Brad Pitt Spent 5 Hours a Day in the Makeup Chair for This Film

Two-time recipient of People’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” Brad Pitt has never had a problem being considered a sex symbol. Yet for one film which earned him an Oscar nomination, the actor had to get a lengthy prosthetic makeover before going on camera.

Recent Oscar win for ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’

After several nominations, Pitt brought home the gold for his portrayal of Clint Booth in the 2019 Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The movie clearly holds a special place in Pitt’s heart.

“We’re all just passing through, doing the best we can in these movies,” the Academy Award winner said, according to CinemaBlend. “But this one, I would say it’s one of the few times where the experience is as special and unique as the final film. Like our life is as important as the final product.”

Pitt struck up an instant friendship with co-star Leonardo DiCaprio due to their shared Hollywood history.

“It was pretty automatic,” the Fight Club star told The New York Times in 2019. “We both came on the scene around the same time, we have crossed paths many times, we have the same reference points. So there’s automatic comfort in having experienced the same thing in that way.”

Brad Pitt’s later years are focused on producing

Starring in countless films since the 1990s, Pitt catapulted to stardom after appearing in the 1991 blockbuster Thelma & Louise. Getting used to being in the spotlight was a challenge for the actor.

“In the ’90s, all that attention really threw me,” Pitt told The New York Times in September 2019. “It was really uncomfortable for me, the cacophony of expectations and judgments. I really became a bit of a hermit and just bonged myself into oblivion.”

The Moneyball actor is taking on more projects behind the camera, seeing onscreen work as more geared for a younger demographic.

“I’m behind the camera on the producing side and I enjoy that a lot,” the Ad Astra star told GQ Australia in July 2019. “But I keep doing less and less. I really believe that overall it’s a younger man’s game – not that there aren’t substantial parts for older characters – I just feel, the game itself, it’ll move on naturally. There will be a natural selection to it all.”

Brad Pitt and the aging process

In the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Pitt stars as a man who goes through a reverse aging process, starting at 98 years old. In a previous interview with Larry King, Pitt talked about the demanding prep required to turn him into a nonagenarian.

“All I heard was five hours of prosthetics every morning. I didn’t think I was the guy who was up for the task,” the Ad Astra star told King in 2008, adding that his close partnership with famed director David Fincher prompted him to take on the role. “We filmed this two years ago. So, every day since then he’s been on it. And that’s David Fincher, our director. And we’ve done two films together before – Seven and Fight Club.”

Pitt was confident the film would inspire viewers to start a dialogue about aging and morality.

“It’s certainly something we tend to run from as a society. I mean with good reason. You know, it scares me to death,” Pitt revealed. “It certainly makes me conscious of how much time do I have left. Do I — you know, is this my day? Do I have 40 years left? What do I want to do in that time? How do I want to use it? And who do I want to spend it with?”

The storyline clearly resonated with Pitt. This film just makes me want to hug my kids and call my folks,” he said. “It’s really special.”