Brad Pitt doesn't think he'll have as successful a year as the last 12 months have been for some time. The 48-year-old actor has seen his two latest movies, 'Moneyball' and 'The Tree of Life', nominated for a string of awards – including six and three Academy Awards respectively – and while he thinks too much emphasis is placed on winning or losing prizes, he knows he has enjoyed a particularly fruitful period of work. He said: "We're so defined by the last success or the last failure that we even start to see ourselves that way.

"You've got these awards and there's going to be one winner and four losers, but the four losers made great films. A subtle point of 'Moneyball' is that we're a string of successes and failures. "Odds are I won't have another year like this one for a while."

Brad – who shot to fame after appearing in 1991 movie 'Thelma and Louise' – believes he is a "good" actor now but there are still things he wants to learn. He added: "I think I've become a good actor. I'm very sporadic but I think I've got some skills now. "What I'm lacking is the weight of some of the actors I like and maybe I'll focus on that."

Read the rest of this entry »

Several months ago it seemed as though this may be Brad Pitt’s year. For some, he's a movie star who happens to know how to act. To others he is a talented character actor who happens to be a remarkably good-looking movie star. Pitt himself will often say that he has learned his craft over the course of a 20-year career peppered with hits and misses, but he has become known for his humility as well as his willingness to take chances and go against the grain of what could have been a one- or two-note body of work.

For a time in the precursor season, it appeared as though he may be nominated for “The Tree of Life” as well as “Moneyball.” Each would offer particular PR challenges. Neither necessarily represents a no-brainer Oscar win (great historical figure, person facing life-altering trauma or, as Ricky Gervais taught us in “Extras,” a Nazi or a nun). But “Moneyball” is also a film that is notably devoid of the bells and whistles of the traditional “sports movie.” There is no great triumph, no moment of cathartic victory in a neatly wrapped package of money and accolades. What the film does offer is a look at how and why we define ourselves and others as we do, as well as an exploration of a thinking man’s way through a system that is inherently inequitable.

Though I love “Moneyball” and count it as my number one or two of this year’s Best Picture nominees, I was hoping for a “Tree of Life” nomination for Pitt. I found it to be the most complex and nuanced performance of his career. It allowed him to explore and express a dark undercurrent of the human psyche without the veil of grandiose insanity. His Mr. O'Brien was, in his own deeply flawed way, loving and well-intentioned. At the very least it was his intention to be loving. He was simply unable to keep the demons at bay. It made for what were, for me, the finest moments in the film: young Jack’s upbringing in Texas.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Pitt has instead been nominated as both “Moneyball”’s producer and lead actor. His good friend George Clooney, nominated for "The Descendants," became the frontrunner after the critics' awards circuit, but now he seems poised for a potential upset by Jean Dujardin after "The Artist" star's SAG win. Pitt began to fade into the background (as much as an internationally famous mega-star can fade). But could that air of sudden uncertainty be a window of opportunity?

The actor's “Moneyball” stumping this week has reminded me of what that portrayal had to offer. It is also striking that, as Kris has pointed out, a campaign for Oscar can be likened to the story of the Oakland A’s' struggle in “Moneyball” in terms of the influx of cash it takes to win. As far as the film's themes are concerned, as Pitt said in a recent interview with The Guardian, this is a film about a man finding his value, which may or may not be (solely) via the traditional markers of success.

"We're so defined by the last success or the last failure that we even start to see ourselves that way," Pitt said of Hollywood. "You've got these awards and there's going to be one winner and four losers, but the four losers made great films. A subtle point of ‘Moneyball’ is that we're a string of successes and failures. Odds are I won't have another year like this one.”

With that in mind, Pitt has been engaging in a surge of media rounds with an appearance on the Daily Show, another on the Today Show (alongside co-nominee Jonah Hill) and a cover story on The Hollywood Reporter, among others. In the segment with Jon Stewart he joked that the race is similar to that of the Republican primary and that he’s “gonna be hanging out with Ron Paul” if he’s not careful. “I gotta get in there and mix it up a bit,” he enthused. And so he is.

As Greg Ellwood mentioned in his piece on The Daily Show appearance, Sandra Bullock took a similar track in 2009 to ultimate success. Though, like his character, Pitt appears to be a man who is seeking a path of deeper value. When asked what winning would mean to him, he responded, “I really don’t believe in that.” And oddly enough, I think he is sincere.

“There are so many good performances, so many good performances that aren’t being acknowledged,” he said. “What it does for a movie is that it makes it easier for a film like this to get made in the future.”

To that end, Pitt is likely using his considerable star power to give “Moneyball” (a passion project that it took him half a decade to make) a boost. He is also lending his support to co-star Jonah Hill’s unlikely campaign for Best Supporting Actor for a portrayal that Pitt describes as “a study in reserve.” The somewhat counter-intuitive result may be that Pitt’s own bid for Oscar will receive some momentum. He has the goodwill as well as a strong performance.

I wouldn’t call “Moneyball” as a whole a study in reserve. But it does not possess the pomp and circumstance that is so often associated with Oscar darlings. It’s a pleasure to watch, and yet it maintains an adult tone in the sense that it captures the sacrifice and compromise that comes with a grown-up life. It understands how our vision of ourselves shifts as we age. (And for a look at what happens when it doesn’t, see “Young Adult.”) “Moneyball” maintains an undercurrent of emotional depth even in the moments of levity, which Pitt says in his interview with The Guardian is somewhat reminiscent of a different era in filmmaking.

"He reminded me of the characters I loved from 70s films,” Pitt said of his character, Billy Beane. “When I started in film I was taught that you had to have a character arc and there had to be an epiphany. As years go by I have found that to be utter bullshit. We don't really change; we evolve in degrees and what I love about these characters from the 70s like Popeye Doyle is they were the same beast at the end of the film as they were at the beginning. I do love obsessive characters. I get off on watching that."

Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wonder how to get your lazy, good-for-nothing children out of bed? Why don’t they just wake up and get a job? As with so many of our personal struggles, Brad Pitt has the answer. A good strong dose of caffeine and sugar does the trick, Pitt says, Page Six reports. “’We gotta get up. Get up! Here’s your shoes. Here’s your shoes. Drink this Coke. Drink this Coca-Cola. Drink it all. Right now! Drink it! Drink it! Drink it!’” Pitt tells his drowsy kids (he has six, with Angelina Jolie) according to an upcoming episode of “Inside the Actor’s Studio” with James Lipton. Page Six surmises that Pitt may get in trouble for his remarks. “Pitt will almost certainly be criticized for the statement,” Page Six opines, “as sodas are high in sugar and are only recommended for kids in moderation.”

Read the rest of this entry »

According to the latest issue of OK! magazine, Hollywood superstar couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are having twins again!

The tabloid gives its update on Angelina’s rumored pregnancy, claiming that she called it a miracle. Also of note is Brad’s quote about wanting to get married. The marriage thing was something he revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, so that’s really nothing new. Still, Angelina later debunked the marriage reports, saying that the talk just got blown out of proportion. Also featured in this issue of the tabloid are Royal couple Kate Middleton and Prince William. Apparently they’ve had their first fight over his “boozy vacation”.

After Russell Brand filed for divorce from Katy Perry, he’s rumored to be chasing after her lookalike, Zooey Deschanel. He does seem like the type to get all sleazy about going after a woman that some have called Katy’s doppelganger. Also of note is Cameron Diaz’s reported plastic surgery fiasco. Did she have some work done? She was spotted recently, looking a bit tweaked. What do you think?

Read the rest of this entry »

Apparently Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie weren't in support of the recent protest against online censorship.
In fact, Pitt says he's actually taken steps to block his and Jolie's names on computers within their own home.

He said he took the action because he doesn't want their six kids reading tabloid rumors about them.
"On all the kids' computers we had our names blocked," Pitt, 48, told Germany's Bild newspaper. "They can't Google their mom and dad. I don't want to make myself dependent on what other people think."The actors, who are parents to children ranging in age from 3 to 10, say they themselves go to lengths to block out the constant stream of tabloid news.  Pitt said of himself and Jolie, 36, "We don't even notice all the noise."

Read the rest of this entry »

After sporting a cane for a few months due to a knee injury, Brad Pitt’s walking stick has become a play toy for his and Angelina Jolie’s kids as Brad begins the process of strengthening his atrophied leg.

“I was getting all lopsided,” Brad, 48, explained to Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson at the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. “So, I’m trying to balance out now.”

