Early life

Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to Southern Baptist parents William A. Pitt and Jane Etta Hillhouse. The Pitt family is mainly of English 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, attending James River Assembly in Ozark, Missouri.

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 when he left to try his luck in Hollywood.

Career

Early work

Before he became successful at acting, Pitt supported himself as a chauffeur, a furniture mover and a costumed mascot (chicken) for the restaurant chain El Pollo Loco in Los Angeles.

In the late 1980s, Pitt started landing acting gigs on primetime series such as Dallas, thirtysomething, 21 Jump Street, Freddy's Nightmares, Another World, Growing Pains, and Head of the Class.

1988-1993

In 1988, he finally landed his first starring role in The Dark Side of the Sun. However, as the film was being edited, civil war tore apart Yugoslavia, where location shooting was taking place. Most of the footage remained lost until 1998, 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-Eleven stores.

After Thelma and Louise, Pitt starred in a number of films including Johnny Suede as a big-haired rock star in (1991), A River Runs Through It (1992) and Kalifornia (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

However, the role that may have truly catapulted Pitt to stardom was that of the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac in the movie adaptation of Anne Rice's novel, Interview With The Vampire in 1994

He followed up that success with 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.

That same year, Pitt was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his performance 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 apparantly been rewritten seven times. Brad threatened to boycott the film which was turning into a disaster but was halted in the process with the threat of a $63 million law suit for breach of contract.

A busy year, 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. Although Pitt's German accent in the film was not entirely convincing, the film received popular reviews and was hailed by Tibetan nationalists, much to the disgust of the China government which subsequently saw Pitt and Thewlis banned from China for life.

In 1998 Pitt starred as the main character in the supernatural film Meet Joe Black, giving him another chance to work alongside Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins which he had previously worked with in Legends of the Fall.

In 1999 Brad Pitt starred in what is one of his most recognizable roles yet, in the cult classic 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 tenacious character and also highly complex. Pitt trained for over six months for the role to attain the A1 physique of Tyler Durden building lean muscle tone by repetitive weight training and an Atkins Diet style dietary regime. His character was particularly flamboyent giving Pitt the chance to flaunt his movie star looks with a tanned leather jacket, outrageous aviator sunglasses and Hawaiian shirts.

In 2000 Pitt retained his physical fitness and played the role of an Irish boxer in the gangster movie Snatch alongside Vinnie Jones and Benicio Del Torro.

2001-present

In 2001 Brad Pitt was given the chance the work with long-term friend and actress Julia Roberts in the comical road movie The Mexican (2001). 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 starring as his son, a highly appropriate casting due to their similar physical resemblance. At the end of the year, Pitt finished filming Ocean's Eleven with George Clooney and Matt Damon, a highly successful remake of the 1960s classic a major hit at the box office sparking off several sequels. The film established a close friendship between the three particularly between Pitt and Clooney.

Since then he has done numerous films, including the sequel Ocean's Twelve and the Greek historical epic Troy in 2004 and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, in which he and his current partner, Angelina Jolie, starred as the title roles. 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 himself would be playing the lead role of Sandoz. [2] In June 2006 it was announced that Paramount and Brad Pitt's production company 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. The film is set 10 years after a zombie apocalypse. Crown publishing will be releasing the book later in the fall.[3]

Personal life

After a stint on the TV Show Head of the Class Brad Pitt dated Mike Tyson's then ex-wife Robin Givens. Sometime after that he became involved in a three-year relationship with actress Juliette Lewis who was his co-star in Too Young to Die? and Kalifornia. Juliette was 17 and Brad 26 years old when they started dating. However they split up two days later. Although Brad had many relationships with women he was also very curious with the same sex; dating such famous actors as Wilmer Valderrama and Sharon Stone.

Pitt was involved in a long-term relationship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow. They became engaged in December 1996, 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.

Pitt married actress 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 the marriage ended due to Aniston's refusal to have children with Pitt, which he greatly desired. Aniston's spokespersons have denied this. Another speculation was Brad Pitt's alleged affair with Angelina Jolie. Pitt's spokespersons have denied this and the couple have not elaborated beyond claiming "irreconcilable differences." 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.[4]

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, however, it is still unknown whether or not Pitt has been able to successfully adopt Jolie's children.

On May 27, 2006, Jolie gave birth to the couple's first biological child, a daughter named Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, at night 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. The couple's Los Angeles obstetrician was assisted by local staff. Shiloh, according to a longstanding translation from the Bible, has come to mean "the peaceful one." Shiloh is also significant as the site of a crucial battle in the American Civil War where over 23 thousand soldiers were killed, wounded or missing (see Battle of Shiloh).

"Angie and baby are fantastic," a source close to the couple told People on May 28. "Brad was at her side during the birth." People was also told by Namibia's Environment and Tourism Deputy Minister, Leon Jooste, that "Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt will, according to Namibian law, be allowed to obtain Namibian citizenship, if the parents should choose to do so." He added that discussion of the child's passport will be taken up with her parents "at a later stage."

Though reluctant to embrace celebrity status, the philanthropic Pitt has been an active supporter of research into diseases such as AIDS. Unlike many Hollywood celebrities, 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 he is the marquee spokesman for the ONE Campaign. 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, Brad 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]

Trivia

• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are rumoured to be spending up to £30million on a property in Somerford Keynes, near Cirencester, UK [6]
• 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.
• Pitt was previously engaged to Gwyneth Paltrow (she co-starred with him in Se7en) and dated actresses Juliette Lewis, Robin Givens, Geena Davis, Shalane McCall, Alice Wilkinson and Cork Actress, Shirley Walsh. Paltrow confessed in an interview that she regretted breaking up with him.

