Adrien Brody pays emotional tribute to Palisades Fire first responders: 'This is our community'

Adrien Brody's heart is with the first responders.

While accepting the award for Best Actor at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards on Jan. 8, the Brutalist star paid emotional tribute to the firefighters currently battling the devastating wildfires currently raging throughout Los Angeles County.

"I'm sorry it's always so hard to accept something like this when there's so much suffering in the world," Brody began.

"My heart goes out to all the families and the animals, and our colleagues," he continued, his voice redolent with emotion. "Most of the homes on the west side, east side of PCH are gone, from Palisades on. This is our community. I just want to thank and commend the bravery of the first responders and sacrifices and their meaningful work that deserves our recognition tonight."

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Related: Spencer Pratt reveals his and wife Heidi's home was destroyed in Los Angeles wildfire: 'Nightmare came true'

The Palisades Fire started as a 200-acre blaze on Tuesday morning but has grown to encompass over 15,000 acres. Over 1,000 structures have been destroyed and thousands of residents have been evacuated. It's only one of several fires currently scorching L.A. County, including the Eaton Fire, stretching from Burbank to Duarte, and the Lidia Fire in Antelope Valley.

Several of Brody's Hollywood compatriots have lost their homes in the Palisades Fire. The home where Billy Crystal and wife Janice have lived since 1979 burned to the ground, the actor shared on Wednesday. "Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing," the actor said in a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly.

James Woods and General Hospital star Cameron Mathison also lost their homes, and others like Mark Hamill and Mandy Moore have been forced to evacuate as the flames spread throughout the region.

Related: Steve Guttenberg explains why he helped fire crews in Pacific Palisades during L.A. wildfires: 'You can't just walk by'

Brody was honored for his performance in Brady Corbet's epic historical drama The Brutalist. In the film Brody plays László Tóth, a Jewish Hungarian architect and Holocaust survivor unwillingly separated from his wife who emigrates to America, where he restarts his career as a Brutalist architect.

The actor also won a top trophy at the 2025 Golden Globes, making him a clear front-runner for the Oscar. The Academy Awards have also been impacted by the wildfires, with the Academy announcing Wednesday that the voting period has been extended to give those impacted by the fires more time to submit their picks.

The 2025 Oscar nominations will now be announced Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 5 p.m. PT.

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