Brad Pitt (pictured above) is a 55-year-old actor known for his roles in movies such as Fight Club and Ocean’s Eleven. Pitt has been involved in Hollywood since 1991 and continues to star in films such as the recently released Ad Astra (courtesy of perfect boys on Flicker).
Space movies are unique because of the way they allow audiences to consider interpersonal relationships, thoughts and character development in a way that is removed from external influences like politics or culture. Director James Gray’s film Ad Astra, which was released on Friday Sept. 20, masterfully explores this phenomenon by sending Major Roy McBride—played by Brad Pitt—on an introspective journey across the solar system in the pursuit of his estranged father.
The deeply philosophical film is pervaded with gorgeous astral scenery and resplendent camera work; yet it’s notable that in a movie so visually breathtaking, Pitt is regularly the most magnetic, eye-catching presence on the screen. This is even more incredible considering how understated the actor’s McBride performance is—the astronaut is notoriously even keel and is famous for having a heart rate that never rises above 80 BPM. In one of the best acting performances of his career, Pitt weaponizes his absurd good looks and his 30-year career in Hollywood to remind audiences that he may in fact be the greatest movie star alive.
Throughout his career, Pitt has regularly made creative career choices that run contrary to the stereotypical movie star career arc which should serve to firmly cement him as one of Hollywood’s all-time greats and, as a result, it may finally be time for him to win an Oscar for acting. Brad Pitt, WTF?
The argument that Brad Pitt is a character actor in a leading man’s body is a tired one, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate. It’s also a useful observation to consider when thinking about Pitt’s career holistically, as it is fascinating to track his performances’ evolution over time as he developed as an actor and celebrity. In a recent interview with GQ, Pitt described when he began to say no to a certain type of role. He said, “Leo [Dicaprio] and I were having this conversation the other day. I hit this point in the late ‘90s or early 2000s, where I realized I was chasing these interesting [roles], yet I was failing to live as interesting a life as I thought I could.”
Pitt refers to a specific transitionary period where, rather than accepting the typical heartthrob-y parts that you’d expect someone that looks like him to take, he started seeking out more interesting, character-driven performances. This is prevalent in some of his 21st century filmography; he makes a fool of himself in 2008’s Burn After Reading, plays an old baby in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and spends two and-a-half hours scalping Nazis in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds. These roles are drastically different from his earlier work and are not the characters you’d traditionally expect a Hollywood hunk to play. This streak culminated when he starred as Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane, tackling niche subject matter in a witty, touching movie that was elevated to popular relevance by Pitt’s star power and surprisingly vulnerable performance. Moneyball, and the Best Supporting Actor nomination that followed, marks the last time Pitt starred in a movie that had any significant critical or cultural impact.
Now, eight years after Moneyball’s release, Brad Pitt has proven that 2019 belongs to him by reclaiming the public eye and starring in two of this year’s major releases: the aforementioned interstellar masterpiece Ad Astra and Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood—written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The films perfectly highlight Pitt’s duality. While Ad Astra showcases Pitt as an actor, Once Upon a Time relies heavily on his charisma, looks and innate likability—his movie stardom. Pitt plays the effortlessly cool Cliff Booth, an aging stuntman who steals the movie by spending most of his screen time driving around Los Angeles in a gorgeous car and assuaging his best friend Rick Dalton’s anxieties about aging into obscurity. Pitt’s Booth seems like an eternally good hang, and the performance encapsulates everything that is great about Brad Pitt as an actor and a movie star with an increasing amount of Oscar buzz regarding a Best Supporting Actor win as a result.
It would only be fitting for a career as remarkable and unique as Pitt’s to culminate in a Supporting Actor win. Despite his leading man looks, the actor has regularly done his best work when he shares the spotlight, so it would make sense for him to be awarded for a supporting role. If you haven’t yet, make it a point to see both of Brad Pitt’s 2019 performances and appreciate his greatness, because there will never be another actor quite like him.