Brad Pitt – Hollywood Celebrity, Actor

18 December 1963, Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA

William Bradley Pitt

5′ 11″ (1.80 m)

Brad Pitt was born in 1963 in Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri. His mother’s name is Jane Etta Hillhouse. His father, William (Bill) Pitt, worked in management at a trucking firm in Springfield. He has a younger brother, Douglas (Doug) Pitt and a younger sister Julie Neal Pitt. At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student government and school musicals. Pitt attended the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism with a focus on advertising. He occasionally acted in fraternity shows. He left college two credits short of graduating to move to California. Before he became successful at acting, Pitt supported himself by driving strippers in limos, moving refrigerators and dressing as a giant chicken while working for “el Pollo Loco.”

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Often works with David Fincher

Often plays rebellious characters with noticeable mental problems

Frequently plays intense and troubled individuals

Often stars in risky independent Films with provocative storylines

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#23). [1995]

Turned down a role as an astronaut in Apollo 13 (1995) to accept his role in Se7en (1995).

Posed for a campus calendar in college.

A girl went to Pitt’s Hollywood-area home shortly after midnight Jan. 7, 1999 and crawled in through an open window, dressed herself in his clothes and stayed for 10 hours before the alarm went off. Athena Rolando, 19, was ordered not to contact the actor and to stay 100 yards away from him for three years. [1999]

Ranked #32 in Empire (UK) magazine’s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list. [October 1997]

Banned from entering China because of his role in Seven Years in Tibet (1997). [1997]

Chosen by “People” magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1997]

Engaged to actress Gwyneth Paltrow. [20 December 1996]

Donated $100,000 to the Discovery Center – a children’s learning museum in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri. [June 1996]

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1996]

His first starring role in a feature film was in The Dark Side of the Sun (1988), shot in pre-war Yugoslavia during the summer of 1988. As editing neared completion, civil war broke out in the region and much of the footage was lost. In 1996, after a five-year search, all of the lost footage was found and returned to producer Andjelo Arandjelovic, who is working on getting a distribution deal. Pitt was paid $1,523 per week for seven weeks. He played a young American taken by his family to the Adriatic Sea to search for a cure for a rare skin disease.

Purchased a mansion is Southern California from the actress who portrays “Elvira” (Cassandra Peterson). He reportedly paid $1.7 million for the house. This mansion is filled with antiques and has a “vampirish” look to it. [1996]

May 1992: Lived in Southern California with friend Buck Simmonds, who starred with him in A River Runs Through It (1992).

He was the third choice for the role of J.D. in Thelma & Louise (1991). William Baldwin, the first choice, left to star in Backdraft (1991).

Had to learn to fly-cast for his role in A River Runs Through It (1992). He practiced on top of buildings in Hollywood. During these practices he frequently hooked himself in the back of his head.

Voted “Best Actor” by viewers of MTV’s “The Big Picture” (1988) in 1995.

Was a journalism major in college with an advertising focus.

Listed as one of twelve “Promising New Actors of 1991” in John Willis’ Screen World, Vol. 43. [1991]

Graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo. [1982]

Dropped out of the University of Missouri School of Journalism (Columbia, Missouri).

In high school was a member of the golf, tennis, and swim teams.

Belonged to the Key Club and the Forensics Club in High School.

Listed in “People Weekly”s “Most Intriguing People” list. (December 25, 1995/January 1, 1996 issue)

He has a brother, Doug, born in 1966 and a sister, Julie Pitt, born in 1969.

Was considered for the lead in The Matrix (1999).

Has his teeth capped.

Sued Damiani International, the company which created the wedding ring he gave Jennifer Aniston. According to Pitt, the ring was his design and was to be exclusive. The company has since been selling replicas and indicating Pitt/Aniston’s endorsement of the ring. [18 July 2001]

He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston spent $1 million on their wedding. [2000]

For the last couple of years he has been the spokesman for Edwin Jeans ads in Japan. In 2001 he was also the face of the ads for a new Japanese canned coffee which is named Roots. Was replaced in these tv ads (2002) by Kevin Costner.

Studied acting with the late Roy London.

