Adrien Brody’s latest film, “The Brutalist,” is far from a light-hearted comedy.

The film tells the story of László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish immigrant, and covers themes of poverty, exploitation, and antisemitism over many decades. Brody’s portrayal tackles these serious subjects.

However, during a recent interview on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” Brody shared that there were humorous moments while filming. Because the movie covers many years, makeup artists were responsible for making him appear older—a task that led to some confusion over what was real and what was added.

“Everyone was quite busy. It’s a movie filled with many moving parts, and I had a new group of people I hadn’t met before, removing this entire apparatus from my face,” he described. “One woman was diligently applying a solvent to my nose. I asked if she was trying to take it off, and she replied, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘That’s not coming off!’”

Brody mentioned that the makeup artist apologized for confusing his actual nose with prosthetics and even planned to document the incident in her diary.

This moment unfolds amid a broader conversation in Hollywood about the use of prosthetics to imitate ethnic characteristics. For instance, in the 2023 film “Maestro,” which centers on Leonard Bernstein, Bradley Cooper used a prosthetic nose—an action that sparked criticism as some viewed it as perpetuating stereotypes regarding the noses of Jewish people.

In response, Bernstein’s children stated, “It is true that Leonard Bernstein had a prominent nose. Bradley chose to enhance his likeness through makeup, and we completely support that.”

Conversely, voices like actress Sarah Silverman criticized the decision, labeling it as “Jewface” and taking issue with the industry’s failure to cast Jewish actors in Jewish roles.

Adrien Brody addresses ‘Brutalist’ AI debate

Brody’s recent guest appearance on Fallon is part of a more extensive promotional tour for the film.

He also spoke with Variety in an interview published on Tuesday, addressing the controversy related to the film’s use of artificial intelligence technology.

Earlier this month, writer-director Brady Corbet disclosed that they employed the Ukrainian AI company Respeecher to enhance brief Hungarian lines spoken by Brody and co-star Felicity Jones.

“It’s a very unique language. We trained (Brody and Jones) and they performed excellently, but we wanted to ensure that even locals wouldn’t notice any difference,” Corbet stated to the tech site Redshark.

The revelation quickly gained traction online, with many expressing concerns about AI, viewed by some in the artistic community as risky or potentially harmful to livelihoods.

Corbet later clarified that Brody and Jones’s performances were entirely their own and claimed that the technology was only utilized to expedite post-production for a low-budget film.

During his conversation with Vanity Fair, Brody defended the decision, expressing gratitude that Corbet had clarified his earlier remarks and stated that the situation had been exaggerated.

“I recognize that we live in a time where even the mention of AI can be alarming,” Brody remarked. “I just wish people understood the context and facts better.”

Brody also emphasized his commitment to authenticity in his performance, highlighting the effort involved.

“First of all, I am the son of Hungarians and grew up speaking that language at home. I even added some curse words in Hungarian that weren’t in the script,” he shared.

Contributing: Patrick Ryan