Adam Brody Biography and Profile

Adam Brody Profile
Name: Adam Brody
Birth Name: Adam Jared Brody
Height: 5' 11''
Sex: M
Nationality: American
Birth Date: December 15, 1979
Birth Place: San Diego, California, USA
Profession: Actor, Producer, Writer
Education: Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, CA Mira Costa College in Oceanside, CA
Relationship: Rachel Bilson (actress, born on August 25, 1981; dating since 2003; split in December 2006)
Brother: Matt and Sean (fraternal twin brothers)
Claim to fame: As Seth Cohen on Fox's The O.C. (2003)

Adam Brody Biography

The thinking man’s nerd, Adam Brody so inhabited the charm of the neurotic Seth Cohen on “The O.C.” (Fox, 2003-07), that many believed he was simply playing a version of himself, so completely did he nail the character. Fans of both sexes admired the actor’s unmistakable cool vibe, but they also worshipped his knowledge of the underground music scene and comic books. The idea of “geek” suddenly became “chic,” with Brody the crown prince of a new idea of teen spirit. So beloved was the actor, that when he and his “O.C.” co-star Rachel Bilson broke up after a long-term courtship, there was a genuine feeling of sadness, as the adorable twosome had seemed so real and un-Hollywood like. After the show’s inevitable cancellation in 2007, Brody seemed the best bet – from a cast that included Bilson, Mischa Barton and Benjamin McKenzie – to make the jump to movie stardom. He had shone in small parts in hit films like “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (2005) and “Thank You for Smoking” (2006), before landing a lead role in the female-centric romantic comedy, “In the Land of Women” (2007), more than holding his own onscreen opposite Meg Ryan. Adam Jared Brody was born in San Diego, CA on Dec. 15, 1979. His father, Mark Brody, was a lawyer; his mother, Valerie Siefman, was a graphic artist. Brody grew up with younger twin brothers, Sean and Matt. His love for acting emerged in the sixth grade, after his mother suggested he join a community theater production of “Inherit the Wind,” in which Brody played a paper boy. In addition to attending Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, Brody was also an avid surfer, spending most of his downtime with friends at the beach. Though not an official Orange County resident, Brody had more than enough experience living beachside in Southern California throughout his adolescence. During his senior year of high school, Brody worked at a local Blockbuster Video store, where he developed a passion for film and studied it by watching almost every movie at his disposal. After gaining an extensive knowledge of movies, Brody packed up and headed 120 miles north to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He worked several odd jobs – including a valet at the Beverly Hills Hotel – before landing his first acting job – a very small part with few lines on the soap opera, “The Young and the Restless” (CBS, 1973- ). Only a year after he moved to Los Angeles, Brody was cast as look-a-like Barry Williams, playing the latter’s iconic role of Greg Brady, in the TV movie, “Growing Up Brady” (NBC, 2000). Critics noted that Brody’s pretty-boy charm, lanky frame and slight awkwardness were reminiscent of Williams during his heyday. On a bit of a roll after briefly paying his Hollywood dues, the working actor Brody felt confident enough to say goodbye to his day jobs, before popping up in small parts on several TV shows, including “Smallville” (CW, 2001- ), “Once and Again” (ABC, 1999-2002), and MTV’s “Undressed” (1999-2002). He also played Dave Rygalski on the hit WB series “Gilmore Girls” (2000- ) for nine memorable episodes. Very minor appearances on the big screen also fueled Brody’s acting career. He landed “blink-or-you’ll-miss-him” cameos in the hit films “American Pie 2” (2001) and “The Ring” (2002), but scored larger roles in the lower-profile flicks, drama “Missing Brendan” (2003) and the skater-comedy, “Grind” (2003) – both opening to disappointing results. “Missing” was only released on DVD and “Grind” failed to attract audiences to the theaters. Still, it was a paycheck and Brody continued to shoulder on, looking for the one part that would put him over the top. Television seemed like salvation. In 2003, Josh Schwartz created a dramatic series about rich, attractive, carefree teenagers called “The O.C.” – a reference to the affluent Orange County region of Southern California. Four young actors from different backgrounds were picked to star on the Fox network’s new millennium equivalent of their past hit series, “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1990-2000) – Mischa Barton, Benjamin McKenzie, Rachel Bilson and Brody. Unfortunately, Brody almost lost the role of Seth Cohen, after deciding to improvise during his audition – a move which did not sit well with Schwartz, who reportedly told producers afterwards that he “never wanted to see that kid again." A month later, when Seth had still not been cast, producers called Brody back for another test. Despite Schwartz’s initial problems with him, he later confessed that Brody reminded him of himself in many ways – a deal-making asset, since Seth was indeed based on the creator himself. When the show premiered, “The O.C.” was a massive hit, taking over the teen drama throne left by previous teen angst hits “90210” and a later incarnation, “Dawson’s Creek” (WB, 1998-2003). The role won Brody a place in TV heartthrob history, with his harmless, geekily-handsome face making frequent appearances in magazines like Tiger Beat, BOP and Teen People – even being the first male to grace the cover of ELLEGirl magazine. His Seth also added a new term to the public lexicon – with his father being Jewish and his mother Christian, he embraced the 'mutual' holiday of “Chrismukkah.” The show did more for Brody than make him an overnight star. He also met his first serious L.A. girlfriend on set, spending the majority of the show’s run on the arms of his onscreen lover, Bilson. The perky couple dated for almost three years, until sadly breaking up in late 2006 and sharing custody of their two dogs – Penny Lane (a pit bull mix) and Thurmen Murmen (a poodle mix). Considered a TV star, Brody used his downtime on the show to change perceptions, landing a pivotal big screen role in the action-packed feature, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (2005), directed by Doug Liman – who coincidentally, was also an executive producer for “The O.C.” Starring Hollywood’s resident beautiful couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as married assassins, the film actually turned Brody into a movie star overnight. While he could have taken the blockbuster route, with studios offering him parts in guaranteed moneymakers post-“Smith,” Brody instead scored indie “street cred” with his appearance in “Thank You for Smoking” (2005), a satirical comedy about the tobacco industry’s spin doctors. Both before and after “The O.C.,” music had always played a big part in Brody’s career and sideline interests. His favorite bands – Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, and Ben Folds – in fact, were played on several episodes of “The O.C.,” and Brody found time in his busy schedule to play music on the side as well, performing as drummer for the band Big Japan, along with actor Bret Harrison. He also wrote screenplays, music and even co-wrote a comic book miniseries titled Red Menace with friend Paul DeMeo and his girlfriend’s father, Danny Bilson. Life after “The O.C.” – which was cancelled in 2007 due to dwindling ratings – proved just as successful for the actor. He landed the lead role in “In the Land of Women” (2007), written and directed by Jon Kasdan. Starring alongside veteran superstar Meg Ryan and talented ingénue, Kristen Stewart, Brody charmingly played Carter Webb, a young writer who moves to Detroit, MI to take care of his ailing grandmother and to deal with his own recent breakup – only to become romantically involved with both Ryan and Stewart onscreen. It was during “Land,” that Brody also filmed his first big screen love scene – with a years older Ryan, no less. Reportedly, after watching the final take, he was left completely red-faced, covering his eyes. It was a testament to the fact that Brody did not see himself in the leading man role just yet, but upon the film’s release, it was apparent the rest of the world surely did.

