Brad Pitt is best known for his roles in all types of movies, mostly drama ones, but he has also served as a producer in a variety of projects, and he even appeared in some of them. Brad Pitt’s career in the entertainment business began in the late 1980s with roles in the TV shows Another World, Growing Pains, Head of the Class, Freddy’s Nightmares, and Dallas, and that same year, he had minor, uncredited roles in the movies Hunk, No Way Out, No Man’s Land, and Less than Zero. Pitt’s first leading film role arrived in 1988 in the American-Yugoslavian drama The Dark Side of the Sun, though it wasn’t released until 1997, and in 1988, he also made a guest appearance in the TV series 21 Jump Street.
After more supporting roles in film and guest appearances on TV, Pitt gained wider recognition with another supporting role: J.D. in Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, released in 1991, but his big break arrived in 1994 when he played Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire. Since then, Pitt has starred in a variety of movies – from crime thrillers like Se7en to sci-fi projects like 12 Monkeys and black comedies like Burn After Reading –, but he hasn’t limited himself to working in front of the camera, as he has also served as producer in a number of movies from different genres, and even appeared in some of these – and here are 10 great movies you didn’t know Brad Pitt produced.
10 The King (2019)
The King is an epic war film directed by David Michôd and based on William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V. The King follows the rise of Henry, Prince of Wales, “Hal” (Timothée Chalamet), the eldest son of Henry IV of England who is uninterested in succeeding his father, so he spends his days drinking, jesting, and more. When Henry IV passes away, Hal takes the throne and is forced to navigate palace politics, the war that his father left, and the emotional strings of his past life. The King was well-received by critics, but historians weren’t so welcoming due to the movie’s historical inaccuracy of both Shakespeare’s plays and historical reality.
9 Beautiful Boy (2018)
A year before the release of The King, Brad Pitt produced another movie starring Timothée Chalamet: Beautiful Boy, a biographical drama directed by Felix van Groeningen and based on the memoirs Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff. Beautiful Boy tells the story of David Sheff (Steve Carell) and his son Nicolas Sheff (Chalamet), as their relationship is increasingly strained by Nic’s drug addiction and struggles to remain sober. Beautiful Boy was a critical success, with critics praising the performances of Chalamet and Carell, but sadly, it was a box-office failure.
8 Vice (2018)
Vice is a biographical political satire directed by Adam McKay. It’s the story of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), following him on his path to becoming the most powerful vice president in American history. Although Vice was praised for its performances, particularly those of Bale, Amy Adams (who played Lynne Vincent Cheney), and Sam Rockwell (who played George W. Bush), it was a divisive movie, with some considering it one of the best movies of the year while others thought it was one of the worst. Still, Vice was nominated for various awards, with Bale winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
7 She Said (2002)
She Said is a biographical drama film directed by Maria Schrader and based on the 2019 book of the same name by reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. It’s the story of Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and their New York Times investigation that led to the reveal of Harvey Weinstein’s history of abuse and sexual misconduct against various women. Although She Said was a box office flop, it was a critical success, with most praise going towards the performances of Mulligan and Kazan and the movie’s screenplay, earning it Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations in different categories.
6 Moneyball (2011)
One movie produced by and starring Brad Pitt is the biographical sports drama Moneyball. Directed by Bennett Miller and based on the 2003 nonfiction book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis, Moneyball follows Billy Beane (Pitt), the general manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team, and Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), assistant general manager, as they build a team of undervalued talent by taking a sophisticated sabermetric approach to scouting and analyzing players, this given the franchise’s limited budget for players. Moneyball was a critical and commercial success, earning Pitt an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
5 Eat Pray Love (2010)
Eat Pray Love is a biographical romantic drama movie directed by Ryan Murphy and based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 memoir of the same name. Eat Pray Love follows Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts), a journalist who grows unhappy with her marriage, and feeling lost, confused, and searching for what she really wants in life, she goes on a three-point trip: Italy (eat), India (pray), and Bali (love), each one teaching her valuable life lessons. Eat Pray Love was a box-office success though it didn’t do as well with critics, but with time, it has become a comfort movie given its theme, the places Elizabeth visits, her experiences, and the lessons she learned on each trip.
4 Kick-Ass (2010)
Kick-Ass is a black comedy superhero movie directed by Matthew Vaughn and based on the comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Kick-Ass is the story of Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), an ordinary teenager who decided to become a real-life superhero named “Kick-Ass”, but he soon realizes that it’s not that easy – and what seems easier is coming across enemies. Luckily, Kick-Ass also meets Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), with whom he forms an unlikely alliance. Kick-Ass drew a lot of controversy due to its violence and profanity, but it was a critical and commercial success, making way for a sequel that was released in 2013.
3 12 Years a Slave (2013)
12 Years a Slave is a biographical drama movie directed by Steven McQueen based on the 1853 memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. 12 Years a Slave is the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free African-American man working as a violinist and living with his wife and children in Saratoga Springs, New York. One day, Northup was tricked by two white men who offered him short-term employment as a musician and was delivered to James H. Birch (Christopher Berry) as a slave. What follows is Northup’s efforts to survive and regain his freedom, as he meets fellow slaves, sadistic slavers, and allies, such as Samuel Bass (Pitt). 12 Years a Slave is regarded as one of the best movies of 2013, and won various awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture.
2 The Big Short (2015)
The Big Short is a biographical crime comedy-drama directed by Adam McKay and based on the 2010 book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. The Big Short takes viewers back to 2008, following Wall Street guru Michael Burry (Christian Bale), who realizes that a number of subprime home loans are in danger of defaulting, so he bets against the housing market by throwing more than $1 billion of his investors’ money into credit default swaps. This catches the attention of banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling), hedge-fund specialist Mark Baum (Steve Carell), and other opportunists, who together make a fortune by taking advantage of the impending economic collapse in the US. The Big Short was a critical and commercial success and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
1 The Departed (2006)
The Departed is a crime thriller directed by Martin Scorsese and a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs as well as being loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter Hill Gang. Set in Boston, The Departed is the story of Bill Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), a cop who goes undercover to infiltrate the organization of mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), and at the same time, career criminal Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) infiltrates the police department and reports on its activities to his syndicate bosses. The Departed is widely regarded as one of Scorsese’s best works and it was a critical and commercial success – but most importantly, it’s the movie that finally gave Scorsese the Academy Award for Best Director.
