Born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Brad Pitt is an actor and film producer perhaps most famous for a long list of highly successful Hollywood films, plus being cited as one of the most attractive men alive. Son of a high school counselor and a truck company owner, he grew up in Springfield, Missouri. He attended Kickapoo High School and the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Brad Pitt bagged his first starring role in 1988 in the film The Dark Side of the Sun. Shot in Yugoslavia, war broke out just as the editing was almost complete, causing much of the footage to be lost. After a series of supporting roles, a supporting role in Thelma and Louise proved to be a breakthrough appearance for Pitt, his topless love scene with Geena David often cited as Pitt’s iconic rise to fame.
In 1994, Brad Pitt achieved mainstream popularity with Interview with the Vampire, a movie which boasted a stellar cast that included young Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater and Tom Cruise. Then came his roles in Legends of the Fall, Se7en, and Twelve Monkeys, where he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1998, he played another iconic role, Joe Black in Meet Joe Black. After such successful films, Pitt began to be associated with Hollywood’s A-list, starring opposite Julia Roberts in The Mexican, Robert Redford in Spy Game, and the star-studded cast of Ocean’s 11 (and its two sequels), Troy, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Soon one of Hollywood’s golden couples, Pitt met actress Jennifer Aniston in 1998 and the two married in Malibu on 2000. They announced their separation in 2005. Just one month after Aniston filed for divorce, paparazzi photos confirmed rumors that Pitt was seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-star Angelina Jolie. The couple would go on to adopt an Ethiopian girl, Zahara, in 2005, and a Thai boy, Pax, in 2007. This is in addition to their own biological children: Shiloh, in 2006, and twins Knox and Vivienne, in 2008. Pitt still continued to appear in acclaimed films; his performance in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, in 2007, earned him best actor honors from that year’s Venice Film Festival.
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1996]
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)
Was considered for the lead in The Matrix (1999).
His favorite movies are Planet of the Apes (1968) and Saturday Night Fever (1977).
Dianne Wiest is his favorite actress.
Owns and plays Taylor Guitars
Has Single Engine Land pilot license.
Ranked #10 in the 2008 Forbes The Celebrity 100 list. His girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, ranked #3.
Is a Vegetarian.
Nominated for Oscar. Another 22 wins & 39 nominations.
1996: (nominated) Oscar
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
for: Twelve Monkeys (1995)
His high school nickname was Brad the "Pitt-bull."
[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 !$#!#, 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.
He has a brother Doug, born in 1966 and a sister Julie, born in 1969.
Spouse:
Jennifer Aniston (29 July 2000 - 2 October 2005)(divorced)
Adoptive father of Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Zahara Jolie-Pitt with Angelina Jolie.
Daughter (with girlfriend Angelina Jolie) Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was born 27 May 2006 in Namibia, Africa.
March 2007 - he and girlfriend Angelina Jolie adopted a 3-year-old boy named Pax Thien from Vietnam (born November 29th 2003).
On July 12th 2008, his longtime girlfriend Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins - a boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline.