Academy Award winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist) adds another impressive performance to his resume with Hollywoodland, an intriguing examination of the circumstances surrounding the death of Superman star George Reeves on June 16, 1959. Brody plays Louis Simo, a private investigator hired by Reeves' mother to investigate her son's death.
Adrien Brody on His Character in Hollywoodland: "I think that within the story, Simo's life paralleled George's in the sense that he creates respect and money and success, and I think that he looked for a bigger picture, rather than solving the smaller problems in his life that would ultimately make him a happier human being. That's what was fascinating to me. It shows that what may appear as glamorous is rarely as glamorous as it appears.”
Reeves found success as an actor with his role as the Man of Steel in the Superman TV series, but in Hollywoodland the late actor is shown as always striving to break away from being thought of as just Superman. “For me, my character is obviously a part of Hollywood but not within the industry that we're all in. The advantage of that is that it illustrates that it is not just something that people within this industry face," explained Brody. "I think that it's a common thread. Most people are under the impression that if they only had more of something, that that would fulfill them. That's usually not the case and you don't know that until you've reached that goal.
I'm fortunate to know kind of both, and I mean that sincerely. I know what it's like to be a struggling actor. I know what it's like to be really successful and have a level of fame and the advantages of that and the pitfalls that come with it. I think in knowing both sides, I kind of feel like I need less now. I need less from myself. It has nothing to do with my career or other people's perceptions. I have a better understanding of what I need and for that I'm really grateful. I now struggle less with certain things that I really thought would make me happy."
What Really Happened to George Reeves: The reality is no one knows what really happened the night Reeves died or if they do, they’re not telling the authorities. Brody didn’t want to taint audiences with his own opinion of the case but did say, “I've been asked this and I'm reluctant to share my personal opinions about it. I don't know the answer. I think that the evidence shows that there might've been foul play, but it was documented as a suicide. Allen [Coulter, the director] and I made a conscious decision to limit my actual research beyond the scope of what Simo would know throughout the film because why play against something that you don't know already. It just made sense and was a rare luxury, so I'm not sure actually. I would hate for my opinion to somehow resonate as truth for someone.
Going Toe to Toe with Bob Hoskins: While Brody’s character Louis Simo is digging for the truth, Hoskins as studio executive Eddie Mannix is doing everything in his power to thwart Simo’s investigation. Brody has nothing but praise for his Hollywoodland adversary. “He's brilliant. I sat there talking to him in the first scene that we shot together, the one in his office. We were talking as we are now, and then Bob transformed in front of my eyes and it scared the s*&t of me. It scared the s*&t out of me on a number of levels. I love working with someone that inspires me like that. There was this need for information, for this believing. Whatever he did, though, he did it well. He can turn it right on and then turn it right off."
