Joe Alwyn has revealed that the inspiration behind the character he plays in Adrien Brody-starrer The Brutalist is incoming US president Donald Trump.
The Conversations with Friends star described Harry, son of a rich industrialist, as a “bit of a wrong ’un but quite an interesting wrong ’un”, and explained why he looked to the Trump family for inspiration.
“Look who’s the new president of America, and his family. Often family businesses are so insular and stunted and hollow. And you see it with Trump and his children: ‘I can do what I want.’ A convicted felon accused of sexual assault and grabbing them by the p**** and all of that. He’s unanswerable, unfortunately,” he told The Guardian.
The Brutalist, directed by Brady Corbet, spans 30 years and explores the life of Hungarian Jewish architect László Tóth, played by Brody, who survives the Holocaust and, after emigrating to America with his wife, played by Felicity Jones, crosses paths with the mysterious Harrison Lee Van Buren, who changes the course of his life.
Alwyn plays Harry Lee Van Buren, son of Harrison Lee Van Buren, played by Guy Pearce.
Since premiering at the Venice Film Festival in September, the film has earned rave reviews and comparisons with some of the most acclaimed Hollywood productions.
Alwyn said that while he believed it was a good film, he wasn’t certain that it would have widespread appeal.
“To be honest, I thought it might be a really good film that not many people would end up seeing,” he said. “Who knows, maybe it still will? I hope not.
But given the things against it, given that it ticks most boxes of what you are not meant to make as a film these days: length, content, all of that – anything on top of that is a really nice surprise.”
The Brutalist won seven nominations at the Golden Globes and took home the awards for best picture, best actor, and best director.
In the same interview, Alwyn, 33, addressed the lingering interest in his six-year relationship with Taylor Swift which ended in 2023.
When asked if he wanted to move on, he responded: “That’s something for other people to do. We’re talking about something that’s a while ago now in my life. So that’s for other people. That’s what I feel.”
On concerns about whether their high-profile romance might have overshadowed his career, Alwyn said: “I have tried just to focus on controlling what I can control. And, right from the beginning, tried to focus on the things that are meaningful for me: friends, family, work, of course.”
The Brutalist released in the US on 20 December and is slated to release in the UK on 25 January.
