Adrien Brody beat Timothée Chalamet to win Best Actor at theOscars 2025, and that victory must be a bit sweeter than usual thanks to a significant Oscars record. Brody and Chalamet emerged as the two major contenders for the Best Actor category after their respective brilliant performances inThe BrutalistandA Complete Unknown. After dominating through most of the precursor season, Brody was the consensus pick to win. And while Chalamet’s win at SAG gave some reason to believe he could still emerge, Adrien Brody was theOscars 2025 winnerin Best Actor.
The confirmation thatAdrien Brody won Best Actorcame with a new record for him. He became the first person to win their first two Best Actor Oscar nominations. He notably won the award previously thanks to his performance in 2002’sThe Pianist. Brody was even quick to remind those in attendance and watching the 97th Academy Awards by saying,“I’ve been here before"when they attempted to end his record-long speech. He also set a record for themost screentime for a Best Actor Oscar winner. And yet, a different record makes this win all the better for him.
Adrien Brody’s Best Actor Win Ensured He Kept His Youngest Best Actor Oscar Winner Record
Timothée Chalamet Was In Line To Break It
By winning Best Actor for the second time, Adrien Brody ensured that he would keep his existing Oscars record as the youngest person to win Best Actor for at least another year. His win forThe Pianistin 2002 made hima Best Actor Oscar winner at the age of 29 years and 343 days old. That meant he broke a 25-year record held by Richard Dreyfuss to be the youngest winner in this category, as Dreyfuss was 30 years and 156 days old when he won forThe Goodbye Girl.
Timothée Chalamet was Brody’s main competition in the race this year, and he would have broken the record if he had won. Chalamet was 29 years and 65 days old when the 97th Academy Awards happened on July 21, 2025. That makes him 278 days younger than how old Brody was when he won his first Oscar. Unfortunately,Timothée Chalametstill has not won an Oscarafter Adrien Brody emerged victorious. He was the only Best Actor nominee this year who could’ve broken Brody’s record, as Ralph Fiennes, Colman Domingo, and Sebastian Stan are all a bit older.
This Was Timothée Chalamet’s Last Chance To Break Adrien Brody’s Oscars Record
He’ll Be Too Old At The 2026 Oscars
Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan recording a song in the studio in A Complete Unknown
To make matters worse for Timothée Chalamet, his failure to break Adrien Brody’s Oscars record came with some finality. This was the second Oscar nomination of his career, and while both came when he was under 30 years old, his next one will not be, no matter when it happens.Chalamet will turn 30 on July 08, 2025, just two days after his next potential Oscar-worthy performance inMarty Supremedebuts in theaters.
Winning this year forA Complete Unknownwas Chalamet’s last opportunity to take this specific Oscars record
The 98th Academy Awards do not have an official ceremony date already, but it should happen sometime in February or March of 2026. This means that Chalamet will no longer be younger than Brody was when he won an Oscar forThe Pianist. Winning this year forA Complete Unknownwas Chalamet’s last opportunity to take this specific Oscars record. He could set other records in the future, but he’ll never be able to claim he was the youngest Oscar winner in the Best Actor category. That honor still belongs to Adrien Brody, at least for another year.
Will Anyone Break Adrien Brody’s Oscars Record In 2026?
Chalamet May Be Out, But There Are Other Possibilities
Adrien Brody’s youngest Best Actor Oscar winner record is safe for now, but there is a possibility that he loses this honor next year. It’s far too early to know exactly what movies and performances will be contending at the Oscars 2026. However, some bright young stars could be in the mix. If Jacob Elordi managed a nomination forOn Swift Horses, he would be young enough to beat Brody’s record.Michaelstar Jaafar Jackson is one possibility if the movie isn’t delayed, but the odds of him winning are a bit lower.
It would seem unlikely that Brody’s record will be broken next year
Paul Mescal would be just too old to break the record if he were to win forHamnet, as he’ll be 30 next February, otherwise he’d be the best chance. It would seem unlikely that Brody’s record will be broken next year at this very moment. However, there was no expectation Mikey Madison would win Best Actress at this time last year. There’s always the possibility that a breakthrough performance comes from an unexpected source and becomes the favorite to win Best Actor. If they’re under 30, then Brody’sOscarsrecord could be lost after all.
