Brody is best known for his Oscar-winning role in 2003's The Pianist and for the kiss he planted on Halle Barry after he won the award.

The son of noted Village Voice photographer Sylvia Plachy, Queens native Brody attended the High School of the Performing Arts and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before landing small roles in several 1990s flicks. He had a small part in 1998's war drama The Thin Red Line that ended up on the cutting room floor, but it did appear on the DVD, which is where Brody was first spotted by famed director Roman Polanski, who cast him as the lead in the 2002 Holocaust drama The Pianist. He again created buzz when, after winning the Oscar for Best Actor, he planted a six-second kiss on an unsuspecting Halle Berry. Since then, he's been comparatively under the radar, despite roles in The Village, King Kong, The Darjeeling Limited, and Midnight in Paris.

Brody is also an amateur rap producer; he started putting together tracks under the name A. Ranger long before he became a successful actor. But it's not hip hop that brings home the bacon. His quirky yet striking face has also appeared in a handful of ads over the past few years. [Image via Getty]