The actor — who, in addition to his SAG Award nomination for “Moneyball,” was also nominated for an Academy Award — revealed the Jolie-Pitt family enjoyed a good old-fashioned pancake breakfast to celebrate his Oscar nod.

“I got ‘em all jacked up on sugar,” he told Shaun. “I’m surprised they weren’t sent home from school!” Earlier on Sunday, the actor revealed to “CBS Morning News” correspondent Lee Cowan he’s been receiving “a lot of pressure” from his kids to marry Angelina – a comment the actor is beginning to regret.

“Why did I say that?” Brad laughed, when asked about the already-highly-publicized marriage reveal. “No, but there’s an issue of equality in marriage, and we wanted to hold out until everyone had the right.

“I was just commenting on, one, it’s really difficult [to wait] when you love someone, and two, that we’re getting a lot of heat from the kids,” he explained.

Read the rest of this entry »

Brad Pitt has revealed that it took him a trip to the North African kingdom of Morocco, one of the world’s major producers and exporters of cannabis, to get rid of his deep depression marked with “smoking way too much dope.”

While Pitt was living the brightest moments of his professional life in the 1990s with his roles in “A River Runs Through It,” “Legends of the Fall” and “Seven,” the Hollywood star was living debasing moments in his personal life.

“I got really sick of myself at the end of the 1990s: I was hiding out from the celebrity thing; I was smoking way too much dope; I was sitting on the couch and just turning into a doughnut, and I really got irritated with myself,” Pitt told The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

“I was doing the same thing every night and numbing myself to sleep – the same routine: couldn’t wait to get home and hide out. But that feeling of unease was growing and one night I just said, ‘This is a waste.’”

Towards the end of the 1990s, Pitt went on a trip to Morocco, a country where one would least expect to lose addiction to cannabis. During his trip, seeing extreme poverty made the Hollywood star appreciate his life and helped him recover from his deep depression.

“I saw poverty to an extreme I had never witnessed before, and we talked about inequality and health care, and I saw just what I felt was so unnecessary, that people should have to survive in these circumstances – and the children were inflicted with a lot of deformities, and things that could have been avoided had become their sentence. It stuck with me,” he told the magazine. “I just quit. I stopped grass then – I mean, pretty much – and decided to get off the couch.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Brad Pitt's Make It Right organization has brought in some heavy hitters for its upcoming gala in New Orleans. Talk show host Ellen Degeneres and "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson will host a star-studded event this year to benefit Pitt's home rebuilding effort. Pitt will attend the $1,000-per-person gala on March 10 called "A Night to Make It Right," which will include performances by singers Sheryl Crow, Rihanna, Seal and Dr. John.

The "Moneyball" actor launched Make It Right in 2007 to help Lower 9th Ward residents who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Lower 9th Ward was one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods when Katrina caused levees to fail, inundating roughly 80 percent of the city with floodwater.

Pitt worked with architects to come up with designs for stronger, safer and more energy-efficient houses than the ones residents lost. So far 75 homes have been built, six more are under construction and construction is set to begin on roughly eight others in coming months.

Degeneres, a New Orleans native, has already donated more than $2 million to Make It Right. Other celebrities serving on the event's host committee who may also be attending include actors Josh Brolin, Sean Penn and Kevin Spacey and director Spike Lee.

The gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Orleans. Comedian Aziz Ansari will host an after party. Tickets for that event start at $150.

DeGeneres and Pitt are connected in other ways as well. The talk show host recently bought a Los Angeles-area home once owned by Pitt. Earlier this week, Pitt was nominated in the best actor Oscar category for his role in "Moneyball."

Read the rest of this entry »

Brad Pitt has opened up about his battle with a deep depression, revealing it took a trip to Morocco for him to truly embrace life and his good fortune.

The Fight Club star spoke of his declining personal life and reliance on pot in the mid-1990s during an interview last fall and now he’s detailing the severity of his blues in the midst of his rise to fame, confessing he felt like a “waste”.

He tells The Hollywood Reporter, “I got really sick of myself at the end of the 1990s. I was hiding out from the celebrity thing; I was smoking way too much dope; I was sitting on the couch and just turning into a doughnut; and I really got irritated with myself. I got to, ‘What’s the point? I know better than this.’

“I used to deal with depression, but I don’t now, not this decade – maybe last decade. “But that’s also figuring out who you are. I see it as a great education, as one of the seasons or a semester: ‘This semester I was majoring in depression.’ I was doing the same thing every night and numbing myself to sleep – the same routine – I couldn’t wait to get home and hide out. But that feeling of unease was growing and one night I just said, ‘This is a waste.’”

