Every Best Actor Oscar Movie Winner Of The 21st Century Ranked

6. Adrien Brody - The Pianist (2002)

Who should have won: Adrien Brody - The Pianist.

As awful as it is that Roman Polanski was allowed to make The Pianist, it's hard not to be bowled over by Adrien Brody's portrayal of Władysław Szpilman, a Polish Jew whose successful life as a pianist is upended by the start of WWII.

Winning the Oscar at just twenty-nine (still the youngest Best Actor winner to date), Brody appears far beyond his years in the role, bringing a quiet resilience and bravery to the role that, scene-after-scene, soars with heartbreak and a teary-eyed realisation that nothing will ever be the same again.

The Pianist, on merit alone, is a resounding work of cinema, bleak and unflinching, and Brody shines as its broken, heroic centre. It's a shame he never reached these highs again, or challenged himself to secure further award glory.