Actor of the Week: Brad Pitt
It was only a matter of time before Brad Pitt was selected as our Actor of the Week. It is a great surprise to me that he has never won an Oscar, very similar to Tom Cruise, but like Cruise, Pitt is the epitome of an A-List celebrity, making him an easy choice for this weeks spot.
Like my article on Robin Williams, I am unable to speak about all of Brad Pitt’s films, as there are so many classics, therefore I will talk about the ones that I believe to be some of his most iconic, as well as some of my favourites.
The first film where I believe Pitt made his mark was with his performance in Ridley Scott’s ‘Thelma & Louise’. Pitt played a hitchhiker of sorts, called J.D, and in this role showed us that, not only was he good looking, he was seriously talented, therefore creating a recipe for a very successful career. With Pitt making such an impact early on in his acting career, it inevitably opened up some brilliant roles alongside some outstanding actors, such as Anthony Hopkins in Legends of the Fall and Tom Cruise in Interview With a Vampire. The one film that stands out for the most was his role as Detective Mills in Se7en, where he appeared alongside Kevin Spacey and Morgan Freeman. Se7en is an incredible film about two detectives trying to hunt a murderer who themes his kills to match the seven deadly sins. Pitt’s acting in this movie was fantastic, especially towards the end where his life becomes part of the investigation.
Soon after Se7en, Brad earned himself his first Oscar nomination in the film Twelve Monkeys where he starred alongside Bruce Willis. I have to be honest, this isn’t a film I loved, but it was certainly a well put together picture, with Pitt obviously putting in a great performance.
Pitt continued this standard of acting throughout his career starring in films like Sleepers and Meet Joe Black, ultimately leading him to my favourite role of his, that being Tyler Durden in Fight Club, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. I feel it goes without saying that this is Brad Pitt’s most iconic role, even if he wasn’t nominated for it. Fight Club is, without a doubt, one of my favourite films, with Brad Pitt’s performance being the highlight of this picture. A breakdown of this film’s story I feel isn’t required, because you’ve either seen it, or you should straight away!
Soon after his incredible role in Fight Club, Pitt took on an unlikely character in Guy Ritchie's Snatch, where Brad plays a pikey, hard-as-nails, backstreet boxer, who winds up getting his managers in trouble for not complying to a fixed a fight. What I love about Pitt in this film is that it really highlights his diversity. Not only is Brad Pitt an american starring in an extremely english film, he is playing a character who is somewhat unique to britain. Brad Pitt’s line “D’ya like Dags” is a quote many people from the UK would recognise instantly.
I cannot write this blog without mentioning his role in the Ocean’s trilogy, where he plays Rusty, the right hand man to George Clooney’s Danny Ocean. The Ocean films are iconic heist movies, which I enjoy a lot as they have a great re-watch factor to them. Here’s an interesting game - in Ocean’s 11, try and spot a scene where Brad Pitt isn’t chewing on or drinking something, you’ll struggle!
Pitt continued to be looked on favorably by the Academy, being nominated for Best Lead in films such as The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, which he starred alongside Cate Blanchett, and Moneyball. Moneyball was a film I really enjoyed, due to it being about sport. Being a Brit, Baseball isn’t really a sport I am too interested in, but I can appreciate the game, especially when inspiring movies are made about it, which is exactly what we get with Moneyball. It doesn’t get much better than The Sandlot though, when it comes to baseball films! Brad was also one of the many incredible actors in 12 Years a Slave, helping the film win the Best Picture Award in 2014.
It would be easy for me to carry on talking about Brad Pitt as he is an incredible actor who has been in so many brilliant movies, but, to be honest, I don’t need to tell you that. Pitt’s work speaks for itself, and he will continue making classics, and we will all, without a doubt, continue to watch them! Thanks Brad!