Did TV commercial for Toyota (Altis model) that aired only in Asia. The car became very popular and its sales resulted in Toyota getting an almost 32% share of the passenger car market.

Has a home at Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey.

Auditioned for the role of “J.D.” in the 1988 cult classic film Heathers (1988) and, though he showed talent, casting directors thought him to be “too sweet” for the role, which later went to Christian Slater. He would later go on to a very similar role in the horror film Cutting Class (1989) in 1989.

Is mentioned by name in the Shania Twain hit song, “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”

He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Xi Xi chapter at The University of Missouri – Columbia.

After watching Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Pitt asked director Guy Ritchie if he could be in his next film. He couldn’t master the English accent, so Ritchie gave him the role of Mickey the One Punch Pikey, an Irish fighter, in Snatch. (2000).

With Brad Grey’s departure for Paramount and after the divorce settlement with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston, he now solely owns Plan B Entertainment.

Tore his Achilles tendon during the production of Troy (2004), in which he plays, ironically, Achilles. His injury caused the production of Ocean’s Twelve (2004) to be pushed back to April 2004. [2003]

Is the first man ever to be named “Sexiest Man Alive” twice by “People Magazine.” (1994 and 2000).

He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston campaigned in the United States to save “EastEnders” (1985) from being axed there [2003].

Showed his parents the “Chemical Burn” scene to convince them not to watch Fight Club (1999).

Got into better shape and eventually gained over 20 pounds of muscle for Troy (2004).

He has appeared in three movies with the number seven in the title (Se7en (1995), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)). He has also appeared in two movies with the number twelve in the title (Ocean’s Twelve (2004) and Twelve Monkeys (1995)).

He was ranked #6 on VH1’s “100 Hottest Hotties.”

His high school nickname was Brad the “Pitt-bull.”

He took Greek language lessons in secret to surprise his then-wife Jennifer Aniston who is of Greek ancestry.

Voted #1 in Company magazine’s annual “100 Sexiest Men” poll, 2004.

His favorite movies are Planet of the Apes (1968) and Saturday Night Fever (1977).

Announced on January 7, 2005 that he and Jennifer Aniston are separating after 4 1/2 years of marriage.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Troy (2004). He did not receive a nomination, however.

Dianne Wiest is his favorite actress.

Premiere Magazine ranked him as #50 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

A short while after completing A River Runs Through It (1992), he fled to Amsterdam where he briefly lived for three months by himself in a small basement apartment before returning to the USA to film Kalifornia (1993).

He and his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston met on a blind date, which was arranged by their agent.

He and his Ocean’s Eleven (2001) / Ocean’s Twelve (2004) co- stars, Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Elliott Gould, all have guest-starred on the TV show “Friends” (1994), though not in the same episodes.

Owns and plays Taylor Guitars.

In 2001 renowned architect Frank O. Gehry renovated the wine cellar in the home in which Pitt and wife Jennifer Aniston lived. Pitt subsequently did an informal apprenticeship in Gehry’s Los Angeles office.

Owns the rights to the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (2002). He wanted it to be remade with he and Tom Cruise in the leading roles. The movie was eventually remade as The Departed (2006). Pitt served as a producer on the movie.

On the invitation of Virgin CEO Richard Branson, he visited over 100 orphans affected by HIV at a facility run by The Salvation Army in South Africa as well as personally meeting Nelson Mandela and discussing Mandela’s 46664 campaign (named for his prison ID number) to call attention to South Africa’s devastating AIDS epidemic. After South Africa, he then flew to Ethiopia on behalf of DATA, a third-world lobby group co-founded by U2’s Bono. [November 2004]

Has appeared in eight movies with a number in the title – and only one of them uses an actual number rather than spelling the word out. That is Se7en (1995), which is a combination of the two, He has appeared in 1 movie with the number Zero in the title, 1 with the number Two in the title, 3 with the number Seven in the title, 1 with the number Eleven and 2 with the Twelve.

He is a big fan of MTV’s “Jackass” (2000). He even asked the cast if he could join them during on of their stunt jokes. He eventually made an appearance dressed in an ape outfit, in order not to be recognized, which would have ruined the joke.

Raised in Springfield, Missouri, and is an alumni of Kickapoo High School. Other alumni include Adrienne Wilkinson and Jay Kenneth Johnson.

