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1
Nobody Wants This (2024– )
Brody’s portrayal of Noah, the conflicted rabbi with a fondness for agnostic podcast hosts and bad romantic timing, is career-defining. He brings levity to existential conversations and turns quiet vulnerability into charisma. The show’s Emmy-nominated run has further cemented his second act as both modern and timeless.
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2
The O.C. (2003–2007)
You can’t talk about Brody without Seth Cohen — the neurotic, comic-book-reading heartthrob who redefined the early-2000s teen crush. The O.C., is a teen drama set in one of California’s most exclusive zip codes, which followed troubled new student at school Ryan Atwood as he crashed into the privileged lives of Newport Beach’s elite. As Ryan’s moral compass and comic relief, Seth became emblematic of the mid-2000s ‘lovable dork’ romantic ideal.
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3
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Brody’s turn as Nikolai, the eyeliner-clad lead singer of the demonic indie band Low Shoulder, is a masterclass in deadpan menace. Diablo Cody’s cult feminist horror sees a small-town teen (Megan Fox) possessed by a succubus after being sacrificed by Nikolai’s band in exchange for fame. Brody’s portrayal of toxic ambition wrapped in ironic detachment — equal parts tragic and absurd — remains one of his darkest, most delicious credits to date.
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4
Ready or Not (2019)
Samara Weaving may be the scream queen at the centre of this horror-comedy, but Brody nearly steals the show as Daniel, the reluctant groom’s brother forced into a murderous family ritual. The plot — newlywed bride versus bloodthirsty in-laws during a lethal game of hide-and-seek — gives Brody the chance to act out a moral reckoning that transforms a camp premise into something hauntingly humane.
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5
House of Lies (2012–2016)
In this glossy corporate satire about morally flexible management consultants, Brody’s recurring role as a tech start-up wunderkind added levity and chaos in equal measure. Opposite Don Cheadle, he perfectly skewered Silicon Valley’s self-delusion with his comic energy and emotional misfires. Oh, and did we mention that it was his first on-screen frisson with his soon-to-be Nobody Wants This parter-in-crime Kristen Bell?
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6
Shazam! (2019)
Brody’s cameo as the adult incarnation of superhero Freddy Freeman is brief but brimming with pure joy. In the DC hit, centered around a teen called Billy who gains powers by saying a magic word, Brody appears as the grown-up version of Freddy, Billy’s disabled foster brother and sidekick-turned-superhero, bringing a jolt of charm to the film’s joyful, lightning-lit finale.
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Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years’ worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University’s prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
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