About Brad Pitt
By Cathy Richey, the Cathy Factor
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt (born William Bradley Pitt) is one of Hollywood's
best-known film stars. He has received two Academy Award nominations
and four Golden Globe nominations and is frequently voted as one of
the world's most attractive and desirable men.
He was born December 18, 1963 to Jane and William Pitt in
Shawnee, Oklahama and grew up in Springfield, Missouri, where he was
raised as a Southern Baptist.
After graduating from Kickapoo High School, Brad Pitt attended
the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism &
advertising. He began acting at the university and two weeks before
he was to graduate, he left the university and moved to Los Angeles
to take acting lessons.
Brad Pitt's screen debut came in 1987, when he had uncredited
parts in No Way Out, No Man's Land and Less Than Zero. He also made
a guest appearance in the TV sitcom 'Growing Pains'. Between 1987
and 1988, Brad Pitt appeared as the character Randy in 'Dallas'.
Brad Pitt's first leading film role came in 1988 when he starred
in the Yugoslavian / US produced The Dark Side of the Sun. The
release, however, coincided with the Croatian war so it was shelved
until 1997.
In 1990, Brad Pitt played the role of Billy in the NBC TV drama 'Too
Young To Die' in which he featured alongside a young Juliette Lewis.
The following year, Brad Pitt got his big break in the acting world,
when he appeared in Thelma & Louise, along with Geena Davis, Susan
Sarandon, and Harvey Keitel. He went on to star in Johnny Suede and
Cool World but failed to gain any favorable reviews from the film
critics until he starred in the 1992 film A River Runs Through It.
The film was directed by Robert Redford and became a career-defining
performance for Brad Pitt.
1994 became another pivotal moment in Brad Pitt's Hollywood career,
when he starred as a vampire in Interview with a Vampire. The film
featured an all-star cast. Despite many critics blasting Pitt's
performance in the film, it was a huge financial success.
He went on to star in Legends of the Fall the following year,
alongside Anthony Hopkins and earned himself his first Golden Globe
nomination for his portrayal of Tristan Ludlow. Pitt then went on to
star in Seven, playing the role of a detective. The film was another
huge success and saw him diversifying a little in his acting style.
He continued to do this when he landed a role in Terry Gilliam's
science fiction movie Twelve Monkeys. His performance in the film
won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
After starring in Sleepers, The Devil's Own and Seven Years in
Tibet, Brad Pitt's next significant role was in Meet Joe Black;
again sharing screen time with Anthony Hopkins. Another key role for
Pitt came in 1999 when he starred in Fight Club, playing the role of
Tyler Durden in the adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel. This was
followed with Guy Ritchie's film, Snatch, in which Brad Pitt played
the role of a barely-understandable Irish Gypsy boxer.
Pitt's next venture, The Mexican, in which he starred with Julia
Roberts - received mixed reviews but was a box office success
nonetheless. After a guest appearance in the TV sitcom friends (with
his then-wife Jennifer Anniston), Brad Pitt appeared in Ocean's
Eleven with Matt Damon, George Clooney, and Andy Garcia. He went on
to star in George Clooney's directorial debut, Confessions of a
Dangerous Mind.
2004 saw Brad Pitt star in Troy, as well as making an appearance in
Ocean's Twelve, the sequel to Ocean's Eleven. The following year,
Brad Pitt was cast alongside Angelina Jolie in Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The
career decision would be a life-changer for Pitt, he eventually left
his wife in order to start a relationship with Jolie.
In 2008, Brad Pitt featured in the Coen brothers' comedy Burn After
Reading. Later, he was cast as the title role in the unusual film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, about a man who ages in
reverse.
Pitt then went on to feature in the Quentin Tarantino film
Inglourious Basterds and the Terrence Malik movie Tree of Life. In
2011, he started filming The Lost City of Z, based on David Grann's
book of the same title.
Brad Pitt has been romantically linked with a number of his female
co-stars, including Juliette Lewis, Robin Gives and Jill Schoelen.
He was also once engaged to Gwyneth Paltrow.
In July 2000, Brad Pitt married Jennifer Anniston. Their marriage
ended in 2005. He is now married to Angelina Jolie. His relationship
with Jolie had been the subject of a huge amount of media attention.
The couple have three adopted children; Maddox, Zahara, and Pax
Thien. They also have a daughter together, named Shiloh as well as
twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline. |
