Adrien Brody: took “Detachment” role to encourage young people to explore lives, become individuals

On Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien actor Adrien Brody discusses his new film “Detachment” and his return to his alma mater, LaGuardia High School.

On his character in the movie, Brody says, “… He’s not quite detached. He ends up being ultimately attached through the process of meeting some people who I think share some of the — the sense of isolation that he feels in the world. And I think that’s the common thread here is that so many people feel a sense of detachment from the world around them. And he is a very complex man who suffered a lot in his youth. But he’s compelled to be a guiding voice for these youngsters and — and it’s — it’s so crucial.”

When O’Brien asks Brody if he based the role after his father who was a junior high school teacher, he responds, “… My father is an amazing, kind and generous and thoughtful human being.”

He continues, “And I don’t feel like this film is really just a commentary about the state of affairs in the public school system. I think it’s about the failings of — of all the systems — the home, the family unit. That’s where education begins. And the reason I took this role was how much I understand the value of having a father figure, some guidance, and that that education really has to come from your parents and…to encourage young people to, you know, explore… their lives and become individuals and to be curious about the world around them.”

Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien airs week mornings from 7-9am ET on CNN.