Let’s get the bombshell out of the way since it’s been reported all over the Internet already: in his recent Australian 60 Minutes interview, Brad Pitt revealed that he plans to quit acting in three years when he turns fifty.
His exact words after interviewer Tara Brown asked the follow-up question “What about after that?” were, “Hell if I know. Hell if I know. I am really enjoying the producing side and development of stories and putting those pieces together. And getting stories to the plate that might have had a tougher time otherwise, so…You know, I have gotten away with a few things in writing and I have been pissed off about a few things.”
Huh. Not only is that rather disappointing that Pitt, who has turned into a rather fine actor in recent years, is vowing to quit acting, but it also totally contradicts the last interview Pitt did that I posted on last week in which Pitt claimed he has “no aspirations whatsoever” to work on the production end of films, although he did hint at believing that he had a “shelf life.”
But overall Pitt’s interview with 60 Minutes seems to focus on the negatives. For example, when asked how he felt about his early years in acting when he was looked at more for his, well, looks than for any acting ability Pitt admits being frustrated. “I didn’t deal with it very well for a good 10 years or seven years. I didn’t know what to do with it. I found it very discombobulating. I didn’t think that far ahead, you know? I love films and wanted to be a part of films.” He adds that as a backlash, “I hid. I started sequestering myself in a way that I got rather sick of,” ultimately declaring, “I don’t want to keep doing this… what’s the point? What’s the point? I’m not enjoying this. What’s the point?”
In fact, Pitt recalls the animosity by recalling his first audition. He explains, “I had my first film audition. I called up and said, ‘how did I do?’ They said, ‘’Have you ever thought about acting school?’ So I had that point where I went, ‘Oh, so I was shit today. OK. I thought I was progressing alright.’ So I did re-evaluate. So I gotta learn more. I’ll figure it out.” What was the worst part of the advice? Pitt explains that he already was in acting classes!
As for more recent years, Pitt admits that his growing family with actress Angelina Jolie (six children in total) has an influence on how he chooses his roles. He explains, “If I’m choosing a film now, I want it to be maybe less immature than things I have done in the past. I’m very conscious, when they’re adults I want it to mean something to them. I want them to think, ‘Dad’s alright.’ It changes everything. Everything. And it’s so damn interesting.”
In the end though, it’s not clear whether Pitt really will quit acting upon his fiftieth birthday in 2013, but it seems that as long as his kids are happy, he’ll be happy. So let’s figure out a way to get the kids to convince “Dad” to keep at it!
