Brad Pitt is an American actor and movie producer born on December 18, 1963. He’s won lots of awards like two Oscars, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globes, and even a Primetime Emmy Award. He’s been a big deal in Hollywood for a long time, making it onto Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list multiple times and being included in Time magazine’s list of the most influential people.
Pitt’s acting career kicked off with a bang when he played a hitchhiker in the movie “Thelma & Louise” in 1991. After that, he starred in some major films like “A River Runs Through It” and “Legends of the Fall.” You might also remember him from “Interview with the Vampire” where he acted alongside Tom Cruise. He’s received a lot of praise for his roles in movies like “Seven” and “12 Monkeys” which even got him a Golden Globe award.
But Brad Pitt hit the big time with movies like “Ocean’s Eleven” and its sequels. He became known as a leading man in Hollywood, starring in blockbusters like “Troy,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “World War Z,” and “Bullet Train.” He’s also been in some critically acclaimed movies like “Fight Club,” “Babel,” and “The Big Short.” Pitt has been nominated for Oscars several times and won one for his role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
In addition to acting, Pitt co-founded a production company called Plan B Entertainment in 2001. They’ve produced some major award-winning films like “The Departed,” “12 Years a Slave,” and “Moonlight.” Pitt himself has been named People’s Sexiest Man Alive twice, in 1995 and 2000. His personal life especially his marriages to Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie has been the focus of a lot of media attention. He has six children with Jolie, three of whom were adopted from other countries.
| Full Name | William Bradley Pitt |
| Date of Birth | December 18, 1963 |
| Place of Birth | Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, Film Producer |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (1.8 m) |
| Spouse(s) | Jennifer Aniston (m. 2000; div. 2005) Angelina Jolie (m. 2014; div. 2019) |
| Children | Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Marley Jolie |
| Net Worth | $400 million |
Brad Pitt’s Early Life and Education
William Bradley Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on December 18, 1963. His dad William Alvin Pitt ran a trucking company and his mom Jane Etta (née Hillhouse) worked as a school counselor. When he was small, his family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he grew up with his brother Douglas and sister Julie.
He was brought up in a religious home and went to a Southern Baptist church. But as he got older, he started questioning his beliefs and went back and forth between not being sure if he believed in God and not believing at all. Eventually, he found a way to blend his spiritual beliefs.
Springfield, where he grew up, was full of nature and hills, kind of like the stories of Mark Twain and Jesse James.
In high school, Brad Pitt was into sports like golf, swimming, and tennis. He was also involved in clubs like Key and Forensics, where he did debates, and he even did some acting in school plays.
After high school, he went to the University of Missouri to study journalism and advertising. But he was passionate about movies. Since there wasn’t much happening in the film world in Missouri, he decided to move to Los Angeles, just a little bit shy of getting his degree. There, he started taking acting classes and doing odd jobs to get by. He looked up to actors like Gary Oldman, Sean Penn, and Mickey Rourke as his inspirations.
Career
While trying to make a name for himself in Los Angeles, Brad Pitt took acting lessons from coach Roy London. His career started in 1987 with uncredited roles in movies like “No Way Out,” “No Man’s Land,” and “Less than Zero.” That May he made his TV debut with a two-episode role on the NBC soap opera “Another World.” By November Pitt had guest spots on the CBS sitcom “Trial and Error” and the ABC sitcom “Growing Pains.” Between December 1987 and February 1988, he appeared as Randy Charlie Wade’s boyfriend in four episodes of the CBS primetime series “Dallas.”
In 1988, Brad Pitt guest-starred on the Fox police drama” 21 Jump Street” and landed his first leading film role in “The Dark Side Of The Sun” a Yugoslavian–U.S. co-production. Due to the Croatian War of Independence, the film wasn’t released until 1997. In 1989, he appeared in the comedy “Happy Together” and the horror film “Cutting Class” his first movie to hit theaters. Pitt also had guest roles on TV series like “Head of the Class,” “Freddy’s Nightmares,” “Thirtysomething,” and returned to “Growing Pains.”
In 1990, Brad Pitt played Billy Canton a drug addict in the NBC TV movie “Too Young to Die?” earning praise for his role. He also co-starred in six episodes of the Fox drama “Glory Days” and appeared in the HBO TV film “The Image.” In 1991, Pitt was featured in “Across the Tracks” as Joe Maloney a high school runner with a troubled brother, and starred in a Levi’s jeans commercial.
