Brad Pitt Biography

Also Credited As: William Bradley Pitt
Born: William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma
Job Titles: Actor, Producer, Chauffeur, Delivery man

Mini Biography
Despite his leading man looks and movie star charisma, actor Brad Pitt spent most of his career trying to avoid bloated box office roles, in favor of riskier, lower profile work. Born on Dec. 18, 1963 in Shawnee, OK, Pitt was raised in a devout Baptist home headed by William, a trucking company manager, and Jane, a high school counselor. The family moved to Missouri, where Pitt attended Kickapoo High School.

Pitt entered features via the well-traveled low road, appearing in supporting roles in such standard teen fodder as slasher flicks, sex comedies and family-oriented sports dramas. Pitt gained some critical esteem playing the troubled younger brother who casts a mean fishing line in Robert Redford's "A River Runs Through It" (1992), but fared less well as a bearded psycho killer in "Kalifornia" (1993). Despite his relative minor degree of celebrity at that time, there was already considerable interest in Pitt’s romantic involvements. Pitt subsequently played his first high profile lead in a Hollywood blockbuster as Louis, the lachrymose narrator of "Interview with the Vampire" (1994). Pitt's star qualities were better displayed as the wild, middle brother of a colorful Western clan in "Legends of the Fall.” Pitt caused some controversy with a Newsweek interview, in which he made disparaging remarks about the film’s script. That film was also the subject of debate when it was revealed that Heinrich Harrer (Pitt) had been a Nazi Party member – the resulting negative publicity and mixed reviews hurting the film's box office.

Pitt followed up by reuniting with his "Legends of the Falls" co-star Anthony Hopkins in the languid "Meet Joe Black" (1998) – a loose remake of "Death Takes a Holiday" (1934) – with the younger actor playing the Grim Reaper in human form. In both of these films, Pitt's muscular physique was on display, but in "Fight Club,” he favored a scruffy look; while in "Snatch,” he was covered in tattoos.

In 2002, Pitt made brief cameo appearances in Soderbergh's experimental film "Full Frontal" (as himself) and Clooney's directorial debut, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.” The actor also agreed to rejoin Clooney, Soderbergh, et al, for the sequel romp "Ocean's Twelve" (2004), this time playing a Rusty with his own love interest (Catherine Zeta-Jones). In early 2005, the film work became secondary, when Pitt found himself at the center of an intense media whirlwind when he announced he was splitting from Aniston.

The couple ultimately revealed that they were expecting their own biological child together – daughter, Shiloh Nouvel – while articles trumpeting Aniston’s reportedly ongoing anguish over the loss of Pitt continued to propel the spectacle forward. Pitt earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor, which was soon followed by a Academy Award nomination for the same category.

Family
* Brother: Doug Pitt. Born c. 1966; owns computer company
* Daughter: Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt. Born May 27, 2006 in Namibia; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Daughter: Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt. Twin of Knox Leon; born July 12, 2008 in Nice, France; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Daughter: Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt. Legally adopted in 2006; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Father: William Pitt.
* Mother: Jane Pitt.
* Sister: Julie Pitt. Born c. 1969
* Son: Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt. Twin of Vivienne Marcheline; born July 12, 2008 in Nice, France; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Son: Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt. Legally adopted in 2006; mother is Angelina Jolie
* Son: Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt. Adopted at three years old from a Vietnamese orphanage in 2007; Angelina Jolie adopted the boy as a single parent because Vietnam s adoption regulations don t allow unmarried couples to co-adopt; name was legally changed to Jolie-Pitt three months after his adoption

Significant Others
* Companion: Angelina Jolie. Met while filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith ; rumored to be romantically involved throughout filming, but this was denied by both parties; began being photographed together as a couple in spring 2005, shortly after his split from Jennifer Aniston
* Wife: Jennifer Aniston. Met in 1998; married July 29, 2000 in Malibu, CA; announced separation on January 6, 2005, after more than fours years of marriage; Aniston filed for divorce March 2005; divorce finalized October 2005
* Wife: Jennifer Aniston. began dating in spring 1998; marrried on July 29, 2000 in Malibu, California
* Companion: Gwyneth Paltrow. met on set of Seven (1994) where they played a married couple; became engaged in November 1996; separated in June 1997
* Companion: Jill Schoelen. met on set of Cutting Class ; (1989); broke up in 1989
* Companion: Jitka Pohlodek. dated briefly in 1993
* Companion: Juliette Lewis. met on the set of the 1990 TV-movie Too Young to Die? ; together for three years; broke up c. February 1993; reportedly were engaged
* Companion: Katja von Garnier. German; born c. 1966; dated in 1997
* Companion: Robin Givens. dated briefly in 1988 after working together on episodes of the TV sitcom Head of the Class

