent, Vox Lux, and All the Money in the World.

Raffey Cᴀssidy as Zsófia: Cᴀssidy plays Zsófia, László’s orphaned teenage niece who developed mutism during the Holocaust. She is someone who is incapable of corruption and offers an optimistic look at the world, which is very different from her uncle. She has previously appeared in White Noise, The Killing of a Sacred Dear, and Tomorrowland.

Isaach de Bankolé as Gordon: De Bankolé plays Gordon, László’s friend in The Brutalist. He is another architect and is there to help with many of the complications as they work on the design that is giving them problems. He’s best known for his roles in Casino Royale, Night on Earth, and Black Panther.

Alessandro Nivola as Attila: Nivola plays Attila, László’s cousin. He is a Hungarian immigrant who moved to America before the war and converted to Catholicism after marrying a Catholic woman while suppressing his Jewish idenтιтy. He is the opposite of what László aspires to be and ends up betraying his cousin. He’s previously appeared in American Hustle, Disobedience, and Face/Off.

Emma Laird as Audrey: Laird plays Audrey, Attila’s wife. She does not approve of László and is the reason that Attila ends up kicking him out of his home, leading to László becoming a heroin addict. She’s known for her roles in A Haunting in Venice, Mayor of Kingstown, and The Crowded Room.

Michael Epp as Jim Simpson: Epp plays Jim Simpson in The Brutalist. He is another architect and one that Harrison purposefully brings in to cause conflict with László, believing that this conflict will result in a better-constructed building for much less money. His previous works include The Beekeeper, Secret Invasion, and Tom Calncy’s Jack Ryan.

Ariane Labed as Older Zsofia: Labed plays Older Zsofia in The Brutalist. The film jumped to the year 1980 in the end scenes, and this required a new actress to play Zsófia as she was an adult now, delivering a speech about her uncle during a ceremony in Venice. She’s known for ᴀssᴀssin’s Creed, Attenberg, and Alps.

Jonathan Hyde as Leslie Woodrow: Hyde plays Leslie Woodrow in The Brutalist, a builder hired by Harrison to realize László’s design. It is his job to balance Van Buren’s changing desires with László’s art to create the best possible building. He’s best known for тιтanic, Anaconda, and Jumanji.

Peter Polycarpou as Michael Hoffman: Polycarpou plays Michael Hoffman in The Brutalist. It is Hoffman who was able to pull the strings to bring László’s wife Erzsebet and niece Zsofia to the United States. He is Van Buren’s Jewish attorney. He’s known for Cleanskin, De-Lovely, and Oklahoma!