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"I believe you make your day. You make your life. So much of it is all perception, and this is the form that I built for myself. I have to accept it and work within those compounds, and it's up to me."
- Brad Pitt -
Actor and film producer, William Bradley Pitt is the youngest of 3 children born to Jane Etta (née Hillhouse) and William Alvin Pitt. He was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma on Decemeber 18 1963; but grew up in Springfield, Missouri, where the family moved soon after his birth. Growing up, he was raised as a conservative Southern Baptist. Pitt attended Kickapoo High School, where he excelled; he was a member of the golf, tennis and swimming teams, as well as the Key and Forensics clubs. He also participated in school debates and musicals. Following his graduation, Pitt attended the University of Missouri in 1982. He belonged to the Sigma Chi fraternity, where he acted in several fraternity shows. He majored in journalism, with a focus on advertising.
However, in 1985, two weeks prior to earning his degree, Pitt left the university and moved to Los Angeles, California to take acting lessons. Brad arrived in hollywood with just $325 dollars in his pocket. When asked why he left the university, Pitt responded: "I had this sinking feeling as graduation approached. I saw my friends getting jobs. I wasn't ready to settle down. I loved films. They were a portal into different worlds for me, and Missouri wasn't where movies were made. Then it hit me: If they didn't come to me, I'd go to them.”
While struggling in Los Angeles, he took a number of odd jobs, one being a stint as a giant chicken (on Sunset Blvd, in 100-degree temps), in order to pay for his acting classes, He began studying with late renowned acting coach Roy London.
In December 1987, Pitt began his acting career in television guest spots, including a short role on the CBS primetime soap opera Dallas. Also in 1988, he appeared in an episode of 21 Jump Street, to which he followed by appearing on the shows Head of the Class and Growing Pains, the following year. In 1990, he co-starred in the short-lived television drama Glory Days. In 1988, Pitt made his feature film debut in the drama The Dark Side of the Sun. He was then cast in the television movie Too Young to Die? Pitt's next appeared in Across the Tracks (1991).
He was under the public’s eye for his supporting role in the 1991 film Thelma & Louise. His love scene with Davis, which showed Pitt shirtless and wearing a cowboy hat, has been often cited as the moment that defined Pitt as a "sex symbol". After the success of Thelma & Louise, Pitt starred alongside Catherine Keener and Nick Cave in Johnny Suede (1991). He appeared in Cool World (1992), before starring as Paul Maclean in Robert Redford's 1992 biographical film A River Runs Through It, delivering what was later described a "career-making" performance. In 1993, he re-united with his Too Young to Die? Co-star Juliette Lewis in the road movie Kalifornia.
Pitt's career prospects began to improve after being cast as vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac in the 1994 movie adaptation of Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire. Although Pitt won two MTV Movie Awards, his performance was particularly criticized. Following the release of Interview with the Vampire he starred in Legends of the Fall (1994). It was met with a mixed reception by critics. Pitt garnered his first Golden Globe Award nomination in the category for Best Actor, but unfortunately lost to Tom Hanks for Forrest Gump.
In 1995, he starred alongside Morgan Freeman in the crime film Seven. Seven garnered good reception and earned $327million at the box office. Pitt next played the supporting role of Jeffrey Goines in Terry Gilliam's 1995 science fiction film Twelve Monkeys. The movie grossed $168 million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics; Pitt's performance was particularly praised. Pitt won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, and received his first Academy Award nomination.
Pitt was next cast in the 1996 film Sleepers, based on the Lorenzo Carcaterra novel of the same name. The movie garnered mixed reception, but grossed over $165million worldwide. The following year he starred opposite Harrison Ford as the Irish Republican Army terrorist Rory Devany in The Devil's Own (1997), for which Pitt was required to learn an Irish accent. That year he also played the main role of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in the Jean Jacques Annaud film Seven Years in Tibet. He trained for months for the role, which demanded a great deal of mountain climbing and trekking, by rock climbing in California and the Alps with his co-star, David Thewlis. Pitt then had the leading role in Meet Joe Black (1998). The film received mixed reviews and Pitt's performance was often criticized.
In the 1999 film Fight Club he played Tyler Durden, a straight-shooting and charismatic mastermind who runs an underground fight club. The film, an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name, was directed by Seven director David Fincher. To prepare for the role, Pitt took lessons in boxing, taekwondo, and grappling. For the cosmetics of his role, Pitt voluntarily had pieces of his front teeth removed, which were restored after filming concluded. Fight Club premiered at the 1999 Venice International Film Festival. The film failed to meet expectations at the box office, and received polarized reactions from film critics; however, it became a cult classic after its DVD release.
After Fight Club, Pitt appeared in the Guy Ritchie-directed gangster movie Snatch (2000). Pitt's character, an Irish Gypsy boxer, spoke in a barely intelligible accent, for which Pitt drew both criticism and praise. In this same year, Pitt starred alongside Julia Roberts in the romantic comedy The Mexican (2001). The movie garnered mixed reviews, but proved to be successful at the box office. His next role was in the Cold War thriller Spy Game (2001).The movie grossed $143million worldwide.
Pitt played Rusty Ryan in the 2001 heist film Ocean's Eleven, a remake of the 1960s Rat Pack film of the same name. The film was well received by critics and proved to be a big box office success, earning $450million worldwide. He also made a guest appearance in the eighth season of the television series Friends, playing a man who has a grudge against Jennifer Aniston's character. In 2002, Pitt had a cameo role in George Clooney's directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and he appeared in an episode of MTV's Jackass. In a later Jackass episode, Pitt took part in a staged abduction of himself. In 2003, he took his first voice-acting roles; he lent his voice to the titular character of the DreamWorks animated movie Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, and voiced Boomhauer's brother Patch in an episode of the animated television series King of the Hill.
