Adam Brody | |
|---|---|
 Brody in 2011 | |
| Born | Adam Jared Brody (1979-12-15)December 15, 1979 (age 46) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Adam Jared Brody (born December 15, 1979)[1] is an American actor. His breakout role was asSeth Cohen on theFox television seriesThe O.C. (2003–2007).[2] For his performance as Noah Roklov in theNetflix romantic comedy seriesNobody Wants This (2024–present), he earned nominations for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) and thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series; he won theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
Brody has appeared in films includingMr. & Mrs. Smith (2005),Thank You for Smoking (2005),In the Land of Women (2007), andJennifer's Body (2009). In the 2010s, Brody had supporting roles in comedies includingSeeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) andSleeping with Other People (2015), and dramatic films such asLovelace (2013). He appeared in a number of television series during this time, and starred in and produced the television seriesStartUp (2016–2018).
Brody has also appeared in theDC superhero filmShazam! (2019) and its sequelShazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), and in the thriller filmsReady or Not (2019) andPromising Young Woman (2020). He also starred in the mystery filmThe Kid Detective (2020) and theHulu miniseriesFleishman Is in Trouble (2022).
Brody was born inSan Diego, California,[3][4] to Valerie Jill (née Siefman),[5] a graphic artist, and Mark Alan Brody, an attorney.[6] He has younger twin brothers, Sean and Matthew (born 1985).[7] His parents, bothJewish, are originally fromDetroit. Brody had abar mitzvah ceremony and grew up celebrating Jewish holidays.[8][9]
Brody grew up in suburban San Diego, where he attended Wangenheim Middle School andScripps Ranch High School and received "poor grades".[10] He spent much of his timesurfing,[11] admitting that he "pretty much lived at the beach".[10]
Brody attended community college atMiraCosta College for one year, dropping out at the age of 19; he then moved toHollywood to become an actor.[2]
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After a year of training and auditioning, Brody landed the role ofBarry Williams in the television filmGrowing Up Brady (2000) and appeared in the Canadian comedy seriesThe Sausage Factory. In 2001, he had a minor role inAmerican Pie 2.[12] Brody's first major television role came in 2002, when he was cast in a recurring role on the third season of the comedy-drama seriesGilmore Girls asDave Rygalski, Lane's bandmate and love interest.[citation needed]
In 2003, Brody appeared in the movieGrind and the music video for "Too Bad About Your Girl" bythe Donnas. That year, he was cast in his breakout role asSeth Cohen on the teen drama seriesThe O.C., where he reportedly improvised some of the character's comedic dialogue.[11] The role turned him into ateen idol, with the character described by theLos Angeles Times as "TV's sexiest geek"[11] and byTime as having "redefined" the screen persona of "unapologetic"nerdiness.[2] Brody was the first male on the cover ofElle Girl.[2][13]
In 2005, Brody had a supporting role in the filmMr. & Mrs. Smith, and played a Hollywood studio assistant in the film adaptation ofThank You for Smoking (2006).[11] His next film role was in the romantic comedyIn the Land of Women (2007), as a writer who returns to his mother'sMichigan hometown to take care of his sick grandmother. He 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 ofThe O.C.; the film's director pushed filming back eight months because he wanted Brody to star.[11][13]The O.C. ended its run in 2007 after four seasons. Brody had said that he was "not unhappy" with the show's cancellation,[13] and that although he was "fortunate" to be on a successful series, he was also glad to "not be on it for 10 years".[2]
After the end ofThe O.C.'s run, Brody turned to a full-time film career.[11] In 2007, he appeared in supporting roles in the filmsSmiley Face andThe Ten.[11] In 2009, he starred inBoaz Yakin's dramaDeath in Love and inDiablo Cody's horror filmJennifer's Body. In 2010, he appeared inKevin Smith's filmCop Out, and then inThe Romantics. In July 2010, it was announced that he had worked play Deputy Ross Hoss inScream 4,[14] which was released in April 2011. In 2011, he voiced Woodie in the MTV animated seriesGood Vibes,[15] and appeared inThe Oranges.[16]
In January 2012, it was announced that Brody had joined the cast ofLovelace, a biopic about late 1970s porn starLinda Lovelace, directed byRob Epstein andJeffrey Friedman. Brody portrayedHarry Reems.[17] He starred inSome Girl(s), which premiered at the 2013SXSW Festival.[18] He appeared inLife Partners (2014).[19] In 2015, he appeared inSleeping with Other People and starred as Billy Jones inDirect TV's sitcomBilly and Billie.[20][21][22]
In 2016, Brody starred inSony Crackle's drama seriesStartUp.[23] He played the older version ofJack Dylan Grazer's character in the superhero filmShazam![24] and starred in the thrillerReady or Not, directed byMatt Bettinelli-Olpin andTyler Gillett forFox Searchlight.[25] The films were released in April and August 2019, respectively, both to positive reviews. Brody has also appeared as Max Larssen in the eight-part dramaCurfew, beginning in February 2019.[26] In 2024, he co-starred in the first season ofNetflix'sNobody Wants This asRabbi Noah Roklov who starts datingKristen Bell's character, Joanne, ashiksa. His performance earned him a nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy andPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.[27]
Aside from acting, Brody is credited as a musician and writer; he says that he "writes screenplays and songs during [his] spare time."[28] In 2003, he wrote and produced theshort filmHome Security.[29]
In 2005, Brody, along with Nathaniel Castro,Bret Harrison, and Brad Babinski, formed theLos Angeles–based rock bandBig Japan, with Brody as thedrummer.[29] Their first release,Music for Dummies, was digitally released through Nightshift Records on August 23, 2005. The four-pieceindie band played gigs at pubs and festivals from 2005 to 2007 such asThe Knitting Factory,Bamboozle Left,The Roxy,Spaceland, andThe Viper Room.[30][31]
In 2007, Brody, withDanny Bilson andPaul De Meo, co-wrote a comic-book miniseries forDC'sWildstorm Comics titledRed Menace.[32] Thelimited series had six issues and was collected into atrade paperback. Since 2010, Brody has played drums in the project band The Shortcoats; they released their firstEP,This Time Last Year, on October 4, 2011. Their song "Morning, Shipwreck," which Brody co-wrote, is featured in the sitcomBen and Kate and the 2015 filmThe Meddler.[citation needed]
Brody is featured in theBBDO-created "It's Time forWhatsApp"advertising campaign which debuted on September 3, 2025.[33]
Brody is asecular Jew and is non-religious.[34] He has described himself as a "faux intellectual"[35][36][37] and is a member of theDemocratic Party. He has joinedvoting action campaigns includingSwing Left.[38][39]
In March 2010, Brody met actressLeighton Meester while filmingThe Oranges inWestchester, New York.[40][41] They were engaged in November 2013 and married in a private ceremony on February 15, 2014.[42][43][44] Their first child, a daughter, was born in 2015.[45] In 2020, they revealed they were expecting their second child,[46] a son who was born later that year.[47] In January 2025, their home was destroyed by thePalisades Fire.[48][49]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Amanda Show | Greg Brady | Episode: "When Brady's Attack" |
| 2000 | City Guys | Customer #1 | Episode: "Makin' Up is Hard to Do" |
| Family Law | Noel Johnson | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" | |
| Go Fish | Billy | Episode: "Go Student Council" | |
| Growing Up Brady | Barry Williams | TV movie | |
| Judging Amy | Barry Gilmore | Episode: "Romeo and Juliet Must Die – Well, Maybe Just Juliet" | |
| Undressed | Lucas | 3 episodes | |
| 2000–2001 | Once and Again | Coop | 3 episodes |
| 2000–2002 | The Sausage Factory | Zack Altman | Main cast |
| 2001–2004 | Grounded for Life | Brian | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Smallville | Justin Gaines | Episode: "Crush" |
| 2002–2003 | Gilmore Girls | Dave Rygalski | Recurring role (season 3) |
| 2003–2007 | The O.C. | Seth Cohen | Main cast |
| 2004 | MADtv | Seth Cohen | Episode 9.22 |
| 2006 | The Loop | Keith MacDonald | Episode: "The Rusty Trombone" |
| 2011 | Good Vibes | Woodie Stone | Main cast;voice role |
| 2013 | Burning Love | Max | Main cast (season 2) |
| House of Lies | Nate Hyatt | 3 episodes | |
| Kroll Show | Joel Faizon | Episode: "Ice Dating" | |
| The League | Ted Rappaport | 4 episodes | |
| 2014 | New Girl | Berkley | Episode: "Exes" |
| The Cosmopolitans | Jimmy | Pilot | |
| 2015 | Billy and Billie | Billy Jones | Main cast |
| 2016–2018 | StartUp | Nick Talman | Main cast; also producer |
| 2018 | Urban Myths | Jack Lemmon | Episode: "Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder" |
| 2019–2020 | Single Parents | Derek | Guest role (season 1); recurring role (season 2) |
| 2019 | Curfew | Max Larssen | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Mrs. America | Marc Feigen Fasteau | Episode: "Phyllis & Fred & Brenda & Marc" |
| 2022 | Fleishman Is in Trouble | Seth Morris | Miniseries; main cast |
| 2024–present | Nobody Wants This | Noah Roklov | Main cast |
It's been eighteen years since Adam Brody appeared in his first feature film, as "High School Guy" in American Pie 2.
