Actor Adrien Brody's favourite places in the world

Where was the last place you travelled to?

‘I was painting just last week in Puerto Rico. I have friends there and a studio that I work at, so I took a little trip and it was really wonderful. The weather was tropical, I got some sun and was able to be creative. Old San Juan is really inspiring; it’s beautiful and has such a rich cultural history.’

Where in the world have you felt happiest?

‘India. Visiting it is such a profound experience. The sheer humanity of the country is epic; it’s so rich and textural and visceral in everything, even down to the smell when you land in Delhi. It’s an amazing place, and it’s affected me deeply in a positive way.’

Which is your favourite city?

‘New York. I’m a city kid. I was born in Manhattan and grew up in Queens, and it’s still home. It’s such a diverse and alive place – few cities in the world are quite like that. There’s every walk of life on every corner; it’s probably given me all the ammunition I’ve needed as an actor. When I was a teenager in Queens, I thrived on the excitement and chaos and stimulation of it all. I couldn’t have played half the characters of my life if I didn’t have those experiences, so I’ve got to give it to New York.’

As an amateur artist, what sort of view inspires your painting?

‘That’s a lovely question. Though I don’t need a view to paint. I have a lot of stuff going on in my head, and I can paint almost anywhere. I was filming in London at the beginning of last year, a wonderful movie (as yet untitled), but it was during the first Delta scare and everything was locked down. I’ve been to London many times, but I’ve never had that length of time to really explore, so I was looking forward to it. Due to the lockdown I spent a lot of time walking up and down the Thames, and that was really wonderful because walking is my thing, but ultimately, I just painted. I cleared out the kitchen and worked on the floor – I turned my place into a little impromptu studio and made a lot of collage work.’

What makes you a good traveller?

‘I think a sense of adventure and curiosity. The way the business works means movies are usually shot out of the country, so it’s an adventure. I’ve filmed in New Zealand, every former Eastern Bloc country, Canada and the South Pacific, Australia, Germany, France, Poland... You name it, I’ve shot there.’

Describe a memory from a holiday during your childhood

‘My dad took my mom and I on a road trip in 1977 – we drove across America in an old Chevy van. It was the hottest summer on record in New York, and we headed out West, sleeping in the van. The engine was in between the driver and passenger seat, so the van always smelled of petrol, but it was a wonderful trip. I remember stopping in New Mexico and there were slot machines. My dad had given me a coin to put in; I was four, but I still remember it because I hit the jackpot and all these giant coins were coming down at me. It was a different time, you know?’

Where do you dream of living?

‘My parents used to have a country house in Upstate New York when I was very young and they always took us there. They sold it to buy our house in Queens, and in high school I would look at properties upstate in the real-estate section of the New York Times. I didn’t have any money, but I’d dream of those listings – these spectacular farms, vast tracts of land – that were all very reasonable at that point. It’s a place that is still dear to my heart – the seasonal shifts and hiking in the woods. I love New York City: it’s home, but the proximity of all that nature is really special. I run away all the time, as much as I can. I think solitude is good for creativity and contemplation. Paris is another place where I’ve been very happy and I’ve considered living there before.’

What’s your favourite location you’ve ever filmed in?
‘Paris is definitely one – I have many friends there, and it has a wonderful energy, but I would say India, too. My filming experience on The Darjeeling Limited and the friendships that evolved from working with Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson meant that was a very special time in my life. I lived there when we were shooting. I bought a Royal Enfield motorcycle and travelled around on it up to Jaisalmer on the border with Pakistan. Then I shipped the bike, and we went back through Rajasthan to Udaipur. I also made a movie called The Experiment, which was based on the famous Stanford Prison Experiment, a groundbreaking psychological exercise in 1971. At the end of the film, my character takes this spiritual trip to Varanasi and we actually shot it there, which was remarkable. I don’t know many movies that would do that.’

Which foreign phrase do you use most often?

‘I have a few great Hungarian curse words, but I don’t get to use them very often.’

Adrien Brody co-wrote, produced and stars in ‘Clean’, out now