Adrien Brody, who won an Oscar for his starring role in Roman Polanski’s The Pianist in 2002, was named a judge for the Bombay Sapphire Imagination Film series. “I think what’s so interesting about what Bombay Sapphire’s Imagination Series is accomplishing is that they’re encouraging people to be creative and inventive and to use their imaginations,” he told Uinterview in an exclusive interview. “[Imagination] probably what led me to becoming an actor in the first place.”

Brody was raised in Queens, N.Y., where he took an early interest in the acting business, enrolling in acting classes and attending the Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. He has had roles in the 2005 remake of King Kong alongside stars Naomi Watts and Jack Black and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village.

Brody’s next project is Houdini, a miniseries for the History Channel. “You might know that I was a magician before I was an actor,” he told Uinterview. “That too has a lot to do with imagination incidentally. For instance, you’re given a trick or you enter a magic shop and purchase a trip, and it’s very basic or it may not be basic, but basically there’s the illusion that you’re to work with and it is up to the magician to come up with the pattern and the routine and they may give you the basic guidelines like a small script and then it’s up to you to run with that so it’s a very similar process.”

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Q: How did you get involved in '€˜The Bombay Sapphire Imagination Series'? - Uinterview

Well, it'€™s interesting. Just like many film projects, this came to me and I was asked if I would like to participate and I think what'€™s so interesting about what Bombay Sapphire'€™s Imagination Series is accomplishing is that they're encouraging people to be creative and inventive and to use their imaginations. Imagination is such an essential part of the film, process of making a movie, and clearly for the actor. It'€™s probably what led me to being an actor in the first place. I think people need encouragement and this for instance is a very low pressure thing and even the process of trying to formulate ideas of what you would envision or how you would imagine a scenario is a very rewarding process.

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Q: What are you looking for when judging the script submissions? - Uinterview

Well, they'€™ve had Geoffrey Fletcher draft a very distinct screenplay with very little stage directions and really leaving as much up to the individual reading it as much as possible and I am one of the judges and I think it'€™s an interesting process to -€“ obviously the judging process is somewhat subjective and things are going to speak to people and certain ideas won'€™t, but I think the ideas is to encourage as wildly and imaginative idea as possible, I guess. It doesn'€™t mean that it has to be not based, or rooted in reality but I think you know, it'€™s an opportunity for people to come up with something that speaks to them and I think that says a lot. If it's meaningful it'€™ll speak to everyone.

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Q: While growing up, did you consider yourself to be an imaginative person? - Uinterview

Yes. You know, I had an extremely vivid imagination. I was the only child and you know, I also like, I like the nuances and the qualities that make us all so unique and our flaws, and I was very in tuned to that at a very young age. I was very fortunate that I found an outlet for that, the purpose that has given me a tremendous insight into myself and to human nature, and the process of discovering characters that are sometimes based on actual people or completely fictionally, still it is really insightful and valuable. I love that and I love the idea of sharing that and sharing that experience when I watch films and seeing the nuances and the depths that are brought to life.

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Q: You'€™ll be playing Houdini in an upcoming miniseries, have you started researching that part? - Uinterview

It'€™s a bit far off but I am very excited about that. You might know that I was a musician before I was an actor. That too has a lot to do with imagination incidentally. For instance, you'€™re given a trick or you enter a magic shop and purchase a trick, and it'€™s very basic or it may not be basic, but basically there'€™s the illusion that you'€™re to work with and it is up to the magician to come up with the pattern and the routine and they may give you the basic guidelines like a small script and then it'€™s up to you to run with that so it's a very similar process.