Broke his arm during the filming of Se7en (1995). The injury was written into the movie.

Adoptive father of Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Zahara Jolie-Pitt with Angelina Jolie.

Wanted to play Darcy in Bride & Prejudice (2004), but wasn’t able to work out the filming dates.

Daughter (with girlfriend Angelina Jolie) Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was born 27 May 2006 in Namibia, Africa.

Ranked #15 on Premiere’s 2006 “Power 50” list. Had ranked #31 in 2005.

Was considered for two roles which went to Johnny Depp: Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Both were directed by Tim Burton.

The first commercial that Brad Pitt ever booked was through Matrix Talent Agency, Los Angeles. His agent was Linda Olhava, sister of film director Jody Lee Olhava.

Has Single Engine Land pilot license.

Occasionally flies a Cessna 208B Caravan belonging to Chivan Productions.

Initially didn’t want to appear in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), although it was he who gave the script to director Doug Liman.

Originally cast as Colin Sullivan in The Departed (2006), but later dropped out. He continued to produce the film under his (and his then wife Jennifer Aniston’s) production company, Plan B.

His first job was dancing in a chicken suit to draw in customers at an El Pollo Loco restaurant on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

March 2007 – he and girlfriend Angelina Jolie adopted a 3-year-old boy named Pax Thien from Vietnam (born November 29th 2003).

Made a cameo appearance with Matt Damon for free in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) as a favor to Ocean’s Eleven (2001) costar and close friend George Clooney – the film was Clooney’s directorial debut.

Has been in 7 movies where the title contains the name of the character he plays: Johnny Suede (1991), Meet Joe Black (1998), Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Chad Schmidt (2010).

Considered for the role in Crimson Tide (1995) that eventually went to Denzel Washington.

Voted #6 in Elle (France) Magazine’s “15 Sexiest Men” poll (June 2007).

Mentioned in the song High School Never Ends by Bowling for Soup, as “the quarterback”.

Was trained to handle weapons by renowned Hollywood gun coach Thell Reed, who has also trained such actors as Val Kilmer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Sam Elliot, Girard Swan, Ben Foster and Kurt Russell.

He and Russell Crowe were director Ridley Scott’s first two choices for the lead in American Gangster (2007). Crowe was eventually cast.

Used to act at the Vandevort Theater in Springfield, Missouri. He still visits and donates to the theater.

Donated 5 million dollars of his own money to rebuild homes in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.

In 2005, he earned $4,500,000 for a Heineken commercial that aired during the 2005 Super Bowl.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year to be $35 million.

He is a Patron of the “Mineseeker Foundation” and the “Sole of Africa”, a campaign dedicated to detecting and removing land mines in Africa. The Foundation’s patrons include Nelson Mandela, Sir Richard Branson, Queen Noor, ‘Graca Machel’ and John Paul DeJoria.

Ranked #10 in the 2008 Forbes’ The Celebrity 100 list. His girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, ranked #3.

On July 12th 2008, his longtime girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, gave birth to twins – a boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline.

In Nov. 2005, he visited Pakistan with Angelina Jolie to see the impact of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. In 2006, Jolie and Pitt also went to Haiti where they visited a school supported by Yéle Haïti, a charity founded by Haitian-born hip hop musician Wyclef Jean.

Was officially in the BAFTA long-list for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Babel (2006), however he did not get the nomination.

Considers Fitzcarraldo (1982), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) among his personal favorite movies.

Domestic Partner: Angelina Jolie (2005 – present).

Auditioned for the role of Mike in Phantasm II (1988) but director Don Coscarelli instead chose James LeGros.

Along with Angelina Jolie, he traveled to Syria and Jordan on a United Nations Goodwill visit to displaced Iraqi civilians. [October 2009]

Friends with Clint Eastwood.

Lives in Los Angeles, Malibu, Goleta, California, Benerville, France and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ex-son-in-law of John Aniston and Nancy Dow.

Ex-stepson-in-law of Sherry Rooney.

Appears in two films that take place in the Northwest during the first decades of the 20th Century, and in which he defends a Native American’s right to be served alcohol in a bar: “A River Runs Through It” (1992) and “Legends of the Fall” (1994).

