What happens when you send a Man Booker Prize-winning author to interview Brad Pitt? A surprisingly wonderful interview is what happens. The NY Times’ T Magazine sent Marlon James to interview Brad at the offices of Plan B. They apparently shot the sh-t for hours, and James seemed to come away impressed with Brad’s general coolness/wokeness. There are tons of great little details, like Brad forgets to water his office plants for months on end, and at least one of his kids is obsessed with cassette tapes. You can read the full piece here (I would recommend it) and here are some highlights:
Whether the people in third-world countries laugh at “foreign do-gooders”: “I’ve been one of those at times. But you’ve got to start somewhere. You start with your best intentions, understanding the world as you do. And then you get in and you see that it’s much more complicated than you could possibly imagine. Our failings in foreign policy have always been to think that we can place our ideas on another culture, while not really understanding the other culture.”
On Brexit: “Man, I never thought that would happen. Same way I can’t bring myself to think that Trump will be in charge. In the simplest terms, what brings us together is good, and what separates us is bad. We have this great line in ‘The Big Short.’ ‘When things are going wrong and we can’t find the reason for it, we just start creating enemies.’”
Trying to understand Trump supporters: “Coming from Oklahoma, southern Missouri, which leans more toward a Trump voice, I try to understand it…It seems that the people who suffer the most end up betting for the party that would hurt them. And so I try to understand where they’re coming from.”
Trump can’t be explained by just economics: “You gotta understand that it’s also in our DNA. Most Americans don’t have time to watch CNN and Fox and Al Jazeera. They’re trying to make the rent, get the kids fed, they’re tired when they get home and they want to forget about everything. And so suddenly when this voice comes in — and it doesn’t have to be a voice of substance — saying he’s fed up with all of this, that’s the part that hooks into the DNA… What I’m most hopeful about is that we’re a global neighborhood now, and we start to understand each other more and more — and yet, you see this reactionary push for isolation and separation again… A Trump supporter is fighting against just about everything. What does he even mean, take our country back? Would someone please explain that to me? Where’d it go?”
He’d love to make a film about Pontius Pilate: [He wants to do it] mostly because the script, which focuses on a mediocre Roman official stuck in the middle of nowhere with difficult people he doesn’t like, makes him smile. Jesus doesn’t get much screen time. “It certainly won’t be for the ‘Passion’ crowd,” he says, which reminds me that Mel Gibson’s torture-p0rn epic is one of the things that drove me out of the church. Pitt bursts into laughter. “I felt like I was just watching an L. Ron Hubbard propaganda film.” Xenu aside, Gibson movies typically do one thing really well: violence. “Oh, extremely well,” Pitt says. “ ‘Apocalypto’ is a great film.”
Marlon James also judges Brad for being too skinny, and for being too cool even though he’s the father of six kids. And it’s sort of true – Brad IS still cool. Somehow. You know he probably has a lot of dad-humor (he probably loves Tim Kaine), but he’s legit cool. As for what he says about politics and Trump… I think his parents are Republicans. His mom was a big Mitt Romney defender, remember that? Jane Pitt hated (hates?) Barack Obama. I get the feeling that Brad tries not to talk about politics when he goes home to Missouri, although his mom probably talks AT him.
Photos courtesy of T Magazine, WENN.
I never thought Brad was all that when he was young, but now I find him attractive both inside and out. Maturity and experience count for a lot in my book, and a few wrinkles are actually nice. I never liked pretty boys😛
That was a great read… I have always loved Brad … He is so smart even though ppl feel otherwise. How hot is this man.. So damn hot
WORD. So yum.
He’s “la creme de la creme” for me. No man in Hollywood tops Brad, he feels Sinatra-esque, you know, untouchable and unreachable.
He really had improved with age!
You and me too Brad.
+1 Brad none of us understand Trump.
Damn Brad looks good here.
Actually, I like everything he says here.
Also: I. Love. Marlon. James.
He is beautiful man. Thats all I got.
Mmmmmmmm
Same here, same here Brad. Can’t get it either.
I thought we had progressed in 3000 years but we’re still stuck there.
Then try and understand the other side. The reason you don’t get it is because you assume people that don’t agree with you are dumb, vote against their interest, instead of assuming their experiences are different than yours. Brad Pitt comes across as very condescending-people vote for Trump or Brexit because they are too stupid to understand their own self interests-not because their experiences and solutions might be different. It’s not the end of civilization to want separate nation states, based upon a common culture. The world might be increasingly connected, but as Brad cleary understands-the cultures and mores are very different!
Separate nation states? Seriously? In the US? Pure unadulterated racist crap.
He just said “our Christian heritage will be defended, cherished and protected like never before. Believe me.”
Poor Christians – so persecuted in this country.
Trump and his worshippers are scary as hell.
Lovely interview. Brad comes across really well with his points. Esp about learning when doing activism about the other culture. That is so important. Something that AJ has also been doing for years. No publicity tours while doing charity. Just quiet immersing in the culture and learning what the people THERE need and want.