Pitt’s breakout role came in 1991 with the film “Thelma & Louise” where he played J.D. a small-time criminal who befriends Thelma. This role turned him into a sex symbol. He then starred in “Johnny Suede” and the live-action/animated film Cool World although both were poorly received.
In 1992, Pitt played Paul Maclean in “A River Runs Through It” directed by Robert Redford. Despite feeling it was one of his weakest performances it became a career-defining role. In 1993, he reunited with Juliette Lewis in “Kalifornia” and made a brief but memorable appearance in “True Romance.” He capped the year by winning a ShoWest Award for Male Star of Tomorrow.
In 1994, Pitt played the vampire Louis in “Interview with the Vampire” which received mixed reviews though he won two MTV Movie Awards. He then starred in “Legends of the Fall” earning his first Golden Globe nomination despite mixed reviews for the film.
Brad Pitt’s performance in the 1995 thriller “Seven” alongside Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow was well-received and the film was a box-office success. The same year he played Jeffrey Goines in “12 Monkeys” earning a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1996, Brad Pitt starred in “Sleepers followed by The Devil’s Own” in 1997 where his Irish accent received mixed reviews. He also played mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in “Seven Years in Tibet.”
Pitt’s role in the 1998 fantasy romance “Meet Joe Black” was criticized but he bounced back with “Fight Club” in 1999 where he played the iconic role of Tyler Durden. Though initially polarizing the film became a cult classic after its DVD release.
In 2000, Brad Pitt starred in “Guy Ritchie’s Snatch” playing an Irish Traveller boxer. The following year he appeared in “The Mexican” with Julia Roberts and the thriller “Spy Game” with Robert Redford.
In 2001, Pitt guest-starred on “Friends” earning an Emmy nomination, and starred in “Ocean’s Eleven” a box office hit. He made cameo appearances on MTV’s “Jackass” and had roles in “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” and as a voice actor in “Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas” and “King of the Hill.”
In 2004, Brad Pitt played two major roles: Achilles in “Troy” and Rusty Ryan in “Ocean’s Twelve.” For “Troy” he trained with a sword for six months but filming was delayed due to an Achilles tendon injury. Critics praised his performance and “Troy” was the first film his company Plan B Entertainment produced. “Ocean’s Twelve” grossed $362 million globally with Pitt and Clooney’s chemistry receiving high praise.
In 2005, Pitt starred in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” an action comedy where he and Angelina Jolie played married assassins. Their on-screen chemistry was widely appreciated and the film made $478 million worldwide.
In 2006, Brad Pitt starred alongside Cate Blanchett in “Babel” earning critical acclaim and a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe nomination. The film received several awards and nominations including the Golden Globe for Best Drama. That same year Plan B Entertainment produced the Academy Award-winning “The Departed.”
Reprising his role as Rusty Ryan, Brad Pitt appeared in “Ocean’s Thirteen” in 2007. He then starred as Jesse James in “The Assassination of Jesse James” by the Coward Robert Ford earning the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival. He later cited this as his favorite role.
Pitt’s first collaboration with the Coen brothers was the 2008 comedy “Burn After Reading” followed by his role as Benjamin Button in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” which earned him several award nominations. The film was a box office success grossing $329 million globally.
In 2009, Pitt starred in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” a hit that received multiple awards and nominations. He then voiced a character in the animated film “Megamind,” and starred in “Moneyball,” earning another Academy Award nomination.
Brad Pitt played a hitman in “Killing Them Softly,” and starred in “World War Z,” which became his highest-grossing film. He also produced and appeared in the critically acclaimed “12 Years a Slave” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2014, he starred in “Fury” a successful World War II film.
In 2015, Pitt starred with Angelina Jolie in “By the Sea” and co-produced and starred in “The Big Short” which received several award nominations. In 2016 he appeared in “Allied” and in 2017 he starred in and produced the Netflix film “War Machine.”
Pitt’s role in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” 2019 earned him multiple Best Supporting Actor awards including an Oscar. He also starred in “Ad Astra” 2019 receiving praise for his performance. In 2020, he portrayed Dr. Anthony Fauci on “Saturday Night Live” earning an Emmy nomination.