When he and Juliette Lewis began their relationship, he was 26 while she was only 16.

[US Weekly, 9/18/00] Being married means I can break wind and eat ice cream in bed.

I’m gonna design my own fleet of trailers. No! I’m gonna record an album like Jennifer Lopez. It’ll be an acoustic version of KC & The Sunshine Band. Then maybe I’ll design a line of clothes like [Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs] but all in synthetic fur.

I’d like to design something like a city or a museum. I want to do something hands on rather than just play golf which is the sport of the religious right.

[Viasat magazine, 5/01] Fame is a bitch, man.

[on what keeps him humble] You know, I telephoned my grandparents the other day, and my grandfather said to me, “We saw your movie.” “Which one?” I said, and he shouted, “Betty, what was the name of that movie I didn’t like?” I thought that was just classic. I mean, if that doesn’t keep your feet on the ground, what would?

I’m one of those people you hate because of genetics. It’s the truth.

Success is a beast. And it actually puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. You get away with more instead of looking within.

[Time magazine, 10/13/97] You shouldn’t speak until you know what you’re talking about. That’s why I get uncomfortable with interviews. Reporters ask me what I feel China should do about Tibet. Who cares what I think China should do? I’m a f—ing actor! They hand me a script. I act. I’m here for entertainment. Basically, when you whittle everything away, I’m a grown man who puts on makeup.

When you see a person, do you just concentrate on their looks? It’s just a first impression. Then there’s someone who doesn’t catch your eye immediately, but you talk to them and they become the most beautiful thing in the world. The greatest actors aren’t what you would call beautiful sex symbols. I’ll tell you who my favorite actress is, Dianne Wiest, and you wouldn’t call her a sex symbol. Dianne Wiest is, to me, the most beautiful woman on the screen.

[when asked by Conan O’Brien how he got into character as stoner Floyd in True Romance (1993)] I’m a method actor.

[In May, 2005, on his impending divorce to Jennifer Aniston] The thing I don’t understand is looking at this as a failure. It’s talked about like it failed, I guess because it wasn’t flawless. Me, I embrace the messiness of life. I find it so beautiful, actually.

[2003] It’s amazing what an impending midlife crisis will do for you, really. It got me motivated, having turned 40 in December.

[on having children] It really changes your perspective on the world. You know, I’ve had my day. I made some films, and I’ve really had a very fortunate life, and it’s time for me to share that a little bit. Having children takes the focus off yourself, which I’m really grateful for. I’m so tired of thinking about myself. I’m sick of myself. You feel you want to be there and not miss out on anything. It’s a true joy and a very profound love. You can write a book, you can make a movie, you can paint a painting, but having kids is the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever taken on.

[on how his children will influence his future roles] My thoughts these days are, “Oh, my God, what did I do? What are they going to see from the past?” It definitely colors what I’ll approach in the future. I’ll try to be a little bit more mature about my decisions.

[on how his earlier, lesser film roles ultimately improved him as an actor]: I believe I’m quite capable and we, as people, can learn to do anything, and that’s proof of it! And my education is on film, on record! Now I can take on anything that comes my way and find truth in it an do a pretty good job.

[About Quentin Tarantino) The set is heaven and he is God. Heretics are not allowed.

(2010 – on New Orleans) Truthfully, my favorite sound in the entire world is opening up the balcony doors in the French Quarter and hearing four different sounds playing at once from the apartments across the way or down the street. It’s a balmy night, twilight, and I’m drinking a beer, and this feeling just falls over me, of contentment. It gives me goosebumps to talk about it.

(On being dumped by ex-fiancee Jill Schoelen in 1989) She called me up in Los Angeles and was crying on the phone. She was lonely and there was a huge drama. At this point I had $800 to my name and I spent $600 of it getting a ticket from Los Angeles to Hungary to see her. I got there, went straight to the set where she was filming and that night we went out to dinner. She told me that she had fallen in love with the director of the film. I was so shocked I said, ‘I’m outta here.’ I spent my night in Budapest, sitting on a bench, smoking, with just a local bum to talk to who couldn’t speak English. These are the days and nights you remember when you have success. I returned to America absolutely broke. This is why recognition does not bother me too much.

