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Since his scene-stealing performance as J.D., the hitchhiking thief who teaches Geena Davis about the joys of sex and robbing convenience stores in Thelma & Louise (1991), Pitt has become one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood. His earlier credits include such low-budget films as Cutting Class Happy Together (both 1989), and Across the Tracks (1991) as well as TV roles on "Dallas" and "Another World." In 1992 he was the human cop in the animated Cool World starred in Johnny Suede and received critical acclaim for his performance as the wild Paul MacLean in Robert Redford's A River Runs Through It Since then he has appeared in the Oscarnominated short Contact (1992), Kalifornia (1993, opposite then-girlfriend Juliette Lewis), True Romance (1993, in an amusing cameo), The Favor (1994, filmed in 1991), Interview With the Vampire, Legends of the Fall (both 1994), and Seven (1995).
William Bradley Pitt was born December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The oldest of three children, Pitt was an extremely active child while attending Kickapoo High School. Bill Pitt, a trucking company manager, wanted his children, Brad, Doug and Julie, to attend church regularly, and this is what young Brad did when he wasn't singing in school musicals, playing sports at school, or on the debating team. Although Pitt was always a movie buff, he decided to attend the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, to study journalism with a focus in advertising, and live the regular life of a college frat boy. Apparently, his love for film kicked in and Pitt decided to head for the land of aspiring actors -- L.A. -- two credits shy of graduating. His parents Bill and Jane were under the impression that he was heading to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena for fear that they would not let him go. But Pitt was far from a student while in California. He was actually donning a chicken suit for El Pollo Loco and working as a limo driver for strippers. These odd jobs served to pay for acting classes, which eventually led to bit parts on the primetime soap Dallas, and the daytime soap, Another World. Soon enough he made his substantial feature film debut, in the low-budget thriller, Cutting Class. It was in this film that he met actress Jill Schoelen, with whom he had a short courtship. After uncredited roles in No Man's Land, Less Than Zero and the made-for-TV movie Too Young to Die? (where Pitt met longtime honey Juliette Lewis), Pitt gained recognition in 15 minutes of screen time as lone roamer J.D. in 1991's Thelma and Louise. Obviously Pitt was not sentenced to a mere 15 minutes of fame, as the film roles began to slowly but surely pour in. That same year Pitt appeared in Johnny Suede, and in 1992 he co-starred with Kim Basinger in Cool World. After starring in Robert Redford's drama A River Runs Through It, Pitt appeared in crime-related films such as True Romance and Kalifornia (again with Juliette Lewis). But it was after his role in the epic Legends of the Fall that Pitt was branded People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1995. Plagued by this title, Pitt was forever determined to associate himself with being a great actor, even though his roles in A River Runs Through It and Interview With The Vampire were praiseworthy. He wouldn't have to worry for long, as Pitt had many other opportunities to showcase his incredible talent. He starred as detective David Mills in the thriller Se7en in 1995, alongside his sweetheart of two and a half years and former fiancée, Gwyneth Paltrow. That year he shone (in a disturbing way) as deranged Jeffrey Goines in 12 Monkeys, a role which garnered him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. He then appeared as a lawyer in the 1996 drama, Sleepers, and put on an Irish accent to portray an I.R.A. terrorist in The Devil's Own, co-starring Harrison Ford. Pitt starred in 7 Years In Tibet (which is said to be his best performance to date) in 1997, and took on the role of Death himself in Meet Joe Black (which thankfully did not kill his career), alongside Claire Forlani. In 1999, Pitt made a cameo in Being John Malkovich. His portrayal of eccentric and intriguing Tyler Durden in the bloody Fight Club was outstanding, albeit difficult to watch. Friends star Jennifer Aniston and the only man to be named "The Sexiest Man Alive" twice, finally tied the knot after a highly publicized long-term courtship, on July 29th, 2000. Now part of the $20 million club (his salary for Fight Club), Pitt can next be seen in Guy Ritchie's Snatch. Upcoming projects for one of the best actors of this generation include The Mexican, Ocean's Eleven (both with Julia Roberts), The Spy Game, and To the White Sea. |