You've seen Brad Pitt's image in movies, on television, staring back at you from glossy magazine covers and maybe even pinned to your bedroom wall. But absolutely nothing can prepare a gal for seeing this big-screen god in person. Whew! He is take-your-breath-away handsome.
With his trademark chiseled cheekbones and pouty lips, Brad strode into Manhattan's Essex House Hotel wearing worn jeans, a snug yellow short-sleeve polo shirt (revealing his Herculean arms) and a movie star smile. He held a tough black leather jacket coolly over his shoulder, and a pair of pricey sunglasses dangled from his collar. His long, bleached-out Troy hair extensions? Gone. In their place, a new supershort cropped 'do.
Despite being one of the most highly paid actors (he banked a cool $20 mil for Mr. and Mrs. Jones), his interests extend outside the boundaries of Hollywood. Before filming Troy, inspired by Homer's The Iliad, Brad took two years off from making movies to oversee the renovation of the Los Angeles mansion he purchased with wife Jennifer Aniston (parts of which he designed himself) and to pursue some of his other passions like photography and architecture. In fact, his photos appear in a book, Greene & Greene: The Blacker House, and he recently began an internship with star architect Frank Gehry.
But those side projects are on the back burner for now because the heartthrob, who reached superstardom appearing in films like Thelma and Louise, Legends of the Fall, Interview with the Vampire and Fight Club, is making movies again. Currently starring as the great Greek warrior Achilles in Troy -- a big-budget flick costarring Orlando Bloom, Eric Bana and screen legend Peter O'Toole -- Brad just wrapped production of Mr. and Mrs. Smith (costarring Angelina Jolie) and began the Ocean's Eleven sequel, Ocean's Twelve. Oh, and he's also in the process of starting a family with Jen. Read on for all the delicious details...
iVillage: How did you prepare to play a larger-than-life role like Achilles?
Brad: Fortunately, there was so much research done on The Iliad. So many people have written about it, so I had a great well of information to glean from. Then, I culled the things that meant the most to me. So it wasn't that difficult. It's dealing with a really isolated character who was in search of self.
iVillage: Did you read the whole story, or did you buy the Cliff Notes version?
Brad: I actually read the whole thing because I knew this question was coming [laughs]. No, that's not true. When I started it I really got into it. There's a reason why it's still around. It's one of the great stories -- you can see how many films and stories are a derivative of it.
iVillage: How important was it to play this character? This is a departure from other roles you've played.
Brad: Actually, when I first read the script, it seemed too obvious in a way in my addled brain. But I quickly got into it.
iVillage: Obvious?
Brad: I don't know. I'm not sure what it was. [Playing the] Golden Boy or something...
iVillage: Do you have an Achilles heel?
Brad: Well, yeah. But I'm not going there [laughs].
iVillage: Come on...
Brad: I don't know... [He reconsiders] It's intimacy for all of us, isn't it? Pretty much. It is for nine out of 10 people.
iVillage: You were in great shape for Troy. How'd you do it?
Brad: Yeah, it's amazing what an impending midlife crisis will do for you [laughs]. Really. I just turned 40 in December -- it got me motivated.
iVillage: You weren't scared of turning 40, though, were you?
Brad: No. Actually, I see it as a real badge of honor. I enjoyed it. No more excuses, you know? I'm responsible. I can't blame anything on my parents. I'm responsible for my mistakes and choices.
iVillage: Was there anything you indulged yourself in when you turned 40, like a sports car?
Brad: No. We were filming the big fight [between Achilles and Hector] on my birthday. When I came back [to Los Angeles after the movie wrapped], I had a nice quiet dinner with my friends and wife. You know, I always said I was going to buy something for my 40th birthday, like a 40-year-old's car -- a Rolls or something -- then I got too into energy conservation. So I bought a Prius [laughs].
iVillage: Back to your training regime...
Brad: It sucked [laughs]. It was brutal. I started working out about six months before filming. I hired a trainer who knew what he was talking about and he started me on a high-protein, low-carb diet and I had four meals a day. It was quitting smoking. It was two to three hours in the gym each day -- getting to a point of absolute discomfort. On top of that we had sword rehearsal. After three months, I finally started to enjoy it [smiles].
iVillage: You haven't gone back to smoking?
Brad: No, I picked it up again [laughs]. I actually picked it up, then quit, then picked it up again.
iVillage: Have you ever spent so much time in a skirt?
Brad: I have never spent so much time in a skirt [laughs]. And if I had? I certainly wouldn't say it here. But they're not bad. They're not bad at all.
iVillage: Do you get to keep your wardrobe?
Brad: No, I usually don't want to see the wardrobe after I'm done filming.
iVillage: You don't wear a dress around the house?
Brad: Actually, Jen might like it if I would.
iVillage: With all the work you're doing, how hard has it been for you to balance your private life with your career, especially when you're thinking about starting a family?
Brad: Well, I'd been off for two years prior to taking this role. I didn't work for two years. So Jen and I got a lot of time together. We both accept this aspect of our business, so we just go visit each other.
iVillage: You hope to start a family soon?
Brad: Yeah, it's time. It's time.
iVillage: Are you looking forward to fatherhood?
Brad: I am. I'm finally at a place where I won't mess them up too much [laughs].
iVillage: How's Jen dealing with post-Friends life?
Brad: She's really sad to see it go in a way. She knows it's a big change in her life. Think about when you left college -- that era is over. She made some really wonderful friends and had times that meant a lot to her, but she's also excited about embarking on the next era.
iVillage: Is it true you were really nervous when you worked with Jen on Friends?
Brad: I was. I was really nervous. It's a whole different thing. I was completely out of my water. It's a different rhythm, a different scenario. It's a completely different art form.
iVillage: Would you work with Jen again?
Brad: Well, if you look through history at the couples who worked together, the odds aren't with us [laughs]. If we did, the project would have to be handpicked.
iVillage: What do you think of the fame game? Do you find the whole thing rather surreal and silly?
Brad: You know, I don't find it silly. I certainly have been drawn to people or events and emulated something, but it could easily go down the wrong road when it becomes obsession.
iVillage: What was your most real encounter with that?
Brad: Just when they break in your house [laughs]. I remember I was in Argentina and I was dating [Gwyneth] Paltrow at the time. We were fading off to sleep and in the room I see this figure. It was a little 14-year-old girl. She climbed over the wall and broke into the house through the upstairs window. That was pretty real.
iVillage: Do you have any regrets? You've said if you had a superpower it would be to turn back time.
Brad: I really don't. I say that about turning back time, but I don't really mean it.
iVillage: So you're completely happy?
Brad: I'm not completely happy, but I'm also a big believer that your mistakes define you as much as anything. It's there where you get real understanding of yourself. You can't have one without the other.
