Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt (born 18.12.1963)

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.

Brad Pitt: Childhood

Brad Pitt was born 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 had begun acting at university and two weeks before he was due to graduated, he left university and moved to Los Angeles to take acting lessons.

Brad Pitt: Acting Career

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 extract any favourable 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. The film also starred Brenda Blethyn, Tom Skerritt and Emily Lloyd.

In 1993's Kalifornia, Pitt was reunited on screen with Juliette Lewis in what would become a cult classic portrayal of a serial killer. In a similar vein, True Romance was released in the same year and Brad Pitt's brief appearance in the film was one f the movie's highlights.

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, including Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst and Christian Slater. Despite many critics lambasting Pitt's performance in the film it was still 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, alongside Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow and Morgan Freeman. 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 - which also starred Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe - 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, alongside Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones and Benicio del Toro.

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 Aniston), 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 ultimately be a life-changer for Pitt, as he eventually left his wife in order to start a relationship with Jolie.

Pitt's performance in Babel was well-received by the critics and the film received no fewer than seven Academy Award nominations.

After appearing in Ocean's Thirteen, Brad Pitt starred in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. His acting skill this time landed him the Volpi cup at the 64th Venice International Film Festival.

In 2008, Brad Pitt featured in the Coen brothers' comedy Burn After Reading, which also starred Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and George Clooney. 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. The film also starred Cate Blanchett.

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: Personal Life

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 Aniston. Their marriage ended in 2005. His subsequent relationship with Angelina Jolie has 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.