Brad Pitt

William Bradley Pitt is the oldest of three children. He was born on December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His mother was a school counselor and his father worked as an executive at a trucking firm. The family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where Brad attended Kickapoo High School. He met the standards of the All-American Boy - debate team, student government, choir, theater, baseball, tennis, camping in the Ozarks - but most of all, Brad was a movie buff. He told CNN in 1995, "It started with the drive-ins, you know. Sitting on the hood of the car with your family, eating the cold popcorn that your mom made before because it was too expensive there." In Springfield Brad also worked for Colonel Day's Levi Emporium as a salesman. Brad attended the University of Missouri, majored in Journalism and Advertising, joined the fraternity Sigma Chi, and "got in enough trouble to keep things interesting." He posed for the "Men of Mizzou" pinup calender and, in 1987 (his senior year), he left college, two credit hours short of graduation. He hopped in his car named "Runaround Sue" and headed for California. He arrived in Los Angeles with $325.00 in his pocket. His first jobs was handing out free cigarette samples, standing outside El Pollo Loco restaurant in a chicken outfit and also escorting strippers around in a limousine. The money from these odd-jobs helped to pay for community theater and acting lessons. Slowly, he began to find his way into television and later to his breakout role. Brad was cast in the role of "J.D." a lanky cowboy in the movie "Thelma and Louise." In just fourteen minutes of screen time, Brad created a character so memorable that it launched what will most likely be a long, high-profile film career. He followed up that success with a good turn in "A River Runs Through It," and then as a vampire in "Interview With The Vampire," where Brad held his own against Tom Cruise. He's also worked with Harrison Ford in " The Devil's Own," Morgan Freeman in "Seven," Bruce Willis in "Twelve Monkeys," and Anthony Hopkins in "Legends of the Fall" and "Meet Joe Black". His next movie, Fight Club, hits the cinemas 15th October. Awards: 1998 - Rembrandt Audience Award - Best Actor - "Seven Years in Tibet" 1997 - Blockbuster Entertainment Award - Favorite Supporting Actor - Science Fiction - "Twelve Monkeys" 1996 - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - "Twelve Monkeys" 1996 - MTV Movie Award - Most Desirable Male - "Se7en" 1995 - MTV Movie Award - Best Male Performance - "Interview with the Vampire" 1995 - MTV Movie Award - Most Desirable Male - "Interview with the Vampire" 1993 - ShoWest Award - Male Star of Tomorrow Nominations 1996 - Oscar - Best Supporting Actor - "Twelve Monkeys" 1996 - MTV Movie Award - Best Male Performance - "Twelve Monkeys" 1996 - MTV Movie Award - Best On-Screen Duo w/Morgan Freeman - "Se7en" 1995 - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - "Legends of the Fall" Back to Index