And Pitt admits the thing that saved him was an eye-opening vacation to Casablanca. He continues, “I saw poverty to an extreme I had never witnessed before, and we talked about inequality and health care, and I saw just what I felt was so unnecessary, that people should have to survive in these circumstances – and the children were inflicted with a lot of deformities, and things that could have been avoided had become their sentence. It stuck with me.”That’s when Pitt decided it was time to make a change: “I just quit. I stopped grass then – I mean, pretty much – and decided to get off the couch.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Following the Tuesday, January 24 nomination announcement for the 2012 Academy Awards, various movie stars shared their excitement of being the Oscar nominees. Among those celebrating their noms were Brad Pitt, Michelle Williams, Jonah Hill and Rooney Mara.

"This is an extraordinary honor," Pitt enthused over his Best Actor nomination. "I am dizzy with joy... and caffeine. Considering both films, 'Moneyball and 'The Tree of Life', nearly didn't make it to the screen, this is especially sweet. And I'd like to thank all the artisans and craftsmen who gave their best to each film."

The long-time partner of Angelina Jolie additionally saluted his co-star Jonah Hill for his nom in Best Supporting Actor. "I am especially over the moon for Jonah," he said before adding, "Terry Malick and the tribute this is to Billy Beane and the Oakland A's organization. My congratulations to all the nominees...pancakes for everyone."

Hill, who was surprised with his Oscar nomination, told E! News, "Yeah, I was watching E! when I found out...I'm shocked...it's bizarre...I was trying not to think about it, but the people kept saying are you gonna watch tomorrow, so that got it in my head..."

"My phone just kind of blew up," he added. "[Brad] was really kind, he said he was really proud of me and I'm really proud of him. It's really exciting. I'm just happy to be amongst this group of amazing actors."

Michelle Williams, who was nominated for Best Actress thanks to her role in "My Week with Marilyn", shared, "I am so grateful to be acknowledged by the Academy for my work, which was made possible by the support of our director Simon Curtis and the camaraderie of a terrific ensemble of actors, a special congratulations to Kenneth Branagh, and the fearless Harvey Weinstein."

The actress who received her second Oscar nomination this year added, "This role [playing Marilyn Monroe] had been the challenge and privilege of lifetime. I would like to think that the recognition our film has received by the Academy is a testament to Marilyn's legacy."

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)" actress Rooney Mara, on the other hand, couldn't hide her happiness for her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She told E! News, "My phone started ringing off the hook...It's amazing, I feel very honored and humbled to be in that group. Those are women I've looked up to."

Veteran actress Meryl Streep also weighed in on her Best Actress nomination for her role as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady". She said, "I am honored to be in company with such beautiful artists, and touched deeply by my fellow actors for their generosity in giving me this acknowledgment." Meanwhile, "Albert Nobbs" actress Glenn Close gushed, "I am thrilled for Janet, I am thrilled for our incomparable hair and makeup team. It might be my sixth but it feels like my first. Bravo team Nobbs."

Another Best Actress nominee, Berenice Bejo, admitted that she couldn't believe she was nominated for her role in "The Artist". She shared, "I'm overjoyed and filled with happiness. I can't believe that a year ago I was learning how to tap dance and today I am nominated for an Academy Award."

Bejo's co-star, Jean Dujardin, additionally confessed that he's so "grateful" for his Best Actor nom. He added, "I can't help but stop and think about how incredible this journey has been. From filming on a Hollywood soundstage to the moment I received this wonderful news this morning, I'm so humbled to be amongst such distinguished and talented people."

Senior actor, Gary Oldman, commented on his first Oscar nomination in his career. "This afternoon in Berlin I learned that I was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Actor," the "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," thesp opened up.

"You may have heard this before, but it has never been truer than it is for me today; it is extremely humbling, gratifying, and delightful to have your work recognized by the Academy, and to join the celebrated ranks of previous nominees and colleagues. Amazing," said Oldman.

Winners of this year's Academy Awards will be announced during a ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday, February 26. Hosted by veteran Oscar host Billy Crystal, the event will be televised live by the ABC Television Network in more than 225 countries worldwide.

Read the rest of this entry »