After winning his second best actor Oscar, Adrien Brody took on a new role at the amfAR Cannes Gala on Thursday night — that of an artist.

Brody, who has previously called painting his “first love,” took the stage at the star-studded auction to present a mixed media piece he created of Marilyn Monroe — and demanded the chatty crowd’s attention. Sporting a sparkly black suit, the actor shushed the crowd as he got on stage in a moment reminiscent of his now-infamous five-minute Oscars speech. “Please, for a moment, I know it’s a big room,” he said.

He then explained his inspiration behind the piece, saying that it represents “what Marilyn’s life did not afford her”: “To live a life fully and to cherish all the moments and the imperfections in life.”

Brody continued, “Women are so often objectified in the media and on social media. They...