10 Actors Who Went Through Hell To Win An Oscar

Adrien Brody's 2003 Best Actor win for The Pianist was one of the most unexpected Oscar moments of the century. For one, the virtual unknown was only 29, making him the youngest ever winner in his category; for another, he was up against serious heavyweights in Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, Nicolas Cage and Daniel Day-Lewis.

Still, no one could accuse Brody of not putting the work in for his role as Holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman. The actor learned to play piano specifically for the film, reportedly putting in 4 hours of practice a day, as well as dropping 30 pounds in weight.

As if that wasn't enough, Brody went the extra mile to inhabit the character's headspace by forcing himself out of the life he knew, giving up his LA apartment and moving to Europe, living out of a backpack.

This dedication to the role saw Brody dumped by his then-girlfriend, which might (just might) explain why the actor so enthusiastically pounced on Halle Berry when accepting his Oscar.