Brad Pitt is the quintessential Hollywood heartthrob. But the actor proved that he is much more than his physical appearance by taking on many interesting and challenging roles in films like Seven, 12 Monkeys and his Oscar winning performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.

Like many film stars who channel events and memories from their personal lives to prepare for a role, Brad Pitt too did a film that required him to look back on a few painful memories mainly involving his high profile and bitter divorce with Angelina Jolie.

Brad Pitt Channelled His Personal Loneliness For Ad Astra

In 2019, Brad Pitt starred in the psychological science fiction drama Ad Astra in which he played an astronaut who undertakes a dangerous mission across the solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father.

Directed by James Gray, the film required the Ocean’s Eleven star to internalize his character and look within to answer profound questions on life. The loneliness depicted by the character was also tangibly seen with long stretches in the film involving only Pitt on screen. Speaking of the dichotomy of a man in solitude in a vast solar space, the star said,

“We’re asking questions like, ‘What’s it all about?’ and ‘Why are we here?’ That’s a bit of a minefield, because there are so many traps. We wanted to investigate the inability to connect with others, and the self-protection mechanisms one builds up that keep us from really being open.”

Brad Pitt in Ad Astra

Brad Pitt signed on Ad Astra right after his bitter split with Angelina Jolie. Director James Gray who was keen on only Pitt doing this role, revealed that the actor used his personal turmoil as a stimulus to create the emotional vacuum that his character embodied.

The Oscar winner though, when questioned about his current mindset at the time, gave a diplomatic answer stating that he had “ family stuff” going on.

Seven Was A Milestone Film For Brad Pitt

There are certain movies that fall into actors’ laps at the opportune time to change their destiny and create a lasting legacy. David Fincher’s Seven was that film for Brad Pitt. Up until then, Pitt had made a name as a Hollywood heartthrob and an actor with charisma and presence in successful blockbusters. With Seven, the celebrity transitioned to being recognized as a serious actor for the first time.

Playing an ill-fated detective who has to hunt down a chilling serial killer, Pitt’s intensity, body language, and his ability to match his co-star and veteran actor Morgan Freeman scene for scene, was a revelation to fans and critics. The climax which featured Pitt’s desperate plea to find out “ What’s in the box”, showcased the actor’s vulnerability to submit himself to a complex role.