Fame makes you feel permanently like a girl walking past construction workers.

(2009) What’s valuable to me has become clearer as I’ve got older. To me, it’s about the value of your time and your day and the value of the people you spend it with. It’s about me being a strong father and guide and a good match for my significant other. Then, if I’m going to go to work, it must be something of value to me. I’m much more experienced now, so I can find films that are interesting quicker and cut out the films that don’t really matter. It means more to me now because my kids are going to see them, and I want them to be proud.

(1998, on why he moved to L.A.) A lot of the attraction before I came out was the fame, the lifestyle…now my motivation is more, ‘I want to be good!’.

We make breakfast like everyone else and it’s chaos and pancake batter splashed all over the place and bath time at night. Ultimately, I’m dad. I have the concerns a dad has. Is everyone safe? Am I spending enough time with them? These are the things that keep me awake.

[on comparing his own parenting style with that of his character in ‘The Tree of Life’]: They say actions speak louder than words. It’s even more true with my kids. And so it’s quite important to me not to put my frustrations on them or bring them in the door. I want to keep them to be free and not encumbered with my junk. In the film it’s the exact opposite. I find it very sad, a very sad man who was embittered by his situation, doesn’t feel he can get ahead, always feels like he’s on the losing end, feels quite oppressed by his surroundings and predicament, doesn’t know why it isn’t working out for him and why is it working out for other people. That poisoned view of things.

There are no secrets in our house. We tell the kids, ‘Mom and Dad are going off to kiss.’

(2011) I spent the ’90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn’t living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn’t.

(2011, on Angelina Jolie) One of the greatest, smartest things I ever did was give my kids Angie as their mom. She is such a great mom. Oh, man, I’m so happy to have her.

(2011, on learning to be a parent) I was surprised at how automatic it is, how much of it is instinctual. And now I have a great confidence and trust in those instincts. I mean, one sound at night and you’re awake and up because they may need you. Or when they start to have a tantrum, you know to divert them from spinning out by helping them focus on something. It just goes on and on. I tell them, ‘You can make a mess, but you’ve got to clean it up.’

(2011, on his religious upbringing) I had my problems with it. It doesn’t work for me. I had a lot of questions. But to get to that point where I actually questioned something that I’d based my life on – it wasn’t until I was 20 that I really started separating from it, knowing that the ideas didn’t make sense. I remember this scary moment where I didn’t have anything to pin my existence on, to be comforted by. At the same time, it didn’t work for me, man. I had to go up against this thing. I’ve since … My family accepts me for who I am and they worry for me because I’m gonna burn in an eternal pit of fire. But …

(On the stress of filming Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles) One day, it broke me… I called David Geffen, who was a producer… I said, ‘David, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do it. How much will it take to get me out?’ And he goes, very calmly, ‘Forty million dollars.’

[on playing the leading character in The Tree of Life (2011)] That’s certainly not my father. But I do understand the father-knows-best mentality, the oppression the father figure can have on his kids, the pressure he is under to be the leader and provide, and feeling like he’s falling short and having wants and desires himself. The tragedy is coming home and bringing that on the kids, and then feeling bad about it. It’s just this vicious cycle.

[on the Academy Awards nomination process] I’ve been around long enough to know it’s very fickle and it’s a cyclical wheel. But I will say this: it’s surprisingly fun when your number comes up.

[2012: while accepting the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for Moneyball and The Tree of Life] “This is a really big honor for me, considering I’m a guy who had never ridden in an airplane until I was 25. That first trip was here in 1989 to New York. I had an audition for a soap opera. But I had to put myself up, and I stayed at a friend’s apartment. That apartment was in the Village on Christopher Street. My first impression of the city was: my god, there’s a lot of guys around here. But they’re so _nice_….This is a real pleasure for me to see some of the faces behind the formidable names that instill such fear and reverence in the film industry, although I thought you’d be taller….We are complex, we are mysteries to ourselves, we are difficult to each other, we live in continual flux and instability and conflict. Christians and Muslims, Democrats and Republicans, Denby and Rudin.”

I grew up very religious, and I don’t have a great relationship with religion. I oscillate between agnosticism and atheism.

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