Career Timeline of Brad Pitt: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Brad Pitt built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Brad Pitt is a highly successful American actor and film producer with a career spanning over three decades. He has garnered significant critical acclaim, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. His films have collectively grossed over $9.4 billion worldwide, solidifying his status as a major figure in the entertainment industry.
1999: Portrayal of Tyler Durden in Fight Club and premiere at Venice International Film Festival
In 1999, Brad Pitt played Tyler Durden in "Fight Club", a film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel directed by David Fincher. The movie premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 1999. Pitt prepared for the role with boxing, taekwondo, and grappling lessons, even having pieces of his front teeth removed to achieve the character's look.
2000: Fight Club's DVD Release
Despite initial box office struggles, in 2000, "Fight Club" achieved cult classic status following its DVD release.
2000: Pitt co-authors book on the Blacker House in 2000
In 2000, Brad Pitt co-authored an architectural book on the Blacker House with the architects Thomas A. Heinz and Randell Makinson.
2000: Cast in Snatch
In 2000, Brad Pitt starred in Guy Ritchie's gangster film, "Snatch", as an Irish Traveller boxer with a thick, barely intelligible accent. Though the film received mixed reviews, Pitt's performance was widely praised for its comedic value.
November 22, 2001: Guest appearance on Friends
On November 22, 2001, Brad Pitt appeared as a guest star in the eighth season of the TV show "Friends", playing a character with a grudge against Rachel Green. This performance earned him an Emmy Award nomination.
December 2001: Starring in Ocean's Eleven
In December 2001, Brad Pitt starred as Rusty Ryan in "Ocean's Eleven", a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film. The film, featuring an ensemble cast, was a critical and commercial success.
2001: Starring in The Mexican and Spy Game
In 2001, Brad Pitt starred opposite Julia Roberts in the romantic comedy, "The Mexican", which achieved box office success. Also in 2001, Pitt played Tom Bishop in the Cold War thriller, "Spy Game", alongside Robert Redford.
February 2002: Appearances on Jackass
In February 2002, Brad Pitt appeared in two episodes of MTV's reality series "Jackass", participating in stunts such as running through Los Angeles in a gorilla suit and staging his own abduction.
2003: Voice Acting Roles in Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas and King of the Hill
In 2003, Brad Pitt ventured into voice acting, voicing the character of Sinbad in the animated film "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" and portraying Boomhauer's brother, Patch, in an episode of the animated TV series "King of the Hill".
October 2004: Pitt Supports John Kerry and Stem-Cell Research in October 2004
In October 2004, Brad Pitt visited the University of Missouri to encourage students to vote for John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Later that month, he publicly supported public funding for embryonic stem-cell research and endorsed Proposition 71.
2004: Starring in Troy and Ocean's Twelve
In 2004, Brad Pitt played Achilles in "Troy" and reprised his role as Rusty Ryan in "Ocean's Twelve". He underwent six months of sword training for "Troy", a film produced by his company, Plan B Entertainment.
2005: Collaboration in Mr. & Mrs. Smith
In 2005, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie collaborated on "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", which was their first film together before working together again on "By the Sea" in 2015.
2005: Pitt narrates Rx for Survival in 2005
In 2005, Brad Pitt narrated the PBS public television series Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge, which discusses current global health issues.
2005: Heineken Commercial
In 2005, Brad Pitt starred in a Heineken commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, directed by David Fincher.
September 2006: Pitt and Jolie establish Jolie-Pitt Foundation in September 2006
In September 2006, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie established a charitable organization, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, to aid humanitarian causes around the world, making initial donations of $1 million each to Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders.
October 2006: Jolie-Pitt Foundation donates to the Daniel Pearl Foundation in October 2006
In October 2006, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $100,000 to the Daniel Pearl Foundation, an organization created in memory of the late American journalist Daniel Pearl.
October 2006: Pitt supports same-sex marriage in 2006
In an October 2006 interview with Esquire, Brad Pitt stated his support for same-sex marriage and said he would marry Angelina Jolie when everyone in America is legally able to marry.
2006: Pitt founds Make It Right Foundation in 2006
In 2006, Brad Pitt founded the Make It Right Foundation, organizing housing professionals in New Orleans to finance and construct 150 sustainable, affordable new houses in New Orleans's Ninth Ward following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.
2006: Starring in Babel and Producing The Departed
In 2006, Brad Pitt starred in "Babel" opposite Cate Blanchett, a performance that was well-received. That same year, his company, Plan B Entertainment, produced "The Departed", which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
2006: Favorite Celebrity Endorser
In 2006, Brad Pitt, together with Angelina Jolie, was found to be the favorite celebrity endorser for brands and products worldwide in a global industry survey by ACNielsen across 42 international markets.
May 2007: Pitt and Jolie Donate to Darfur Region in May 2007
In May 2007, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $1 million to three organizations in Chad and Sudan dedicated to those affected by the crisis in the Darfur region.
2007: Time 100 List
In 2007, Brad Pitt appeared on the Time 100 list, a compilation of the 100 most influential people in the world, as selected annually by Time magazine.
2007: Starring in Ocean's Thirteen and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
In 2007, Brad Pitt reprised his role in "Ocean's Thirteen" and played Jesse James in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford". The latter premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Pitt won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.
2007: Jolie-Pitt Foundation gave away $3.4 million in 2007
In 2007, The Jolie-Pitt Foundation gave away $3.4 million.
