Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt was born William Bradley Pitt to strict Baptists William A. Pitt and Jane Etta Hillhouse. The eldest of three children, Pitt has a brother, Doug (b. 1966) and a sister, Julie (b. 1969).
Soon after his birth, the family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where his father ran a trucking company. He attended Kickapoo High School where he joined the tennis, golf and swimming teams, and was a member of the choir, the forensics club, the debating club and the student council. Following his graduation from school in 1982, Pitt attended the University of Missouri, majoring in Journalism and Advertising. He dropped out with only two credits left to gain his degree, and set off for California to pursue his dream of a Hollywood acting career.

Whilst taking acting lessons, Pitt did part-time work including being a furniture mover, a chauffeur and a costume-wearing mascot for a restaurant chain. Finally, in the late 1980s, he started getting some television work, which included appearing in ‘Dallas’, ’21 Jump Street’, ‘Growing Pains’, ‘Thirtysomething’, ‘Freddy’s Nightmares’, ‘Another World’, and ‘Head of Class’. Pitt’s debut on the big screen was in an uncredited part as a waiter in ‘No Man's Land’ (1987). A number of small roles followed before he landed a starring role in the crime drama made-for-television movie ‘Too Young to Die?’ (1990), co-starring Juliette Lewis.

Pitt finally gained notice in Ridley Scott’s ‘Thelma & Louise’ (1991), starring Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis and Harvey Keitel. His role as scruffy layabout J.D., despite being a small one involving a mere fourteen minutes of screen time, was his big break. He played the memorable role of Paul Maclean in Robert Redford’s ‘A River Runs Through It’ (1992), a true story set in Montana and based on the novel by Norman Maclean. He was Floyd in ‘True Romance’ (1993), the thriller written by Quentin Tarantino, starring Patricia Arquette, Christian Slater and Val Kilmer. ‘Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles’ (1994) starred Pitt as the unforgettable Louis de Pointe du Lac opposite Tom Cruise in the horror/fantasy that won him two 1995 MTV Movie Awards, for Best Male Performance and Most Desirable Male. He was also nominated for Best Actor by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, and for Best On-Screen Duo in the 1995 MTV Movie Awards.

Having certainly proved his capabilities as an actor, as well as his box office 'bank-ability', Pitt continued to give outstanding performances in his next three movies. He was cast as the wild and winsome Tristan Ludlow in ‘Legends of the Fall’ (1994), an epic tale of three brothers and their father, with Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn and Julia Ormond. For this role, he received a 1995 Golden Globes award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture. In ‘Se7en’ (1995), the graphic thriller about a twisted serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi, Pitt played Detective David Mills and won the 1996 MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Male and was nominated for the 1996 MTV Movie Awards Best On-Screen Duo. He then received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, playing Jeffrey Goines in ‘Twelve Monkeys’ (1995) starring Bruce Willis and Jon Seda, and won a number of awards for Best Supporting Actor.

The following year, he played Michael Sullivan in ‘Sleepers’ (1996), a story about four boys growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, based on the book by Lorenzo Carcaterra. ‘The Devil’s Own’ (1997) with Harrison Ford was next and then Pitt’s pet project, ‘Seven Years in Tibet’ (1997). It was the true story of Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountain climber who befriended the Dalai Lama at the time of China’s takeover of Tibet. Pitt won the 1998 Rembrandt Award for Best Actor but had to deal with much controversy surrounding the film. The Chinese government did not approve of the portrayal of Chinese military officers and the Dalai Lama, and strongly discouraged both the production and the release of the film. As a result, both Pitt and his co-star David Thewlis were banned from ever entering China.

The next two films for which Pitt received rave critical reviews were ‘Fight Club’ (1999), playing Tyler Durden alongside Edward Norton and Helen Bonham Carter, and the role of Mickey O’Neil in Guy Ritchie’s British crime thriller ‘Snatch’ (2000) with Vinnie Jones and Benicio Del Toro. Landing the part of Rusty Ryan in Steven Soderbergh’s hugely successful ‘Ocean's Eleven’ (2001) found Pitt working with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Elliot Gould, Bernie Mac, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. The sequel, ‘Ocean's Twelve’ (2004), was just as eagerly received by the viewing public and the cast were joined this time by Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Pitt has always had a weakness for his leading ladies and has always been a dogged by the tabloids. His hatred of the paparazzi is well known and he will go to extreme lengths to protect his privacy. In the past, he was romantically linked to Julia Ormonde, Robin Givens, Geena Davis, Shalene McCall, Shirley Walsh and Alice Wilkinson. Pitt was with Juliette Lewis, his co-star in ‘Too Young to Die?’ (1990), for three years and enjoyed a long-term relationship with ‘Se7en’ (1995) co-star Gwyneth Paltrow. They were engaged in December 1996, but split up in June 1997.

On 29 July 2000, Pitt married ‘Friends’ star Jennifer Aniston in a fabulous cliff-top ceremony in Malibu. They became Hollywood’s ‘Golden Couple’ and together with Paramount Pictures head Brad Grey, set up Plan B Entertainment, a production company that produced Tim Burton’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ (2005) starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. However, Pitt became the sole owner of the company in 2006 and after four and a half years of marriage, he walked out on Aniston, never once looking back, much to her dismay.

Pitt starred in ‘Mr & Mrs Smith’ (2005) with Angelina Jolie and photographs began appearing in the media of the two of them looking remarkably romantic. They were seen together on holiday in Kenya, Britain and France, fuelling media speculation that they were a couple. On 7 January 2005, Pitt and Aniston announced their split after what they said was “much thoughtful consideration”, saying in a joint statement: “We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another”. Aniston filed for divorce on 25 March 2005 and it was finalised on 2 October 2005.

In an insensitive photo shoot for W magazine, Pitt and Jolie posed as a happy 1960s couple with a brood of children for the July 2005 edition. Following his divorce, Pitt started dating Jolie and the couple were dubbed “Brangelina” by the media. Pitt readily took on the role of ‘dad’ to Jolie’s two adopted children, son Maddox (from Cambodia) and daughter Zahara (from Ethiopia). In December 2005, they finally announced to the world that they were a couple and that Pitt wanted to adopt her children, legally changing their surname to Jolie-Pitt. On 27 May 2006, Jolie gave birth to their daughter, Shiloh Nouvel, in Swakopmund, Namibia, by caesarean section. Pitt was present at the birth and cut the umbilical cord, a very proud moment for him.

Somewhat of a humanitarian, Pitt actively supports AIDS research and global environmental issues. Showing his solidarity for the fight against world poverty, he was a presenter at the July 2005 Live8 benefit concert in London’s Hyde Park. He is a spokesman for the ONE campaign in the US, part of the international Make Poverty History movement, and travelled to Turkey in 2001 to entertain the American troops. Pitt was also involved in the reconstruction of New Orleans after the Katrina hurricane disaster. He voiced his support for same-sex marriages in the October 2006 issue of Esquire magazine. Interested in architecture, Pitt has studied Computer Aided Design and been involved in various design projects on his own homes.

The actor, who refuses to be typecast and who always accepts challenging roles, is not about to slow down. In 2006, Pitt appeared opposite Cate Blanchett in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film entitled ‘Babel’, a thriller set in Morocco, Tunisia, Mexico and Japan. The film won critical acclaim and Pitt’s portrayal of the character Richard earned him a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also landed nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor.

He also took on an entirely different character in ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ in 2007 and appeared in ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’. Further recognition for the talented star followed with the Coen Brothers’ ‘Burn After Reading’ in 2008, which led to nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, the Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast and the Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Pitt’s versatility was further highlighted in his next two films, ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (2008) and ‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009), which both attracted a host of award nominations, including an Academy Award for Best Actor for the former.

The prolific actor continues to play roles both in front of the camera and behind the scenes as a producer with credits in hits including 2010's ‘Kick Ass’ and ‘Eat Pray Love’.

