Brad Pitt’s Children Once Influenced the Movies He Chose to Do
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie both agreed to raise a large family that included their six children.
But being a parent came with a certain level of responsibility, and that responsibility soon impacted the types of films Pitt did.
Brad Pitt knew he’d want a large family long before meeting Angelina Jolie
Pitt understood that some may have thought he and Jolie’s family might have been too much to handle. But the actor asserted that having a family as large as his was a lifelong aspiration.
“I know it seems extreme from the outside, but I’ve always kind of operated this way,” he once told the Associated Press (via People). “When I know, I know, and why mess around?”
He first realized he might have wanted a huge family thanks to a childhood friend of his.
“I had a friend who had a big family when I was a kid. I just loved the chaos around the breakfast table and the fighting and the ribbing, and the mom making pancakes for everyone or the dad making pancakes,” Pitt said.
How Brad Pitt’s kids started influencing his movie roles
Pitt was known for starring in a large portfolio of films. From Fight Club to Ocean’s 11, the actor showed he had no qualms with exploring certain genres. But this briefly changed when he found himself raising a family. This made the actor more careful about the types of roles he wanted to play.
In a resurfaced interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pitt revealed he was cautious about his Tree of Life role because of his children. The 2011 Terrence Malick movie saw Pitt portraying the type of father he didn’t want to be in real life.
“I was a little hesitant about playing the oppressive father,” Pitt said. “I think about everything I do now, ‘My kids are going to see it when they grow up and how are they going to feel? But they know me as a dad. And I hope they’ll just think I’m a pretty damn good actor.”
Brad Pitt once felt his family made him a better actor
Pitt was more than happy with his decision to have a large family with Jolie. In an interview with The Telegraph (via ET), he confided that he didn’t know how much he could love until raising his kids. But Pitt also believed his family benefited his career as well. The Seven star noticed his acting improved immensely after starting his family.
“I was a pretty good actor before, but definitely hit and miss,” Pitt explained. “I think I became a really good actor. I’m sure a lot of that has to do with age and wisdom too. But I see an absolute shift from the day I started my family.”
Going on movie sets, where he had to be away from his family, gave Pitt more conviction for his work.
“They need you,” Pitt said about his kids. “So I think that made me less tense about things, less stressed. And very clear that if I’m going to be doing something that’s going to take me away from my family, it better be something that I believe in, and that they’re going to see and be proud of their dad.”
