Alwyn plays rich industrialist’s son in film directed by Brady Corbet. 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.
![[Adrien Brody in The Brutalist]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/03/09/newFile.jpg)
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.”.
