Adrien Brody scored a major upset in the 2002 race opposite a murderers’ row of skilled, Oscar-winning actors — Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson — becoming the youngest Lead Actor Oscar winner of all-time at 29 for his work in The Pianist. (The record previously belonged to Richard Dreyfuss, who won for The Goodbye Girl at 50.)

And he might join another select Oscar club if he wins a second Lead Actor Oscar this year for The Brutalist. His likeliest competition? Timothee Chalamet in A Complete Unknown — who would become the youngest Best Actor winner by mere months if he were to win. The world, it keeps on turning…

This article is part of a special year-long series of anecdotes, reflections and thoughts about the Academy Awards.