🎬 WILLIAM BRADLEY PITT 🎬
DECEMBER 18, 1963 • AGE 62 • AMERICAN ACTOR & FILM PRODUCER
FROM MISSOURI DREAMER TO HOLLYWOOD LEADING MAN
🌻 AN OKLAHOMA BIRTH AND MISSOURI ROOTS
William Bradley Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and grew up in Springfield, Missouri. As a teenager, he participated in school musicals, debate, swimming, and tennis, developing interests that extended far beyond the movie screen.
🚗 TWO CREDITS SHORT OF GRADUATION
Pitt studied journalism and advertising at the University of Missouri but left just two credits short of graduating to pursue acting in California. Before finding success, he worked unusual jobs in Los Angeles, including dressing as a giant chicken to advertise a restaurant.
🎬 A FEW MINUTES THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Pitt attracted widespread attention with his brief appearance as J.D., a charming young hitchhiker, in the 1991 film Thelma & Louise. Although his screen time was limited, the performance helped launch his career as a Hollywood leading man.
🍔 THE MOVIE CHARACTER WHO NEVER STOPS SNACKING
In the 2001 film Ocean’s Eleven, Pitt played Rusty Ryan, a smooth-talking member of Danny Ocean’s team. Rusty is frequently seen eating throughout the movie, a memorable character detail that became one of the film’s running jokes.
🏆 MORE THAN A MOVIE STAR
Pitt helped establish Plan B Entertainment in 2001, expanding his career from acting into film production. The company produced acclaimed movies including 12 Years a Slave, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2014, earning Pitt an Oscar as one of its producers.
⭐ THE ROLE THAT EARNED HIM AN ACTING OSCAR
Pitt won his first Academy Award for acting in 2020 for portraying stuntman Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The role celebrated the atmosphere of 1960s Los Angeles and added another major achievement to his decades-long career.
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