In their Queens, N.Y., home March 23, Ada and Thomas Zarobinski had good reason to channel surf, flipping between coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Oscars. Their son Thomas Jr., 31, an Army specialist, was in Kuwait; his best friend, Adrien Brody, was up for Best Actor for The Pianist. "I was watching the news when someone knocked on the door," says Ada, 53. "My husband said, 'Somebody is at the door saying Tommy was mentioned on TV.' The first thing we thought was that either he was hurt or was one of the people taken hostage."
The news, in fact, was good: During his emotional acceptance speech, surprise winner Brody, 30, sent prayers for a safe return to his pal from their days playing basketball and cutting class together at Manhattan's La-Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Zarobinski didn't find out until days later, when his first sergeant in the 773rd Transportation Company called him into his tent. "I was flabbergasted," says Zarobinski, who married Lisa Rinchey, 28, a gastroenterologist's assistant, in '01. "I'm just so happy for him. I didn't even know the Oscars were on."
While Brody is basking in his Oscar glory—he has The Singing Detective coming out in the fall—his buddy hopes to catch up with him in Hollywood soon. "I'm a pretty busy person," Zarobinski says matter-of-factly. "When I get back to the U.S., I'll plan to swing out there."
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