In 2004, Pitt starred in two films, Troy and Ocean's Twelve. In Troy, based on the Iliad, he portrayed hero Achilles. With revenue of $497million worldwide, the film marks the biggest commercial success of his career. It earned $364million overseas; however, with $133million domestically it did more moderately in North America. The success of Ocean's Eleven led Pitt to return to the role in the 2004 sequel, Ocean's Twelve. The film was a financial success, earning $362million worldwide. Pitt then starred in the 2005 action comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Pitt starred as John Smith alongside Angelina Jolie. The film received mixed reviews, but was generally lauded for the chemistry between the two leads. The movie earned $478million worldwide, one of the biggest hits of 2005.
Pitt appeared alongside Cate Blanchett in his next feature film, Alejandro González Iñárritu's multi-narrative drama Babel (2006). His performance in the film was well-received by critics, and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer believed that he was "credible" and gave the film "visibility". Pitt called the picture "one of the best decisions of my film career". He received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Babel.
In 2007, Pitt again reprised his role as Rusty Ryan in the third Ocean's film, Ocean's Thirteen. The sequel, while not as lucrative as the first two, earned $311million at the international box office. Pitt's next film role was that of American outlaw Jesse James in the 2007 Western drama The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, adapted from Ron Hansen's 1983 novel of the same name. For his performance, he won the Volpi Cup award for Best Actor in Venice. Although Pitt attended the festival to promote the movie, he left early after being attacked by a fan who pushed through his bodyguards. He eventually collected the award one year later at the 2008 festival.
Pitt appeared in the 2008 black comedy Burn After Reading, his first collaboration with the Coen brothers. The film received a positive reception from critics. He was cast as Benjamin Button, the lead in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), loosely adapted from the 1922 short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The role earned him his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, as well as a fourth Golden Globe and second Academy Award nomination.
Pitt's projects after 2008 include Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, released in August 2009. He portrays Lieutenant Aldo Raine, an American resistance fighter battling Nazis in German-occupied France. In addition, he will appear in the drama The Tree of Life directed by Terrence Malick, co-starring alongside Sean Penn. He has signed on to appear in the Lost City of Z, where he will play a British explorer searching for a mysterious Amazonian civilization. The film is based on the book of the same name by David Grann.
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Full Name:
| William Bradley Pitt | Height:
| 6'0 / 183 cm
| Weight:
| 159 lbs / 72 kg
| Eyes:
| Blue
| Hair:
| Blond
| Star Sign:
| Western - Sagittarius
Chinese - Rabbit
| Education:
| Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri, USA
Studied journalism with a focus on advertising at the University Of Missouri, USA, but dropped out two credits short of graduation in 1986 | Hobbies:
| Interior design, architecture and nature. Collects functional metal art pieces and furniture | Notable Features:
| His Laugh and good looks
| Favourite Sports:
| Bicycling, rock climbing and tennis | Religious affiliations:
| Brought up a Southern Baptist by his parents in Missouri, but abandoned his faith when he started college and “discovered himself”
| Awards:
| 56 nominations and 20 wins
| Family:
| Father: William Pitt
Mother: Jane Etta
Brother: Douglas Pitt
Sister: Julie Neal Pitt |
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| Jennifer Aniston Ex-Wife
Pitt met Friends actress Jennifer Aniston in 1998 and married her in a private wedding ceremony in Malibu on July 29, 2000. For years their marriage was considered a rare Hollywood success. However, in January 2005, Pitt and Aniston announced that they decided to formally separate after seven years together. Two months later, Aniston filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. |
| Angelina Jolie
Partner
 In April 2005, one month after Aniston filed for divorce, a set of paparazzi photographs emerged; the photographs, which showed Pitt, Jolie and her son Maddox at a beach in Kenya, seemed to confirm the rumours of a relationship between Pitt and Jolie. During the summer, the two were seen together with increasing frequency, and the entertainment media dubbed the couple "Brangelina". Pitt and Aniston's final divorce documents were granted by the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 2, 2005, and ended their marriage. On January 11, 2006, Jolie confirmed to People that she was pregnant with Pitt's child and thereby confirmed their relationship for the first time in public. In an October 2006 interview with Esquire, Pitt said that he and Jolie would marry "when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able". ChildrenMaddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt (born August 5, 2001 in Cambodia; adopted January 19, 2006)Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt (born November 29, 2003 in Vietnam; adopted March 15, 2007)
Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt (born January 8, 2005 in Ethiopia; adopted January 19, 2006)
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt (born May 27, 2006 in Swakopmund, Namibia)
Knox Léon Jolie-Pitt (born July 12, 2008 in Nice, France)
Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt (born July 12, 2008 in Nice, France)  |
| Charities: Design jury chairman for Global Green’s Sustainable Design Competition.
Newsweek Magazine named Pitt as one of “15 People Who Make America Great” for bringing attention to causes in Africa.
Travelled to Africa to raise awareness for the Make Poverty History campaign.
Pitt and Angelina Jolie took time to help Wyclef Jean with his Clean Streets project.
According to tax records, the couple donated more than $8 million to charity in 2006 alone.
Brad took part in the “America: A Tribute to Heroes” charity telethon for victims of 9/11.
Charities supported
Brad Pitt has supported the following charities:
Causes he supported: Adoption, Fostering, Orphans, AIDS, At-Risk/Disadvantaged Youths, Cancer, Children, Creative Arts, Disaster Relief, Economic/Business Support, Environment, Fair Trade, Health, Homelessness, Human Rights, Hunger, Mental Challenges, Miscellaneous, Missing Children, Organ Donation, Peace, Poverty, Refugees, Water, Weapons Reduction. |
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