Brad Pitt made headlines in 2022 when he told GQ magazine that his film career is likely winding down as he enters the “last legs” of his time as an actor. The revelation prompted headlines that Pitt was eyeing retirement, although that’s far from what he actually meant. In a new GQ cover story with George Clooney, Pitt said that he feels the same about his career slowing down two years later. But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up the profession.
“I’m still kind of on the same trajectory. I feel the same,” Pitt said. “I’m really just trying to enjoy the people that I love around me and just living.”
Clarifying his “last legs” comment, Pitt explained: “I meant that as seasons. You know, there was moving out from the safety of the Ozarks. You embark on this thing and it’s all about discovery and it’s really exciting and interesting and painful and awful and all of it. And then when you’re allowed into the big leagues, it becomes another game of responsibilities and things to answer to. But also opportunity and delight and working with people you really respect. And then it’s this time now. It’s: What are these last years going to be?”
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“I see my parents are very — I see just what George was explaining. In your 80s, the body becomes more frail,” Pitt continued. “And yet I look at Frank Gehry. He’s just the loveliest man. And he’s 95 and still making great art and he’s got a beautiful family. And I think that’s kind of the formula to stay creative and keep loving your life.”
Clooney noted that career longevity is all about adapting with the times, saying: “Okay, but there’s two ways of doing this, right? The phone stops ringing if your decision is that you want to continue to be the character that you were when you were 35, and you want a softer lens. But if you’re willing to, say, move down the call sheet a little bit and do interesting character work, then you can kind of [keep working].”
Pitt remains a top-billed star in Hollywood. In addition to the upcoming “Wolfs” with Clooney, the Oscar winner has the Apple-backed Formula 1 racing drama “F1” set for a huge global rollout in 2025. When he originally made his “last legs” comment, his “once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Inglourious Basterds” director Quentin Tarantino lamented that when Pitt does call it quits then the industry will lose “one of the last remaining big-screen movie stars.”
“It’s just a different breed of man,” Tarantino said of Pitt at the time. “And frankly, I don’t think you can describe exactly what that is because it’s like describing star-shine. I noticed it when we were doing ‘Inglourious Basterds.’ When Brad was in the shot, I didn’t feel like I was looking through the viewfinder of the camera. I felt like I was watching a movie. Just his presence in the four walls of the frame created that impression.”
“Wolfs” streams on Apple TV+ starting Sept. 27. The movie will have a one-week theatrical run beginning Sept. 20. Head over to GQ’s website to read the actors’ latest cover story in its entirety.