“Marlon James won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his devastating third novel, “A Brief History of Seven Killings.” During his three-hour conversation with Brad Pitt at the actor’s office in Beverly Hills, for T’s Sept. 11 Men’s Style issue, James avoided inquiring about Angelina Jolie Pitt or their children. Instead, he says, “I wanted to know how he felt about Donald Trump, whether his architecture jones was for real and, more than anything, I wanted to know how a kid from the Bible Belt became such a liberal, pro-gay, not-so-pro-God activist.”
striking note from NYT. Is this just to justify why he doesnt say a single word about is wife in an interview for the first time in the last 11 years?
I don’t think so he didn’t talk about his kids ether which he does in every interview. He also didn’t talk about any of the movie he promoting in this interview ether.
I kept waiting for her to come up at some point, but I appreciated that she didn’t. They’re such a force as a couple that I feel like their interviews never get to be about them as individuals anymore.
Maybe it’s more about Marlon James than Brad. Maybe Marlon wanted it known that those types of questions, the so-called “tried and true” types of questions, will not be uttered by him.
After all, the so-called “tried and true” of late resemble those asinine questions/commentaries that infested that Margot Robbie interview, which was reviled unanimously online.
Personally, if more writers/journalists strive for Marlon’s approach, maybe professionalism can save the magazine industry.
I don’t understand why you care if he mentioned his wife or not? Does he *have* to mention her every single interview he does? Why make a big deal out of it?
My mom, some of my step brothers, and some of my cousins are all raging tea party conservatives. It drives me nuts but I just try to avoid politics when I see them, although there’s usually one screaming argument per visit! And I’ve never been impressed by Pitt but I like how he’s trying to understand Trump supporters here.
Great interview I’m guessing Shiloh is obsessed with cassette tapes.
Ha, I was imagining it was one of the teens. Maybe because my teen son is very much into vinyl. We noticed that Urban Outfitters has recently added cassettes to its little vinyl offering, most of them used. He thinks cassette tapes are cool but has no interest in listening to one of my old mix tapes that I’ve showed him. He said he can summon up any of those songs on his phone. He really has no idea of the work involved in making those tapes, lol!
Anyway, I agree that this was a great interview. I think Brad generally has a good perspective on the state of humanity and his compassion shines through here.
In the interview he said it was one of his daughters who loves cassettes.
I have never been on the Brad Pitt train, but man… He’s coming into his own, isn’t he.
I’m surprised. He actually sounds not dim here. .
I think people like him and Beyonce just do better in print, especially with a sympathetic writer who will give them time to articulate and clarify if they need to.
but are Brad’s parents the same kind of Republican as Jon Voight?
also Brad has good nails.
-Mel Gibson’s torture-p0rn epic is one of the things that drove me out of the church. Pitt bursts into laughter. “I felt like I was just watching an L. Ron Hubbard propaganda film.”
I’m loving that shady Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson shade. Who would have thought that of the 90s hunks, Depp, Sheen, Baldwin, Cruise, Gibson, only Brad Pitt would be left standing as an actual likeable human being.
I don’t find him likeable at all.
Well clearly you are in the tiny minority.
LOVED that quote about Gibson’s movie. and the shade thrown at $cientology…
go on Brad, keep doing what you’re doing; it’s working for you.
I must say I was a litle admired that he did that. Throwing shade was never something Brad does ( at least since he is with Angelina) to his fellow actors. It seems more likely a thing that Jennifer Aniston would do. Interesting times…..
Really? He’s thrown shade at Gibson before—even calling him “Sugar Tits” at an award show. I get the feeling he’s not a huge fan….
Damn, he’s so beautiful.
“Latino caribo, mondo bongo
The flower looks good in your hair
Latino caribo, mondo bongo
Nobody said it was fair”.
Mondo Bongo – Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Oh boy. The things I could say in response to this article. But I don’t think it’d go down very well around here.
Still admire Brad (and Angelina). Geez he’s handsome!!! And interesting. Lethal.
On the one hand I get it. Thoseare his parents, his old neighbors, people who he grew up around and he sees them in a sympathetic light.
But anyone who says they don’t ‘understand Trump’s support’ or gives any reason for the support that doesn’t mention racism is lying to themselves and lying about the state of our country.
I’m tired of well meaning individuals just ‘not understanding’ because if simple racism and the discrimination and offense that comes with it baffles your mind this much then what have you been truly doing to help? Have you just been sitting with rose colored glasses on your whole life while the country was in flames around you?
Learn to understand it already. The rest of us have figured it out decades ago and while we’re happy we’re not in internment camps anymore or swinging from trees we’d really like more help in completely ending this ignorance that still has a stranglehold on this country.
Everyone who is supporting Trump is not racist.I am Black and have family members who are supporting that idiot because they hate Hillary.I don’t understand them.
you should tell them to show up at one of his rallies and see how they get treated by other Drumpf supporters.
http://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000004533191/unfiltered-voices-from-donald-trumps-crowds.html
this is one of many videos of the vitriol that is spewed. show them this, and see if they still want to cast their lot with the bigot.
