Brad Pitt was born in Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri. His father, Bill Pitt, worked in management at a trucking firm in Springfield. At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student government and school musicals. Pitt attended the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism with a focus on advertising.

He was two credits shy of graduating with a journalism degree in 1986 when he left to try his luck in Hollywood. His choice of career was something of a surprise to those around him. Pitt had acted in several fraternity shows, but never really revealed a desire to act professionally. Pitt seemed to show more promise in music. Nevertheless, one day, with no real experience behind him, he simply took off for California with just $325 in his pockets.

Before landing a steady role on the '80s primetime soap, �Dallas,� Pitt took various jobs to get by, including wearing a chicken costume for the El Pollo Loco restaurant chain. From there, Brad Pitt snagged a few more small roles and then got his big break as the sexy drifter Geena Davis falls for in �Thelma & Louise.� After its release, people couldn't stop talking about the "sexy hitchhiker."
Soon known as a movie star who didn't always take the starring role, Pitt co-starred with Tom Cruise in Anne Rice's �Interview With A Vampire� (1994), with Bruce Willis in �Twelve Monkeys� (1995) and with Harrison Ford in �The Devil's Own� (1997). His other films have included: �Se7en� (1995, with Morgan Freeman), the brutal urban psychodrama �Fight Club� (1999, with Edward Norton), and �Spy Game� (2001, with Robert Redford); the spoofy ensemble film �Ocean's Eleven� (2001, with George Clooney) and its sequel �Ocean's Twelve� (2004); the big-budget blockbuster �Troy� (2004, with Eric Bana) and �Mr. and Mrs. Smith� (2005, opposite Angelina Jolie).

Brad Pitt dated and lived with actress Juliette Lewis who starred in the flick �Kalifornia� with him. Years later, while filming the thriller �Se7en� Brad Pitt started dating costar Gwyneth Paltrow. Paltrow and Pitt even got engaged, but broke up before they could tie the knot. Then, Brad Pitt met �FRIENDS� star, Jennifer Aniston. Brad and Jen were married on July 29, 2000 but divorced in 2004. Brad's break-up with Jen has been rumored to be because of his Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-star, Angelina Jolie. Brad and Angelina originally denied the gossip, but Brad has now adopted Angelina's two children, Maddox and Zahara and had their own biological daughter Shilo Nouvel Pitt on January 19, 2006.