BRAD PITT - Benjamin Button

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Brad Pitt, one of today's most-watched film actors, is also a successful film producer, with his company Plan B Entertainment. He was an Academy Award® nominee for his performance in Terry Gilliam's cult classic blockbuster ‘Twelve Monkeys,’ for which he won a Golden Globe Award. He was also a Golden Globe Award nominee for his performances in Edward Zwick's "Legends of the Fall" and Alejandro González Iñárritu's ‘Babel.’

Pitt most recently starred in Joel and Ethan Coen's comedy thriller ‘Burn After Reading,’ which had its world premiere as the opening night attraction at the 2008 Venice International Film Festival, showing yet another side to his talent in the outstanding film. The previous year, he was named Best Actor at Venice for his portrayal of Jesse James in ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ directed by Andrew Dominik. Opposite George Clooney, his ‘Burn After Reading’ co-star, he also appeared in Steven Soderbergh's classic modern films noir hits ‘Ocean's Eleven,’ ‘Ocean's Twelve’ and ‘Ocean's Thirteen.’

Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, he grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and attended the University of Missouri at Columbia where he majored in Journalism. Just before graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to study graphic design, but instead began to pursue an acting career, studying with Roy London. Soon after, he began securing roles in television, including the series ‘Glory Days’ and the acclaimed telefilms ‘The Image’ directed by Peter Werner and ‘Too Young to Die?’ directed by Robert Markowitz.

It was Mr. Pitt's role in Ridley Scott's Academy Award®-winning feminist fueled road movie ‘Thelma and Louise’ that first brought him national attention. He soon went on to star in Robert Redford's Academy Award®-winning ‘A River Runs Through It,’ Dominic Sena's outstanding cult hit ‘Kalifornia’ and Neil Jordan's classic Anne Rice adaptation, ‘Interview With the Vampire.’ He has also starred in Tom DiCillo's ‘Johnny Suede,’ which won the Golden Leopard Award for Best Picture at the 1991 Locarno International Film Festival; Ralph Bakshi's ‘Cool World,’ Tony Scott's ‘True Romance,’ Barry Levinson's ‘Sleepers,’ Alan J. Pakula's ‘The Devil's Own,’ Jean- Jacques Annaud's ‘Seven Years in Tibet,’ Martin Brest's ‘Meet Joe Black,’ and two previous David Fincher films the gritty and shocking thriller ‘Se7en’ and the ultraviolence cult hit ‘Fight Club.’

More recent films of Mr. Pitt include Doug Liman's ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith,’ which was one of 2005's biggest hits, produced by Hollywood legend Arnon Milchan, Wolfgang Petersen's well received ‘Troy’ Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson's animated feature ‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas,’ Tony Scott's ‘Spy Game,’ Gore Verbinski's ‘The Mexican,’ Guy Ritchie's ‘Snatch,’ as well as cameo roles in Soderbergh's ‘Full Frontal’ and Clooney's ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.’

Pitt's expertly run Plan B Entertainment develops and produces film and television projects. Plan B has thus far produced such landmark films as Martin Scorsese's ‘The Departed,’ which won four Academy Awards®, including Best Picture and Best Director, Michael Winterbottom's ‘A Mighty Heart,’ for which Angelina Jolie received Golden Globe, Independent Spirit, Critics' Choice, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, auteur legend Tim Burton's timeless ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ starring Johnny Depp, and Ryan Murphy's ‘Running with Scissors,’ for which Annette Bening received a Golden Globe Award. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, directed by David Fincher, brings Mr. Pitt full force in to 2009 with yet another mark of excellence, proving to all, he’s not just a pretty boy, he is a talent to be reckoned with.

The Hollywood Sentinel, ® © 2009.