Brad Pitt
He transformed from a heartthrob into a formidable actor and producer, shaping modern cinema with his discerning taste and box office power.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American actor·Birthday: December 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brad Pitt arrived in Hollywood with little more than a beat-up car and a few hundred dollars, but his charisma was immediately magnetic. His early roles in films like 'Thelma & Louise' cemented his status as a generational pin-up, but Pitt chafed against the label, deliberately seeking out complex, often unglamorous parts in projects like 'Twelve Monkeys' and 'Fight Club'. This pivot revealed a sharp, restless intelligence. He leveraged his star power to found Plan B Entertainment, a production company responsible for a string of critically adored, award-winning films such as '12 Years a Slave' and 'Moonlight', proving his eye for potent storytelling was as significant as his on-screen presence. His career arc is a masterclass in navigating fame, using it as fuel to become a central architect of 21st-century American film, both in front of and behind the camera.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brad was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Cliff Booth in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
- Founded Plan B Entertainment, which produced the Best Picture Oscar winners '12 Years a Slave' and 'Moonlight'.
- Starred in the globally successful 'Ocean's' trilogy, which redefined the modern heist film genre.
- Received a Primetime Emmy Award for his role as Dr. Anthony Fauci in 'Saturday Night Live'.
- His leading-man films have collectively grossed over $7.5 billion at the worldwide box office.
Did You Know?
He dropped out of the University of Missouri just two weeks before graduating to move to Los Angeles and pursue acting.
He is a trained architectural draftsman and has a noted passion for design and furniture.
He and then-wife Angelina Jolie purchased the French estate and vineyard Château Miraval, which produces award-winning rosé wine.
He provided the voice for the Metro Man in the animated film 'Megamind'.
He briefly worked as a chauffeur, dressing as a giant chicken to promote a restaurant before his big break.
““I always thought I was a pretty honest, straightforward person. But I’m learning that I’m a really good liar.””