• Pitt is a vegetarian.
• Pitt tore his Achilles tendon during the production of Troy, in which he ironically plays Achilles. [7]
• He 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.
• His University of Missouri classmates included Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow and ABC-TV news anchor Elizabeth Vargas. However, it is unknown whether or not any of the three future celebrities actually knew each other while they were students at the University.
• 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. The company produced the blockbuster Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Johnny Depp.
• Has appeared 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 gorrilla suits.
• He has been awarded a Blue Peter badge.
• He owns a house in the picturesque town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
• He is very interested in architecture, has studied Computer aided design and counts Frank Gehry as a friend and mentor. [8] Interestingly enough, this claim has been disputed as Frank Gehry stated in a Newsweek article dated December 17, 2005, that he has only met Brad twice. One of those times for 2 minutes only. The second time he had dinner with Brad and then wife Jennifer Aniston. Obviously the report of them being good friends has been exaggerated. [9]
• Among the films that Pitt has turned down roles in are: The Matrix, Apollo 13, The Bourne Identity, Alexander, The Devil's Advocate, Almost Famous, The Chamber and American Psycho.
• As Achilles, in (the movie) Troy, his character is incorrectly identified as the cousin of Patroclus. In Homer's Iliad, Achilles and Patroclus have a traditional Ancient Greek homosexual relationship. Interestingly, Brad allegedly turned down the role of Hephaestion in Alexander due to personal concerns with the character. This character was a best friend and lover to Alexander. The Achilles/Patroclus relationship as lovers was referenced in the movie Alexander by Christopher Plummer's character Aristotle.
• He is also mentioned in 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.
• In 1995, he 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. He is consistently rated among the world's sexiest men in women's polls worldwide.
• In 1997, the film Seven Years in Tibet was released. This film, which chronicled China's invasion of Tibet, was hailed by Tibetan nationalists and resulted in Brad Pitt, along with his co-star David Thewlis, being banned from entering China for life. ^{[1] [2]}
• Pitt is a Manchester United F.C fan.
• Pitt is known to be a marijuana smoker, having smoked in a coffeeshop on the Amsterdam set of Ocean's Twelve. [10]
• Provided the voice of Patch Boomhauer in a 2003 episode of King of the Hill.

Filmography

• No Man's Land (1987)
• Less Than Zero (1987)
• Happy Together (1989)
• Cutting Class (1989)
• Across the Tracks (1991)
• Thelma & Louise (1991)
• Johnny Suede (1991)
• Contact (1992) (short subject)
• Cool World (1992)
• A River Runs Through It (1992)
• Kalifornia (1993)
• True Romance (1993)
• The Favor (1994)
• Interview with the Vampire (1994)
• Legends of the Fall (1994)
• Se7en (1995)
• Twelve Monkeys (1995)
• Sleepers (1996)
• The Devil's Own (1997)
• Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
• The Dark Side of the Sun (1997; filmed in 1988)
• Meet Joe Black (1998)
• Being John Malkovich (1999) (cameo)
• Fight Club (1999)
• Snatch (2000)
• The Mexican (2001)
• Spy Game (2001)
• Ocean's Eleven (2001)
• Full Frontal (2002) (cameo)
• Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) (cameo)
• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) (voice)
• Abby Singer (2003) (cameo)
• Troy (2004)
• Ocean's Twelve (2004)
• Special Thanks to Roy London (2005) (documentary)
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
• Babel (2006)
• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (post-production) (2006)
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (pre-production) (2007)
• Ocean's Thirteen (filming) (2007)
• Dallas Buyer's Club (announced) (2007)
• Chad Schmidt (announced) (2008)
• Atlas Shrugged (announced) (in talks) (2008)
• Crood Awakening (announced) (2008) (voice)
• A Mighty Heart (announced)
• Mission: Impossible 4 (rumoured)[11]

Awards

Awards won

• ShoWest Convention: Male Star of Tomorrow (1993)
• MTV Movie Awards: Best Male Performance for Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1995), Most Desirable Male for Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1995), Most Desirable Male for Se7en (1996)
• Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Best Supporting Actor for Twelve Monkeys (1996)
• Golden Globes: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for Twelve Monkeys (1996)
• Sci-Fi Universe Magazine: Best Supporting Actor in a Genre Motion Picture for Twelve Monkeys (1996)
• Blockbuster Entertainment Awards: Favorite Supporting Actor, Science Fiction for Twelve Monkeys (1997)
• Rembrandt Awards: Best Actor for Seven Years in Tibet (1998)
• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Movie Actor, Drama/Action Adventure for Troy (2004)
• People's Choice Awards: Favorite Leading Man (2005)
• MTV Movie Awards: Best Fight Scene (2006) Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Nominations

• Golden Globes: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama for Legends of the Fall (1995)
• Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Best Actor for Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1995)
• Academy Awards: Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Twelve Monkeys (1996)
• MTV Movie Awards:Best On-Screen Duo for Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1995), Best Male Performance for Twelve Monkeys (1996),Best On-Screen Duo for Se7en (1996), Best On-Screen Team for Ocean's Eleven (2002), Best On-Screen Kiss for Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2006)
• Blockbuster Entertainment Awards: Favorite Action Team for Fight Club (2000)
• Golden Satellite Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical for Snatch. (2001)
• Teen Choice Awards: Choice Chemistry for The Mexican (2001)
• Emmy Awards: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Friends ("The One With The Rumor") (2002)
• Kids' Choice Awards: Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie for Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2004)
• Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards: Best Acting Ensemble for Ocean's Twelve (2005)

External links

• Brad Pitt at the Internet Movie Database
• Brad Pitt at Yahoo! Movies
• Roles turned down by Brad Pitt
• Fan sites at Yahoo! Directory
• Brad pitt and marriage