In 2021, Brad Pitt launched a recording studio with Damien Quintard. In 2022 he starred in “Bullet Train” and “Babylon.” He is set to reunite with George Clooney in the thriller “Wolf” releasing in 2024 and will star in a Formula One film directed by Joseph Kosinski earning $30 million for the role.
Net Worth
Brad Pitt has an estimated net worth of $400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Brad Pitt’s net worth primarily comes from his successful career as an actor and film producer. He has starred in numerous blockbuster films, such as “Fight Club,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which have collectively grossed billions of dollars worldwide.
Additionally, Pitt co-founded the film production company Plan B Entertainment, known for producing critically acclaimed movies like “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight,” further adding to his wealth through producing credits. Pitt’s earnings from acting fees, producer credits, and investments in real estate also contribute significantly to his substantial net worth, estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Personal Life
Brad Pitt dated several of his co-stars including Robin Givens, Jill Schoelen, and Juliette Lewis. When Pitt was 27 he was in a relationship with 17-year-old Lewis. He later had a highly publicized romance and engagement with Gwyneth Paltrow from 1994 to 1997. In 2022, Pitt started dating Ines de Ramon a 29-year-old jewelry designer.
Brad Pitt met Jennifer Aniston in 1998 and they married in a private ceremony in Malibu on July 29, 2000. They separated in January 2005 and Aniston filed for divorce two months later citing irreconcilable differences. Despite rumors of a bitter breakup, Pitt stated in a 2009 interview that he and Aniston remained in contact and were significant parts of each other’s lives.
During his divorce from Aniston Pitt’s relationship with his “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” co-star Angelina Jolie drew media attention. They fell in love on set and in April 2005 photos of them with Jolie’s son Maddox in Kenya confirmed their relationship. The media dubbed them “Brangelina.” Jolie announced she was pregnant with Pitt’s child in January 2006. They got engaged in April 2012 and married on August 14, 2014, in France and Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016. They were declared legally single on April 12, 2019.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have six children together. Pitt adopted Jolie’s first two children in 2005 and the couple had their daughter in Namibia in May 2006. Jolie adopted a boy from Vietnam in 2007 and Pitt adopted him in 2008. Jolie gave birth to twins in July 2008. The couple’s divorce led to a prolonged custody battle with Pitt eventually gaining joint custody in May 2021 although the arrangement reverted to Jolie having primary physical custody in July 2021.
In September 2016, Brad Pittwas investigated for child abuse following an incident on a plane but was not charged. In 2022, Jolie alleged in a lawsuit that Pitt had been abusive during the incident.
Pitt became sober in 2016 and has been open about his struggles with alcohol and cannabis use. He credits Bradley Cooper for helping him with sobriety.
In 2022, Brad Pitt revealed he has prosopagnosia a condition that makes it difficult to recognize faces although he has not been formally diagnosed.
Brad Pitt also has an interest in art and pottery. His sculptures were exhibited alongside works by Nick Cave and Thomas Houseago in Finland from 2022 to 2023.
Philanthropy
Brad Pitt went to the University of Missouri in October 2004 to tell students to vote in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, and he supported John Kerry. He also spoke out in favor of using public money for embryonic stem-cell research, saying it’s important to let smart people work on finding cures. He backed Proposition 71 in California, which aimed to use state funds for stem-cell research.
He supports the One Campaign, which fights AIDS and poverty in poor countries. He also narrated a TV series about global health issues. He and Jolie went to Haiti to visit a school supported by a charity. They gave $1 million to help people in Chad and Sudan affected by the crisis in Darfur. With other actors, he started an organization called Not On Our Watch to stop mass violence.
Brad Pitt is interested in architecture and even studied computer design with a famous architect. He narrated a TV show about building eco-friendly structures. He co-wrote a book about a special house. He started the Make It Right Foundation to build sustainable homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
He met with President Obama and Speaker Pelosi to talk about his idea of eco-friendly housing. He and Jolie set up a charity called the Jolie-Pitt Foundation to help people around the world. They gave money to different causes like helping refugees and providing medical aid after disasters.
Brad Pitt supports same-sex marriage and said he would marry Jolie when it’s legal for everyone. He gave money to fight against a law in California that tried to ban same-sex marriage. He acted in a play supporting same-sex marriage rights. He also supported Obama in his election campaigns and narrated an ad for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign in 2020.
