Brad Pitt (born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963), is an American
film actor.
He was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma to strictly Southern Baptist parents, and raised
in Springfield, Missouri.
In high school, Brad was involved in sports, debating, student government, and school
musicals. He attended the University of Missouri School of Journalism where he was
a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He was two credits shy of graduating with
a journalism degree, before trying his luck in Hollywood.
Before he became successful at acting, Brad supported himself by driving strippers
in limos, moving refrigerators, and dressing as a giant chicken while working for
the restaurant chain El Pollo Loco. In the late 1980s, Brad Pitt started landing
acting gigs on prime-time series such as Dallas, thirtysomething, 21 Jump Street,
Growing Pains, and Head of the Class. In 1988, he finally landed his first starring
role in The Dark Side of the Sun. But as the film was being edited, civil war tore
apart Yugoslavia, where location shooting was taking place. Most of the footage
remained lost until 1996, when the film was finally released.
In 1991, Pitt finally got his big break in one of that year`s biggest hits: Thelma
& Louise as J.D., Thelma (Geena Davis)`s one-night stand who gives her tips on robbing
7-11 stores. He followed up that success with A River Runs Through It and Se7en.
In 1995, he was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 25 sexiest stars in film
history.
Brad Pitt was involved in a long-term relationship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
They became engaged in December 1996, but it didn`t last long and the two split
up in June 1997. Extensive tabloid coverage surrounded the relationship. Nude photographs
of the couple ? taken by paparazzi without permission ? controversially appeared
in magazines.
Brad Pitt married Jennifer Aniston on July 29, 2000. Their separation was announced
on January 7, 2005, and Aniston filed for a divorce on March 25 the same year. There
has been speculation that on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, he and Angelina Jolie
had an affair. Photographs have circulated in magazines of them as a couple. Pitt
and Angelina Jolie have refused to speak about their current relationship, but deny
having an affair while he was still married to Aniston.
Brad Pitt accompanied Jolie to Ethiopia in July 2005 to pick up her adopted daughter
Zahara from an orphanage in that country. After returning, he was diagnosed with
a mild case of viral meningitis. He checked himself into Cedars-Sinai hospital in
Los Angeles but was released a few days later.
He was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his performance
in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys.