Was Brad Pitt's True Calling As A Character Actor And Not As A Leading Man?
As we await the release of “Once Upon A Time In … Hollywood”, an examination of the career of one of Hollywood’s brightest stars forces us to realize that we might have been looking at Brad Pitt wrong all along.
Jamie Mah @grahammah
When Brad Pitt burst onto the scene in 1991 with his cameo in Thelma & Louise, little did audiences know back then that what they were getting was their first glimpse of a star in the making. Abs, a good smile and a cowboy hat will do that to you.
In the lore of Hollywood stardom, the role of leading man generally, or should I say, almost always fell to that someone who possessed otherworldly talent and a face just as so. Brad Pitt, like Tom Cruise before him and Robert Redford before him and Paul Newman before him and Cary Grant before him, was bestowed this honour — one every wannabe actor deeply covets.
When women want to sleep you and men want to be you is where a leading man needs to be. Brad Pitt fit the bill and his career from that point on took off flying.
As the 1990’s pushed forward, Pitt found starring roles in big Hollywood films like Interview With a Vampire, Legends of the Fall, Seven and Fight Club. All of which helped to cement his ascension as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Yet even though we may have seen him as the one most likely to carry a movie like Troy, it was Pitt’s work in smaller roles that truly captivated audiences. As you’ll come to see with some of the roles I’ve highlighted in this column, this realization (I’m not alone in thinking this), we may have overlooked his true calling, as a bonafide sidekick.
Some men covet the lead, Tom Cruise is definitely one of them. Denzel Washington is another. With Brad it’s never felt that easy. His best work has often come under the guise of a tandem, as was the case in two of his best films, Seven and Fight Club, with Morgan Freeman and Edward Norton helping to shepherd the load.
This isn’t to say that Brad can’t carry a film, or that he doesn’t enjoy the experience. Moneyball was fantastic and Brad exuded a sense of charm in that movie you rarely see with him.
But for the rare films he does of that ilk, I will conclude however, that his best work has often come when he’s been asked to do something less, something different — like what we’re about to see in his latest turn with Quentin Tarantino. Brad as sidekick to Leo makes sense. Had it been flipped it would have felt weird.
Therefore to better understand the man’s career and what duality of roles he’s played, I’d like to look at some of his best work, specifically the few roles in which he wasn’t the lead, as to me this is where he’s shone brightest. He’s probably never going to win a Best Actor Oscar, but a win for a Best Supporting role should never be out of reach as Brad the character is a fine actor.
Floyd — True Romance (1993)
Everyone’s favourite burnout still rings true to this day. In another vehicle of Tarantino of sorts (he wrote the script), Brad’s performance of Floyd, the roommate of Clarence’s buddy Dick, is one for the ages. He’s charming, stupid, sensitive and what you’d expect and want from someone whose sole joy is to sit at home, watch TV, drink beer and get high. With films like Singles, Dazed and Confused and Reality Bites shepherding the Gen X era slacker vibe, Pitt’s turn effectively captures the reality of what it meant to be a useless twenty something in the early 1990’s.
Plus the sheer amount of talent in this film is staggering — think Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, Michael Rapaport, Val Kilmer and of course the leads, Patricia Arquette and Christian Slater. The fact that he found a way to stand out in this field is a testament to his talent and ability to take something small and make it memorable.
Jeffrey Goines — 12 Monkeys (1995)
To this day, still one of my favourite movies. Terry Gilliam’s a genius and this film is probably his best work (yes I just made that claim), as Bruce Willis attempts to piece together the bits of information he’s seen in the future and the past in an effort to save humanity. Throughout his journey, we meet Brad’s psychotic mastermind, Jeffrey Goines, a man hell bent on pissing off his father and disturbing the order of things.
If you want to see Pitt on steroids, this is the role. He’s hilarious, over the top and charming to root for. Since Pitt was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the role, it seems to be said that many others felt that this was his best role to date as well.
It’s debatable now to make such a claim, as this depends on how you feel about his turns in Inglorious Bastards and Moneyball rank, but nevertheless, 12 Monkeys is the type of film where you see him flex his muscle as he creates the many peculiarities of a great character role.
The way he moves his hands as well as his staggered speech evokes a quality of someone finding his way. There’s no mailing it in here and you get a clear sense that Brad was having a hoot playing Goines.
Mickey O’Neil — Snatch (2000)
If you’re looking to give your little movie a bit of pop when it comes out, adding a bit of Pikey nonsense never hurt. This is what Guy Ritchie did with his second feature when he cast Pitt as his brawny, “what the hell did he just say?” boxer to beat all boxers.
With a classic British feel and Jason Statham leading a star studded cast, Pitt once again, much like how he did with Floyd in True Romance, found a way to steal the show as he uses his “it” factor to make Mickey O’Neil a truly memorable character.
Trivia:Brad Pitt’s character and indecipherable speech was inspired by many critics’ complaints about the accents of the characters in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). Guy Ritchie decided to counter the criticisms by creating a character that not only couldn’t be understood by the audience but that also couldn’t be understood by characters in the movie.
Lt. Aldo Raine — Inglourious Basterds (2009)
If you were looking to cast someone to play your nazi killing general with a loose tongue, there aren’t many better suited to sign up for the role than Pitt. His accent alone in this film gives one pause to his staunch American roots.
Say it with me now…Gorlami. Gorrrllllaaaammmiii.
Christoph Waltz may have stolen the movie with his fantastic performance as a Jew hunting army general for the Germans, but it’s Brad’s overall flex and anger that seals the film as one of the best Tarantino has ever made.
Raine is a character alright, one I often found myself chuckling at each time he spoke. Again, similar to what you see in 12 Monkeys, you get a sense Brad’s enjoying himself as Raine comes with many peculiarities. This is some of his finest work.
Brad has a few other films which I considered adding, specifically his roles in Babel and The Big Short, but ultimately I found each lacking the sort of nuance this type of column required. He’s great in both but he isn’t doing anything too out of the ordinary with regards to character development. However, the bus leaving scene in Babel is heart wrenching to watch and it definitely deserves mention as being one of his best performances.
Ocean’s 11 had its moments, but ultimately I found that what he was doing there was Brad just being Brad but in a smaller role. None of the better actors in that film are doing their best work, as the film showcases that its emphasis is more on the guys getting together to hang out than any one actor using it as a vehicle for something more.
Furthermore, I have a sneaking suspicion that what we’re about to witness in “Once Upon A Time In … Hollywood” will be another gem of a performance from Brad, one which I believe will make this list.
As Brad recently mentioned in an interview with GQ Australia in which he feels that acting is a younger man’s game, this tells me that he’s come to grips with his age and time in front of the screen. With this in mind, I hope he sees this evolution as an opportunity to fulfill more of his destiny as an actor — as one of the best character actors of all time.
Upcoming films such as his star carrying space odyssey Ad Astra should for him become the minority — even if he is excellent in them. His talent is undeniable and it’s becoming rather clear that what he excels at are the richly textured character oddballs who capture us each time they’re on screen.
In the end, who am I to tell Brad Pitt how to continue his career. The man is a Hollywood legend, I believe he’s doing perfectly fine without my snappy critique. However, wishful thinking never hurt anyone. Floyd 30 years later in Tarantino’s next film is something I definitely would see.