He is one of the greatest actors of our time, whose leading man good looks have never detracted from his skill in front of the camera.
His filmography includes some of the greatest films ever made, from Inglorious Basterds to Fight Club. But so strong is the list of films he’s starred in that even classics like Thelma and Louise, Fury and Snatch don’t make the list of his 10 best films put together by Empire film magazine. Also absent are Moneyball, Mr and Mrs Smith and Meet Joe Black.
But once you’ve seen the films that do make the list, you’ll appreciate why some of those are absent — and see why Brad Pitt really is one of the greatest Hollywood stars of the last 30 years.
It was Thelma and Louise in 1991 that kickstarted Pitt’s career, when he played a handsome criminal who romanced then conned Geena Davis’s Thelma. But it was A River Runs Through It in 1992 which made it clear he was more than just a pretty face.
In the mid-90s he starred in a range of huge films including Legends of the Fall, Seven and Twelve Monkeys and went on to portray a wide range of roles, from a canny baseball coach who revolutionises an ailing team in Moneyball to a tank crew commander in Fury and action man in Troy and Mr and Mrs Smith.
He has been nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award twice, for Moneyball and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But his biggest commercial success came with the apocalyptic film World War Z, which reportedly grossed $540 million worldwide. His net worth is currently estimated at around $400 million. Ocean’s Eleven is said to be the movie for which he was paid the highest figure, of $30 million.
Although a massive figure for a single film, it is a long way down the list of highest-earning actors for a single film, which is topped by Keanu Reeves for his reported $156 million for The Matrix sequels. Bruce Willis comes next, reportedly earning $100 million for The Sixth Sense.
Pitt has been married twice, to superstars Jennifer Aniston (2000-2005) and Angelina Jolie (2014-2019). He was divorced from both and has six children with Jolie.
Brad Pitt’s 10 best films of all time
These are Brad Pitt’s 10 best films ever, according to Empire, who say Pitt “has walked an incredible line” with his career. They add: “On the one hand, he’s been the epitome of an A-list Hollywood celebrity, starring in major blockbusters and putting all his considerable charisma up on the screen. But he’s also worked with incredible indie directors and fascinating filmmakers to build up a body of work that has considerable breadth.”
10. The Tree of Life
9. Burn After Reading
8. Twelve Monkeys
7. Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles
6. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
5. Inglorious Basterds
4. The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
3. Ocean’s Eleven
2. Fight Club
1. Seven