Brad Pitt at the Incirlik hospital, Incirlik Air Base.
Birth name
William Bradley Pitt
Born
December 18, 1963 (age 42)
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Height
5 ft 11 in / 1.80 m [2]
Notable roles
Jeffrey Goines in Twelve Monkeys Tyler Durden in Fight Club David Mills in Se7en
Spouse(s)
Jennifer Aniston (2000-2005)
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt ( December 18, 1963) is an Academy
Award-nominated American actor. In recent years, his relationships to
Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie, and his adoption of the latter`s children
have received significant press attention.
Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to Southern Baptist parents William
A. Pitt and Jane Etta Hillhouse. The Pitt family is mainly of English [ citation
needed] and Irish descent. He and his two siblings, Doug Pitt
and Julie Neal Pitt, grew up in Springfield, Missouri, where the family
moved soon after his birth. Pitt`s parents and siblings still live in Springfield.
At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student government,
and school musicals. He attended the Missouri School of Journalism at the University
of Missouri - Columbia where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
He was two credits shy of graduating with a journalism degree in 1982 when he
left to try his luck in Hollywood.
Early work
Pitt studied under coach Roy London for six years. He appeared in the sit-com
Head Of The Class, for a while dating the show`s star Robin Givens.
He was also in an episode of Growing Pains.
Pitt appeared as Chris in the long-running soap Another World. While
auditioning for the show Our House, he was asked to read for another
part, and found himself playing Shalane McCall`s boyfriend Charles in Dallas.
He also had a number of roles in prime time series such as thirtysomething,
21 Jump Street, and Freddy`s Nightmares.
Pitt appeared uncredited in both Less Than Zero and Charlie Sheen`s
No Man`s Land before appearing in Cutting Class, about a maniac
stalking cheerleaders. He began dating co-star Jill Schoelen, who had earlier
been seeing Keanu Reeves.
In 1988, Pitt had his first starring role, in Dark Side Of The Sun,
where he played a young American taken by his family to the Adriatic to find
a remedy for a terrible skin condition. The movie was shot in Yugoslavia in
the summer of `88 with Brad being paid $1,523 a week for seven weeks. However, with
editing nearly complete, war broke out and much of the film was lost. The film was
released years later.
Pitt won a part in the TV movie Too Young To Die?, about an abused
teenager given the death penalty for murder; Pitt played white trash drug-hound
pimp Billy Canton, Brad`s character was particularly unpleasant, taking beastly
advantage of runaway Juliette Lewis, who he began dating in real life. "It was
quite romantic", he later observed dryly "shooting her full of drugs and stuff".
The pair would be together for three years.
1991-1993
In 1991, Pitt starred as Joe Maloney in Across the Tracks in which he
portrayed a young Californian athlete with a difficult criminal brother played
by Rick Schroder.
However Pitt finally got his big break in one of that year`s biggest hits:
Thelma & Louise. Brad had in fact been third choice for the role [ citation
needed]. The first choice, William Baldwin, chose to do Backdraft
instead.
After Thelma and Louise, Pitt starred in Johnny Suede as a
groovy big-haired rock star in 1991 alongside Catherine Keener and Nick Cave.
The film was directed by Tom DiCillo. After performing a role in Cool World,
Pitt was in Robert Redford`s A River Runs Through It in 1992,
for which Pitt learned fly fishing by casting off of Hollywood buildings.
[ citation needed] Pitt struck up a friendship with co-star Buck
Simmonds and following the movie, moved into an apartment together. [ citation
needed]
Then came Kalifornia in 1993, a road movie in which he played
a scruffy serial killer alongside his then girlfriend Juliette Lewis and
X-Files actor David Duchovny.
1994-2000
In 1994, Pitt played vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac in the movie adaptation
of Anne Rice`s novel Interview With The Vampire. Pitt played the seventeenth
century vampire which required several hours work in make-up on set to achieve
the white skin of the character and he had to wear a pair of luminous green
eyes, vampire fangs and a shoulder-length hairpiece to complete the appearance.
Pitt worked with the eleven-year-old Kirsten Dunst, as well as Tom Cruise,
Christian Slater and Antonio Banderas.
He then starred in Legends of the Fall and Se7en. In
Se7en Pitt starred as the police detective David Mills alongside Morgan Freeman
in the hunt for a serial killer played by Kevin Spacey.
Pitt was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for
his portrayal of Jeffrey Goines in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys in
which he acted alongside Bruce Willis. In 1997 Pitt played the IRA terrorist
Rory Devany in The Devil`s Own alongside Harrison Ford, the first
of several films where he has acted using an Irish accent. Reportedly Pitt
had a difficult time with the making of the film and expressed his unhappinness
with the final script which had apparently been rewritten seven times.
Pitt starred as Heinrich Harrer in the 1997 film Seven Years in Tibet
That same year he played the main role of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich
Harrer in the Jean Jacques Annaud film Seven Years In Tibet.
Pitt trained for months for the role which demanded a great deal of trekking
and mountain climbing, working out with co-star English actor David Thewlis
by rock climbing in California and the Alps.Because of themes of Tibetan
nationalism in the film, the Chinese government banned Pitt and Thewlis from China
for life. [1] [2]
In 1998, Pitt starred as the main character in the film Meet Joe Black.
Pitt starred as a personification of Death inhabiting the body of a young
man in order to learn what it is like to be human while informing a billionaire
tycoon that his life on Earth is nearly over. The film covers many storylines
at once, including a naive Death`s first experiences with simple pleasures like
peanut butter and falling in love with a young women played by Claire Forlani.
The film gave Pitt another chance to work alongside Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins
whom he had previously worked with in Legends of the Fall.
In 1999 Brad Pitt starred in Fight Club, based on the novel by
Chuck Palahniuk. Working with his previous director whom he had worked with
on Se7en Pitt portrayed the character of Tyler Durden, a highly colorful
and complex character.
In 2000 Pitt played the role of a gypsy Irish boxer in the gangster
movie Snatch alongside Vinnie Jones and Benicio Del Toro. The
film was a wild caper involving a diamond heist, Russian and American mafia
and the shady underground world , that saw Pitt brought in as a ringer by two failing
promoters. The movie saw him replicating his Devil`s Own Irish accent inspired
by his co-star Benicio Del Toro`s recent performance in The Usual Suspects.
Pitt continued to train for the role, and honed his boxing skills at Ricky English`s
gym in Watford.
2001-present
In 2001 Brad Pitt worked with long-term friend and actress Julia Roberts
in the comical road movie The Mexican. After his wedding to Friends
actress Jennifer Aniston in the summer of that year he immediately began filming
for Spy Game, a Cold War thriller in which he starred alongside veteran
actor Robert Redford playing the role of his mentor. At the end of the year,
Pitt finished filming Ocean`s Eleven with George Clooney and Matt
Damon, a remake of the 1960s version which starred Frank Sinatra. The film
established a close friendship between the three particularly between Pitt and Clooney.
Since then he has done numerous films, including Ocean`s Twelve and
the Greek historical epic Troy in 2004 in which he portrayed the historical
character of Achilles. During the production of Troy Pitt also sustained
an injury to his Achilles tendon which was coincidental playing the role of
Achilles. [3]
In 2005 Pitt starred in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, in which he and his current
partner, Angelina Jolie, starred as the title roles. There was much speculation
in the press at the time that Pitt was embarking on a relationship with Angelina
while the film was under production, but Pitt denied any there was intimate involvement
with Jolie while he was married to Jennifer Aniston.
In March 2006, it was announced that Paramount had purchased the rights to
The Sparrow for Pitt`s production company, Plan B, and that Pitt would
be playing the lead role of Sandoz. [4] In June 2006 it was announced that Paramount
and Plan B will be working on a new zombie film called World War Z, based
on the book of the same name by Max Brooks. [5]
To date Pitt has turned down a number of major roles including The Matrix,
Apollo 13, The Bourne Identity, Alexander, The
Devil`s Advocate, Almost Famous, The Chamber and
American Psycho. [ citation needed]
Other work
Like many A-list stars, Pitt does not normally perform in American television
commercials, instead opting to do commercials that are seen in Asia only, most
notably for Edwin Jeans, the Toyota Altis, and Japanese canned coffee,
ROOTS. A notable exception to this is a Heineken commercial which aired
during the 2005 Super Bowl. It was directed by David Fincher, who directed
Pitt in the feature films Se7en and Fight Club.
Together with Aniston and Paramount Pictures head Brad Grey, Pitt is
the co-founder of the production company `Plan B`. Aniston is no longer a partner
in the company, although she is still attached to many projects that were set up
before her divorce with Pitt. The company produced the blockbuster Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp.
He has also had a cameo appearance in season 8 of Friends and on an
episode of MTV`s Jackass, in which he took part in a staged abduction
of himself. In a later episode, he and some cast-members run wild through the streets
of Los Angeles in gorilla suits.
Personal life
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Early relationships
After a stint on the TV show Head of the Class, Pitt dated Mike Tyson`s
then ex-wife Robin Givens. Pitt has also dated Geena Davis, Shalane McCall,
and Jill Schoelen. Sometime after that the 26 year old Pitt became involved
in a three-year relationship with 17-year old actress Juliette Lewis who was
his co-star in Too Young to Die? and Kalifornia.
Pitt dated English actress Thandie Newton briefly on the set of the 1994
film Interview With The Vampire but the relationship soon fizzled out.
She has publicly described Pitt as "A very beautiful man."
Pitt was involved in a long-term relationship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow
whom he met and became close to on the set of the 1995 film Se7en, for
which she played his wife. They became engaged in December 1996 after Pitt proposed
to her in Argentina on set of Seven Years in Tibet, but the couple
split in June 1997. Extensive tabloid coverage surrounded the relationship.
Nude photographs of the couple, taken by paparazzi, controversially appeared
in magazines, primarily Playgirl which featured a full face shot of the
actor on the cover.Marriage to Jennifer Aniston
Brad Pitt met Friends actress Jennifer Aniston in 1998 and married
her at an enclosed wedding ceremony in Malibu on July 29, 2000. The
couple were adamant that the ceremony would be a affair and hired hundreds
of guards to block out any attempts of invasion by the paparazzi. Only one media
picture was ever released of the wedding. Not long after the wedding, Pitt sued
Damiani International, the company which made the wedding ring he gave Jennifer
Aniston, for selling replica "Brad and Jennifer" rings. According to Pitt, the ring
was his design and was to be exclusive. Under the settlement reached in January
2002, Pitt will design jewelry for Damiani that Aniston will model in ads, and the
company will stop selling the copies.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the July 2005 cover of W
magazine.
Their separation was announced on January 7, 2005. Aniston filed for
a divorce on March 25 the same year. The divorce was finalized on October 2,
2005. The troubled marriage inspired Brad Pitt to cooperate with Steven Klein
for a photoshoot which was displayed on the July 2005 edition of W magazine.
The spread showed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as a 1963 married couple with
children who were experiencing differences in an era where he believed the importance
of maintaining a "facade" was becoming complicated. [6]
Relationship with Angelina Jolie
After his separation from Aniston, Pitt began dating Angelina Jolie. The
couple were quickly dubbed "Brangelina" by the media. Pitt accompanied the actress
to Ethiopia in July 2005 to pick up her adopted daughter Zahara from an orphanage
in that country. In late 2005, Pitt accompanied Jolie twice during visits to Pakistan
in her function as ambassador of UNHCR to support earthquake victims in that
country. It was announced on December 2, 2005, that Pitt was seeking to
legally adopt Jolie`s two children, son Maddox and daughter Zahara, and to have
the children`s surnames legally changed to Jolie-Pitt. On January 19, 2006,
a judge in Santa Monica, California approved the name-change request. Jolie gave
birth to the couple`s first biological child, a daughter named Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt,
at the Cottage Medi-Clinic Hospital in Swakopmund, Namibia. Shiloh was born
by a scheduled caesarean section, due to breech presentation, and Pitt was
there to cut her umbilical cord. Pitt confirmed that their newly born daughter
will have a Namibian passport. [3] Jolie decided to offer the first pictures
of Shiloh through the distributor Getty Images rather than allowing paparazzi
to make these extremely valuable snapshots. People paid more than $4.1
million for the North American rights, while British magazine Hello!
obtained the international rights for roughly $3.5 million; the total rights sale
earned up to $10 million worldwide - the most expensive celebrity image of all time.
[4] All profits were donated to an undisclosed charity by Jolie and Pitt.
Other interests
Pitt has been an active supporter of research into diseases such as AIDS.
He has remained largely nonpartisan, working with members of both parties to help
fight poverty, disease, and improve global environmental conditions. Along with
U2 frontman Bono, Pitt has used his celebrity to campaign for assistance
to Africa, and is the marquee spokesman for the ONE Campaign. Brad made a speech
at Live 8 in London in July 2005 discussing poverty and third world
debt in Africa.
Pitt appeared in a ONE Campaign commercial with TV televangelist Pat Robertson
and other public figures. Brad Pitt has also traveled in 2001 overseas with several
Ocean`s Eleven co-stars to Turkey to visit and entertain U.S. troops.
He has also in recent months been using his star status to promote the reconstruction
of New Orleans with eco-friendly materials and designs.
In the October 2006 issue of Esquire magazine, Pitt expressed his
support for same-sex marriage, saying that "Angie and I will consider tying
the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able."
[5]
Pitt has spent many years redesigning the house that he and Jennifer Aniston
once owned together. Pitt has studied Computer aided design and is reported
to have met Frank Gehry.
In popular culture
Pitt signing autographs, Dec. 2001
In 1995, Pitt was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 25 sexiest
stars in film history. Pitt has also twice been named the Sexiest Man Alive
by People magazine.
Pitt is also prominently featured in the December 2006 Art Issue of Vanity Fair
magazine. Pitt appears on the cover, naked except for a pair of white boxers.
The cover promotes an article on the Robert Wilson video portraits, a production
of LAB HD that includes numerous celebrities and noted personalities. This cover
has drawn criticism from Pitt because although he had signed a release for the image,
he did not expect it to end up on the cover of Vanity Fair more than a year later.
The video portrait, which represents Pitt`s first effort in avant-garde cinema,
was exhibited at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.
Pitt is mentioned in a number of songs including rap and R&B songs by Jay-Z/
Punjabi MC`s Beware of the Boys and The Black Eyed Peas f/ Talib et.al
in the song "Like That". He was also mentioned by Shania Twain in the song "
That Don`t Impress Me Much" in which she makes a reference to Brad Pitt as being
the model of male perfection.