In 2003, Adrien Brody became the youngest man to ever win the Academy Award for Best Actor. At age 29, he won for his haunting performance as Wladyslaw Szpilman in Roman Polanski's Holocaust drama 'The Pianist.' Brody's win was an upset, as he was up against veteran powerhouses like Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson, and Michael Caine. To prepare for the role, Brody underwent an extreme transformation: he gave up his apartment, sold his car, disconnected his phones, and practiced piano for hours every day to understand the isolation and loss of his character. His acceptance speech became iconic when he passionately kissed presenter Halle Berry on stage before delivering a somber plea for peace, as the ceremony took place just days after the start of the Iraq War. His record as the youngest Best Actor winner still stands today.