Awards:
1996 - Best Supporting Actor (12 Monkeys) / 53.Alt Globe Award

Filmography:
2016 - Africa ( announced ) 
Richard Leakey (rumored)
2015 - The Audition (Short) ( post-production ) 
2015 - By the Sea ( post-production ) 
Roland
2014 - Fury 
Don 'Wardaddy' Collier
2013 - The Counselor 
Westray
2013 - 12 Years a Slave 
Bass
2013 - World War Z 
Gerry Lane
2012 - Killing Them Softly 
Jackie
2012 - 8 (Video) 
Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker
2011 - Touch of Evil (Short) 
Brad Pitt
2011 - Happy Feet Two 
Will the Krill (voice)
2011 - Moneyball 
Billy Beane
2011 - The Tree of Life 
Mr. O'Brien
2010 - Megamind 
Metro Man (voice)
2009 - Beyond All Boundaries (Short) 
Sgt. Bill Mauldin - Editorial Cartoonist Stars and Stripes (voice)
2009 - Inglourious Basterds 
Lt. Aldo Raine
2008 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 
Benjamin Button
2008 - Burn After Reading 
Chad Feldheimer
2007 - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 
Jesse James
2007 - Ocean's Thirteen 
Rusty Ryan
2006 - Babel 
Richard
2005 - Mr. & Mrs. Smith 
John Smith
2004 - Ocean's Twelve 
Rusty Ryan
2004 - Troy 
Achilles
2003 - Sinbad and the Cyclops Island (Video short) 
Sinbad (voice)
2003 - King of the Hill (TV Series) 
Patch Boomhauer
- Patch Boomhauer (2003) ... Patch Boomhauer (voice)
2003 - Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 
Sinbad (voice)
2003 - Freedom: A History of Us (TV Series documentary) 
Albigence Waldo / James K. Polk / George Hewes / ...
2002 - Confessions of a Dangerous Mind 
Brad, Bachelor #1
2001 - Ocean's Eleven 
Rusty Ryan
2001 - Friends (TV Series) 
Will Colbert
- The One with the Rumor (2001) ... Will Colbert (uncredited)
2001 - Spy Game 
Tom Bishop
2001 - The Mexican 
Jerry Welbach
2000 - Snatch. 
Mickey O'Neil
1999 - Fight Club 
Tyler Durden
1999 - Being John Malkovich 
Brad Pitt (uncredited)
1998 - Meet Joe Black 
Joe Black / Young Man in Coffee Shop
1997 - Seven Years in Tibet 
Heinrich Harrer
1997 - The Devil's Own 
Rory Devaney / Francis Austin McGuire
1996 - Sleepers 
Michael Sullivan
1995 - Twelve Monkeys 
Jeffrey Goines
1995 - Se7en 
Mills
1994 - Legends of the Fall 
Tristan Ludlow
1994 - Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles 
Louis de Pointe du Lac
1994 - The Favor 
Elliott Fowler
1993 - True Romance 
Floyd - Dick's Roommate
1993 - Kalifornia 
Early Grayce
1992 - Contact (Short) 
Cox
1992 - A River Runs Through It 
Paul Maclean
1992 - Tales from the Crypt (TV Series) 
Billy
-  1992 - King of the Road  ... Billy
1992 - Cool World 
Detective Frank Harris
1992 - Two-Fisted Tales (TV Movie) 
Billy (segment "King of the Road")
1991 - Johnny Suede 
Johnny Suede
1991Thelma & Louise 
JD
1990 - Glory Days (TV Series) 
Walker Lovejoy
1990 - Across the Tracks 
Joe Maloney
1990 - Too Young to Die? (TV Movie) 
Billy Canton
1990 - The Image (TV Movie) 
Steve Black
1989 - thirtysomething (TV Series) 
Bernard
1989 - Cutting Class 
Dwight Ingalls
1989 - Happy Together 
Brian
1987-1989 - Growing Pains (TV Series) 
Jonathan Keith / Jeff
1989 - Freddy's Nightmares (TV Series) 
Rick
-  1989 - Black Tickets ... Rick
1989 - Head of the Class (TV Series) 
Chuck
-  1989 - Partners  ... Chuck
1988 - The Dark Side of the Sun 
Rick
1988 - 21 Jump Street (TV Series) 
Peter
-  1988 - Best Years of Your Life () ... Peter
1987-1988 - Dallas (TV Series) 
Randy
1988 - Farlow's Follies ... Randy
- 1988 - It's Me Again  ... Randy
- 1987 - Daddy's Little Darlin' ... Randy
-  1987 - Brother, Can You Spare a Child? ... Randy
1987 - Less Than Zero 
Partygoer / Preppie Guy at Fight (uncredited)
1987 - No Man's Land 
Waiter (uncredited)
1987 - Hunk 
Guy at Beach with Drink (uncredited)
1980 - A Stoning in Fulham County (TV Movie) 
Teddy Johnson
1964 - Another World (TV Series) 
Chris (1987)