"Girl I was falling asleep"— Netizens react to Adrien Brody breaking world record for the longest speech at the Oscars

Adrien Brody made history at the 96th Academy Awards by delivering the longest acceptance speech in Oscars history. The actor, who won Best Actor for his performance in The Brutalist, took five minutes and forty seconds to complete his speech, surpassing the previous record held by Greer Garson in 1943, as reported by Screen Rant.

The speech sparked mixed reactions, with some praising Brody’s passion and others criticizing the lengthy monologue. Brody’s win came amid stiff competition, against fellow nominees like Timothée Chalamet, who was widely acclaimed for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown.

The Brutalist, which secured three wins out of its ten nominations, also took home Best Original Score and Best Cinematography. The film also won Best Actor for Adrien Brody.

Despite the Academy’s attempts to play him off with music, Adrien Brody continued speaking, even requesting the music be turned off, saying,

"Please turn the music off, I've done this before, thank you."

The actor referenced his first Oscar win in 2003 for The Pianist, when he became the youngest actor to win Best Actor at age 29. His prolonged speech became a major talking point, especially since Hulu’s livestream of the event unexpectedly cut off after the Best Director announcement, preventing many from watching the Best Actress and Best Picture categories live, as reported by Screen Rant.

Following Brody’s speech, social media erupted with reactions from viewers, with some expressing frustration over its length. Many took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts on the actor’s extended monologue.

"Girl i was falling asleep and getting annoyed at this long a*s speech," one X user commented.

"5 minutes is a long time to say Timothée should've won over & over," another user wrote.

"Bro is king of yapping," another shared on X.

Some defended Brody’s lengthy speech, arguing that his two-time Oscar-winning status justified it.

"5 min and 31 seconds by Adrien Brody is OK for an actor who has won 2 Oscars for the best actor which includes his Oscar win at age of 29 making him youngest actor to win Oscar best actor award," user tweeted.

"Adrien Brody didn’t just steal a kiss that night—he stole the longest speech record too," another mentioned.

"Adrien Brody made history one extra second at a time," another fan added.

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Adrien Brody's speech controversy and unexpected moments

Some viewers criticized Adrien Brody for allegedly overshadowing other winners, particularly those representing historic wins, such as Brazil’s first Oscar for I'm Still Here. Others were more focused on his on-stage antics.

According to the Mirror, a particularly viral moment occurred before his speech when Brody, realizing he still had chewing gum in his mouth, called his partner Georgina Chapman over and threw the gum at her before proceeding to the stage. The act drew criticism online, with some calling it "rude" and "unnecessary."

In his speech, Adrien Brody expressed gratitude for his career and emphasized the fragility of acting.

"Acting is a very fragile profession. It looks very glamorous and in certain moments it is, but the one thing I've gained in having the privilege to come back here is to have some perspective," he said. "No matter where you are in your career and what you've accomplished, it can all go away."

Brody took a moment to reflect on broader issues, saying,

"I'm here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and anti-Semitism and racism and othering. I believe, I pray for a healthier and happier and more inclusive world."

Adrien Brody has made headlines at the Oscars before. In 2003, he shocked the audience when he kissed presenter Halle Berry after winning Best Actor for The Pianist. The moment became one of the most talked-about in Oscar history. This year, Berry seemingly returned the favor, interrupting his red carpet interview to kiss him, calling it "payback."

As per the Time Magazine, at the 97th Academy Awards, Zoe Saldaña became the first American of Dominican origin to win an Oscar, Paul Tazewell won Best Costume Design as the first Black man in the category, Sean Baker tied Walt Disney's record with four wins in one night, and Latvia won its first Oscar with filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis's animated feature Flow.