Brad Pitt

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (born December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor.

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 Pitt, grew up in Springfield, Missouri, where the family moved soon after his birth. 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.

Brad Pitt as JD on the film Thelma & Louise (1991).

Career

Before he became successful at acting, Pitt supported himself as a chauffeur, a furniture mover and a costumed mascot for the restaurant chain El Pollo Loco. 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. 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. The role that may have truly catapulted Pitt to stardom was that of Louis de Pointe du Lac in the movie adaptation of Anne Rice's novel, Interview With The Vampire. He followed up that success with Legends of the Fall and Se7en.He was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys.

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.

Also 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.

In 1999 he starred in one of his most recognizable roles in the cult classic Fight Club, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk.

Brad Pitt as John Smith in the 2005 film Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Since then he has done numerous films, including Mr. & Mrs. Smith, in which he and his current partner, Angelina Jolie, starred as the title roles.

In March of 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. [1]

In June of 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.[2]

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the July 2005 cover of W magazine.

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.

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.[3]

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 this request.

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.

Trivia

*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, Alice Wilkinson and Cork Actress, Shirley Walsh. Paltrow confessed in an interview that she regretted breaking up with him.
*Pitt tore his Achilles tendon during the production of Troy, in which he plays Achilles. [4]
*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.
*At the time Brad was a student at the University of Missouri, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow and ABC-TV news anchor Elizabeth Vargas were also students there. 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 Paramount Pictures head Brad Grey and Jennifer Aniston, 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. Many people thought since Pitt owned the company, he would have used his pull to land the role of Willy Wonka.
*Has appeared on an episode of MTV's Jackass, in which he took part in a staged abduction of himself.
*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. [5] Interestingly this 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 goods friends has been exaggerated. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10394752/site/newsweek/page/3/
* 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 Illiad 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's mentioned in the song "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain.
*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.
*Pitt was ranked 100th on a list of the "100 unsexiest men in the world, due to "hygiene and BO issues"." [6]
*Pitt is a Manchester United F.C fan. "[7]
*Pitt is known to be a marijuana smoker, having smoked in a coffeeshop on the Amsterdam set of Ocean's Twelve. [8]
*Provided the voice of Patch Boomhauer in a 2003 episode of King of the Hill
*In Swedish the word Pitt is a slang word for the male sexual organ.

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 (pre-production) (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)

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

*Roles turned down by Brad Pitt
*Fan sites at Yahoo! Directory

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