Education
* University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, journalism

Milestones
* 1986 Moved to Los Angeles claiming to his parents that he was attending the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena
* 1987 First TV appearance on the NBC soap opera Another World
* 1987 Played the boyfriend of Jenna Wade Ewing s daughter in three episodes of the CBS primetime soap Dallas
* 1987 Primetime TV debut in a guest role in the ABC sitcom Growing Pains
* 1987 Worked as an extra on the film Less Than Zero (also had uncredited role)
* 1988 Made TV-movie debut in A Stoning in Fulham County (NBC)
* 1989 Feature acting debut, Cutting Class
* 1990 Co-starred with Juliette Lewis in the fact-based NBC TV-movie, Too Young to Die?
* 1991 Achieved instant sex-symbol status as J.D., a charming hitchhiker who seduces Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise
* 1991 First leading role in a feature, alongside Catherine Keener and Nick Cave in the low budget, Tom DiCillo-directed, Johnny Suede
* 1992 Had major film role in the Robert Redford directed A River Runs Through It
* 1993 Played featured role in Tony Scott s True Romance
* 1993 Took a dramatic turn as a scruffy serial killer alongside Juliette Lewis and David Duchovny in Kalifornia
* 1994 Co-starred with Tom Cruise in the film adaptation of Anne Rice s novel, Interview With the Vampire
* 1994 First worked with Anthony Hopkins playing one of his sons in Legends of the Fall ; received a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination
* 1995 Co-starred with Morgan Freeman as detectives tracking a serial killer (Kevin Spacey) in David Fincher s Seven
* 1995 Portrayed mental patient, Jeffrey Goines in Terry Gilliam s Twelve Monkeys ; received a Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination
* 1997 Played an Irish revolutionary opposite Harrison Ford in The Devil s Own
* 1997 Played the main role of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in the Jean Jacques Annaud film Seven Years in Tibet ; film was subject of controversy when it was disclosed that the main character had ties to the Nazis
* 1998 Re-teamed with Anthony Hopkins for Meet Joe Black
* 1999 Again collaborated with David Fincher for Fight Club, playing the character of Tyler Durden, opposite Edward Norton
* 2000 Portrayed an itinerant Irish gypsy bare knuckles boxer in Guy Ritchie s gangster film Snatch
* 2001 Had featured role in the ensemble of Ocean s Eleven, which included Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Matt Damon
* 2001 Teamed with Robert Redford in The Spy Game, playing the protege of a retiring CIA agent
* 2002 Made a guest appearance on the NBC sitcom Friends, as a man who has a grudge against Aniston s character Rachel Green; received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor
* 2004 Collaborated with the original cast for Ocean s Twelve
* 2004 Portrayed fated warrior Achilles in director Wolfgang Petersen s epic Troy
* 2005 Co-starred with Angelina Jolie, as husband and wife assassins, in Doug Liman s Mr. & Mrs. Smith
* 2006 Co-starred with Cate Blanchett as a tragedy-stricken American couple in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu s critically acclaimed Babel ; received a Golden Globe nomination for Supporting Actor
* 2007 Portrayed outlaw Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (also produced)
* 2007 Produced A Mighty Heart, the film based on the book by Mariane Pearl, wife of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl; film featured his partner Angelina Jolie in the lead role
* 2007 Reprised role along with the original cast for Ocean s 13
* 2008 Joined an ensemble cast for the Coen s brothers Burn After Reading
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Leading Man
* 2008 Nominated for the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* 2008 Re-teamed with director David Fincher and actress Cate Blanchett to play the title role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* 2009 Nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
* Grew up in Springfield, Missouri