Biography of Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt is one of the few stars who has gained global acclaim and a huge fan-following - right from the smallest towns in third-world countries to the chic cities of the developed world. Pitt's life has been a constant focus of media attention, especially after his association with the ravishing beauty Angelina Jolie. The global paparazzi is all head-over-heels to get a snapshot or a statement from this pair. Pitt's journey from his 1987 television debut to present-day fame is an inspiration for many aspiring actors.

The Beginning
Brad Pitt was born in a typical American household on 18 December, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His mother Jane Etta, and father William Alvin Pitt raised him as a conservative Southern Baptist. Brad along with his siblings, brother Doug (born 1966) and sister Julie (born 1969) grew up in Springfield, Missouri where the family had shifted just after his birth. He was an active kid right throughout his educational years. He participated in a lot of curricular and extra-curricular activities in Kickapoo High School where he was enrolled. He played in the golf, tennis and swimming teams of his college and was a proud member of the Key and Forensics clubs. School musicals, debates and student council affairs were his constant interests right throughout his school days. Overall, he had a pretty normal life, a loving and caring family, good friends, vacations and of course movies!

On completing his graduation in 1982, he studied at the University of Missouri where he majored in journalism along with a special focus on advertising. But he was destined to be in a different arena. Just two weeks before completing his degree, Pitt left this place for Los Angeles, California to take up acting lessons. He turned down the conventional way of taking up good jobs and settling down in life, like most of his friends preferred. Brad always yearned for something extraordinary.

Making of a Star
Brad had a dream of making it big in Hollywood and he decided to give acting his best shot. During his stay in California, he took up many odd jobs to earn a living. He worked as a chauffeur, delivery man and even dressed up as a chicken to attract crowds on the famous Sunset Boulevard. Strangely, he even assisted in writing scripts, and with all his earnings he financed his acting classes with the famous acting coach Roy London. It wasn't long before his acting potential got an outlet with a series of guest appearances on television in December 1987. The most important one among them was his stint with the prime time soap opera Dallas, which featured him in five episodes with the lovely actress Shalane McCall. Further, he appeared in television comedies like Growing Pains and Head of the Class.

There were some uncredited movies he did early on like Less Than Zero and No Man's Land, before a big role in Cutting Class came his way. His first starry appearance was in the 1988 movie Dark Side of The Sun, where Pitt portrayed an American youngster suffering from a terrible skin disorder. Further, he was appreciated for his first television movie, Too Young To Die?, where he portrayed a drug addict. After this step in his career there was no looking back for him. Brad Pitt had entered the arena where he truly belonged. His supporting role in the the 1991 movie Thelma & Louise propelled him to unprecedented success, where he romanced Gena Davis, the heartthrob of many during those days. This movie also marked the beginning of his reputation as a sex symbol, which was followed by some interesting roles in movies like Johnny Suede, A River Runs Through It, Kalifornia and Rolling Stone.

Fame and Stardom
Pitt significantly proved his flair for intense acting with the 1994 hit, Interview with the Vampire, alongside a multiple star cast featuring Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater and Antonio Banderas. His romantic character Tristan Ludlow which he played in Legends of the Fall gained immense female fan following across the globe. The next wonderful performance came alongside the legendary Morgan Freeman in Seven, which is one of his best performances till date. He won his first Golden Globe Award for the best supporting actor and an Oscar nomination for the 1995 sci-fi movie, Twelve Monkeys. Movies such as Fight Club, The Mexican, Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind were huge hits, grossing millions worldwide and making him a global phenomenon. He had also appeared in the all-time hit television soap Friends as a guest star, which was at a time when he was romancing Jennifer Aniston. He won an award for this appearance and his popularity rose to great heights. Pitt lent his voice for the first time to an animated movieSindbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.

Accolades and Personal Life
Brad Pitt has acted in some of the greatest hits of Hollywood since 2004 in a series of heart-winning performances. These include the critically acclaimed Babel, Troy, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and the 2008 superhit The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He has also produced some movies under the banner of his production firm Plan B Entertainment. His fame incorporates the following adulations

• Voted as the sexiest man alive by People Magazine in 1995 and 2000.
• Featured in the Forbes Magazine list of top 100 celebrities of the world at No. 20 in 2006 and No. 5 in 2007.
• Time Periodical voted him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
• Currently he is involved in a lot of social causes in different countries and has donated millions in charity.

Pitt has always been involved in a series of relationships with some leading ladies in his acting career. He married television star Jennifer Aniston in 1998 and the union was considered a successful relation, a rarity in Hollywood. Unfortunately, they broke up and announced a formal separation in 2005 ending seven years of starry romance. Today, Brad Pitt is a committed to Angelina Jolie, making them the hottest pair of tinsel town. The couple, referred to as 'Brangelina', have a family of six children and are always under media glare.

Three out of their six kids have been adopted from different places. Maddox, their eldest boy was adopted from Cambodia by Jolie, long before their relationship began. Pitt accompanied her to adopt a girl from Ethopia whom they named Zahara. They had their first biological child, a daughter named Shiloh Nouvel in 2006 and again adopted a boy, Pax Thien from Thailand. Shiloh happens to be the first infant who has been immortalized in wax at the Madame Tussuad's Museum. Recently, Jolie gave birth to the couple's twins, a boy Knox Leon and a girl Vivienne Marcheline. The press paid them millions for exclusive rights of the first pictures of the babies. It is believed that their first kid Shiloh was the most anticipated baby after the birth of Jesus Christ.

Amidst the frenzy, Pitt tries to balance his role as a husband, a responsible father, an actor and a producer. As the famous line from Shakespeare goes, 'Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown', let us hope Brad Pitt sustains the pressure of stardom and does what he does the best; entertains us. Cut!