@ I agree with Colette some supporting Trump are doing it because they don’t want a female president or think he can fix Americas problems like job security and create more jobs and so on. I don’t know why they think that when Trump himself has been bankrupt 4 times, it makes absolutely no sense.
Man, that was a great interview. I’ve been mostly meh about Brad during his heartthrob years. I think he’s a damn fine underrated actor but he never got my quiver nor have I ever found him as interesting as Angelina but I’m liking him as a person, more and more with time.
That man still looks delicious, as he ages it just gets better.
that all I got
Looks wise, he hasn’t been my thing for a while. To me, pretty men don’t age well. But he says all the right things here for me. Sigh.
Mighty fine Brad, big fan of his work. Mel deserve all the shades he gets (sugar tits ). was it on MTV awards when brad called Mel Sugar tits?
Yes.. I think it was a bit of both.. ribbing and joking. Mel actually took it all very well.
I will always remember how Mel used to be so gorgeous.
He really is a gorgeous man. Aging wonderfully. I think happiness does that.
Here is a video that went with the interview
http://thecut.io/2c8Xn9q
It’s nice to know that Pitt’s got more going on upstairs than one would think. I know it’s reverse bias to judge a good-looking man and come away thinking they’re probably a dim bulb but I have thought that of him in the past. Mostly based upon interviews he gave when he was much younger. Clearly his wife has had a big influence on him and for the better. Not that he was dumb or anything, just young and a bit ignorant.
So Brad was born and raised in Missouri and he can’t understand Trump’s huge following? Really? Yeah right. He should ask his father in law. Jon Voight supports Trump. I wouldn’t be shocked if Brad’s parents support Trump. How can someone grow up in a state and have NO IDEA how its people think? He’s either lying or living in a bubble. Neither is appealing. He knows exactly why there is such a huge Trump following in parts of the US like Missouri and Oklahoma. BTW, Fight Club was pretty damn violent too.
He says he doesn’t understand it- I don’t either. I can speculate why (poor critical thinking skills, racism, lack of ability to manage anger and thus incorrectly directing it to people with less power than them, misogyny, a fetish for moldy old cheetos with tiny hands, etc.) and so can Brad- it still makes no sense why these people* vote against their own self-interest. As many have said, the best scam ever run on poor white people was the idea that their financial struggles are the fault of POC & not rich white people.
*Unless they are billionaires and, even then, it is illogical to want to inflict Trump’s economic policies and thin skin (push that button, Drumpf- no one will ever insult your hair again!) on everyone poorer than you- yes, more short term gains in bank account, but you can’t do or buy anything because the world has turned into Walking Dead or whatever dystopia would happen under Trump
I think that part of the problem is that many Americans that have little to no job prospects, little information and an unwillingness to look at both sides have created this unprecedented support for Trump. What truly sickens me is that so many people buy into his blatant disregard for all of Americans. He is basing his platform on the weak in hopes of professing promises that he cannot deliver. Furthermore, a man who is running for president who incites violence, hatred, fear mongering, racism and blatant disrespect has no business in leading our country. The only leading he will do is further his own interests and bring us into WWIII.
People follow Trump because he says he will fix their problems and they believe him. It ain’t rocket science Brad!
@joannie – LOL! (You give a better analysis than CNN.) Yep!
@hb321 – “best scam ever run on poor white people was the idea that their financial struggles are the fault of POC & not rich white people.” – So true!
Just like people followed Obama in 2008, based on little more than “hope and change”. Stupidity is on both sides of the political aisle.
“You gotta understand that it’s also in our DNA. Most Americans don’t have time to watch CNN and Fox and Al Jazeera.”
I didn’t really understand this part of his point if I’m honest. The switch/transition from American DNA to the news channels was rather abrupt.
CNN strikes me as Trump Central so I figured that’s where people were getting their potential like of Trump from. Every time I turn on CNN, there is his annoying face looking back at me. I feel the media is responsible for the popularity of Trump.
I also don’t think Brexit was totally unpredictable. I think the exit from the EU was more ambiguous and complicated than Trump’s popularity. Since Brexit didn’t involve the UK people voting in leader who is CONSTANTLY sticking his foot in his mouth 24/7 and changing up his lies every few minutes but rather the decision to vote out of a large geographical and economic entity where the issues are so different depending on who you talk to, I suppose I find the way the Brexit vote went much less surprising. The Brexit vote could have gone either way, and neither result would have surprised me.
I like Brad because he seems well adjusted and sensible guy. I love people like that, who find their way and a balance rather that those who are going to extreems. He is a working and popular actor and yet he understands the business side of his craft and does not see the need to suffer for his art to prove himself like many other actors do. He also seems to be interested and involved in the world outside his own personal world yet he doesn’t whine about all the stupidity of hollywood and how people are dying around the world so no one is permitted to have a good time ever.