Adam Brody Milestones
* 2000 Landed the lead in the NBC movie-of-the-week Growing Up Brady
* 2001 Cast as the lead in the MTV cult series Now What?
* 2002 Had a reoccuring role on the hit television series Gilmore Girls
* 2003 Starred as the son of Peter Gallagher s character in the Fox television series The O.C.
* 2003 Made feature debut as a goal-oriented workaholic in the skateboarding comedy Grind
* 2005 Cast opposite Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith
* 2006 Co-starred in Jason Reitman’s satirical comedy Thank You for Smoking
* 2007 Played a successful writer who returns to his hometown to care for his ailing grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) in Jonathan Kasdan s directorial debut In the Land of Women

Adam Brody Filmography
Actor Credits
* Death in Love (2009) * Jennifer's Body (2009) Nikolai * In the Land of Women (2007) Carter Webb * Smiley Face (2007) Steve the Dealer * The Ten (2007) Stephen Montgomery * Thank You for Smoking (2006) Jack Bein * Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) Benjamin Danz * Grind (2003) Dustin * Missing Brendan (2003) Patrick Calden * The Rules of Attraction (2002) Tim * American Pie 2 (2001) High School Guy * Growing Up Brady (2000)
Abigail Breslin Gossip, News & Trivia
# Brody and Rachel Bilson have decided to separate. (December 7, 2006)
# Offered $110 to anybody who can find a TV commercial he starred in for an acne treatment product before hitting success on his television show. He was desperate to track down a copy of it, as he's never seen it. (June 11, 2005)
# Named one of People Magazine's 50 Hottest Bachelors in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
# Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2004.
# One of the People Magazine Sexiest Man Alive in 2004.
# Is only 14 years younger than Kelly Rowan, who plays his mother on The O.C. (2003).
# Is the first male actor to pose for the cover of Elle Girl magazine.
# Mentioned in an interview that Brad Pitt once approached him and told him that he loved the movie GRIND (2003).
# Named the seventieth in Independent Oline's 100 Sexiest Men Alive.
# Portrayed a character named 'Barry Gilmore in an episode of Judging Amy (1999), then went on to have a recurring character on Gilmore Girls (2000).
# Roommate is Bret Harrison, who guest starred on episode 1.17 of The O.C.
# Voted by Fans all over the world as Elle Girl Magazine Coolest TV Star and Coolest Guy Celeb.
# Voted number 1 in UK CosmoGIRL as pin-up sex-symbol
# Was named one of Teen People's 25 Hottest Stars Under 25 (shared the honor with castmates Mischa Barton, Benjamin McKenzie, and Rachel Bilson)
# Was to star in and co-produce a 2007 remake of REVENGE OF THE NERDS (1984) but after three weeks of filming the project was canceled.
# Friend of Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine.
# Has a dog named Penny Lane.
# Loves indie rock and jazz. His taste in music is the same as that of his character onThe O.C. (2003), Seth Cohen.
# Plays the drums in a band called Big Japan (formerly called Steven's Team). Claims his drumming is more like practice instead of actual drumming.
# Was named one of Teen People's 25 Hottest Stars Under 25 (shared the honor with castmates Mischa Barton, Benjamin McKenzie, and Rachel Bilson).
# Was the 9th hottest guy on Elle Girl's 50 Hottest Guys list.
# Was considering being a professional surfer.
# He’s not that good of a skater.
# Likes the same type of music as the character he plays, Seth Cohen.
# First got the idea of becoming an actor while he was sitting out in the waves atop his surfboard.
# A huge Vince Vaughn fan.
# Hair Color: Dark brown
# Eye Color: Hazel
# Favorite holiday: Halloween
# Favorite Food: TheMatt Miller sandwich at Canter's Deil in Los Angeles
# Favorite Sports: Surfing and basketball
# Favorite Actors Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Matt Damon, Hugh Grant
# Favorite Actresses: Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts
# Favorite Music: Bright Eyes, Ben Folds, Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie
# Favorite Snack: Veggies and fruit or cheese and crackers
# Favorite TV Show: The Daily Show
# Favorite Dessert: Cranberry oatmeal raisin cookies and vanilla ice cream
# Favorite Books: Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, The Amazing Adventures of CKAvalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, Less than Zero by Bret Easton Eills
# Has fraternal twin brothers, Matt and Sean.
# Hopes to work with Ben Stiller or Owen Wilson one day.
# Used to work at Blockbuster and that's how he got interested in acting.
# Considers himself a littlegeeky and says he loves X-Men.
# Used to work a Mother Board Shop in La Jolla before it closed.
# According to other cast members, in the recent issue of YM, Brody is a realladies' man.
# Many roles that he gets his character skate boards but in real life he is not a good skater.
# Played Greg Brady in the small comedy skitWhen Bradys Attack on The Amanda Show, starring Amanda Bynes
# Along withGrounded For Life actor (and roommate) Bret Harrison, Adam wrote, produced and starred in HOME SECURITY, a short film.
# Is in a commercial for Comedy Central's campaign to encourage people to register to vote. In said commercial he makes a grilled sandwich in a toaster oven. The toaster oven starts to smoke because he, quoteForgot to take the cheese wrapper off.
# Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) says in an episodeI'm not reading that, that's like THE RING. I don't wanna die. Adam Brody appears in THE RING (2002).