September 2008: Pitt donates to campaign against Proposition 8 in September 2008
In September 2008, Brad Pitt donated $100,000 to the campaign against California's 2008 ballot proposition Proposition 8, an initiative to overturn the state Supreme Court decision that had legalized same-sex marriage.
October 2008: First homes completed by Make It Right Foundation in October 2008
In October 2008, the first six homes were completed by Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation in New Orleans.
2008: Receiving Volpi Cup award
In 2008, Brad Pitt finally collected the Volpi Cup award for Best Actor at the Venice International Film Festival. He was awarded the cup in 2007 for his role in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford".
2008: Starring in Burn After Reading and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
In 2008, Brad Pitt starred in "Burn After Reading", his first collaboration with the Coen brothers. Later in 2008, he played the lead role in David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", earning him multiple award nominations.
March 2009: Pitt promotes green housing with Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi in March 2009
In March 2009, Brad Pitt met with U.S. President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to promote his concept of green housing as a national model and to discuss federal funding possibilities.
June 2009: Jolie-Pitt Foundation Donates to U.N. Refugee Agency in June 2009
In June 2009, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $1 million to a U.N. refugee agency to help Pakistanis displaced by fighting between troops and Taliban militants.
September 2009: Pitt receives award for Make It Right project in September 2009
In September 2009, Brad Pitt received an award from the U.S. Green Building Council in recognition of the Make It Right project.
2009: Starring in Inglourious Basterds
In 2009, Brad Pitt starred as Lieutenant Aldo Raine in Quentin Tarantino's war film, "Inglourious Basterds", which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was a box office hit and received many awards.
2009: Time 100 List (Builders and Titans)
In 2009, Brad Pitt was included on the Time 100 list again, this time in the "Builders and Titans" category.
January 2010: Jolie-Pitt Foundation donates to Doctors Without Borders in January 2010
In January 2010, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $1 million to Doctors Without Borders for emergency medical assistance to help victims of the Haiti earthquake.
2010: Voice Acting in Megamind
In 2010, Brad Pitt voiced the superhero character Metro Man in the animated feature, "Megamind".
2011: Producing and Appearing in The Tree of Life, Starring in Moneyball
In 2011, Brad Pitt produced and appeared in Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life", which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Also in 2011, Pitt starred in "Moneyball", earning critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination.
September 2012: Pitt reaffirms support for Obama in September 2012
In September 2012, Brad Pitt reaffirmed his support for Barack Obama, saying, "I am an Obama supporter and I'm backing his U.S. election campaign."
2012: Starring in Killing Them Softly
In 2012, Brad Pitt starred as Jackie Cogan in Andrew Dominik's "Killing Them Softly", based on the novel "Cogan's Trade".
2013: Starring in and Producing World War Z, Producing 12 Years a Slave, Role in The Counselor
In 2013, Brad Pitt starred in and produced "World War Z", which became his highest-grossing film at the time. Also in 2013, he produced and played a small role in "12 Years a Slave". In the same year, he had a role in "The Counselor".
October 17, 2014: Release of Fury
On October 17, 2014, "Fury", a World War II film starring Brad Pitt, was released. The film achieved both commercial and critical success.
2014: Plan B series Resurrection picked up by ABC
In 2013–2014 Plan B Entertainment landed its first television series as their joint venture with ABC Studios, the sci-fi/fantasy drama Resurrection, was picked up by ABC.
2015: Starring in By the Sea and The Big Short
In 2015, Brad Pitt starred opposite Angelina Jolie in "By the Sea", which she directed. Also in 2015, Pitt starred in and produced "The Big Short", which received critical and commercial acclaim.
2016: Starring in Allied
In 2016, Brad Pitt starred in Robert Zemeckis's "Allied", playing an assassin who falls in love with a French spy during World War II.
2017: Starring in War Machine and Recurring Role on The Jim Jefferies Show
In 2017, Brad Pitt starred in the Netflix film "War Machine", which he also produced. Also in 2017, Pitt had a recurring role on "The Jim Jefferies Show".
2017: World War Z sequel delayed and shelved
In 2017, the World War Z sequel was briefly delayed, then had David Fincher attached as director, but was ultimately shelved due to budget issues.
December 2019: Article in Interview with Anthony Hopkins
In December 2019, Brad Pitt wrote an article for Interview magazine, discussing addiction and recovery with Anthony Hopkins.
2019: Starring in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Ad Astra
In 2019, Brad Pitt starred in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", earning him awards for Best Supporting Actor. Also in 2019, he starred in "Ad Astra" as Roy McBride.
October 2020: Pitt Narrates Advertisement for Joe Biden's 2020 Presidential Campaign
In October 2020, Brad Pitt narrated an advertisement for Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.
2020: Portrayal of Dr. Anthony Fauci on Saturday Night Live
In 2020, Brad Pitt portrayed Dr. Anthony Fauci on "Saturday Night Live", earning him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
2021: Pitt creates a recording business.
In 2021, Brad Pitt started a company with French record producer Damien Quintard.
January 5, 2022: Brad Pitt signs on to star in Formula One film
On January 5, 2022, Brad Pitt signed on to star in and produce a racing film on Formula One titled F1, directed by Joseph Kosinski, for which he earned $30 million.
2022: Sculptures Exhibited in Finland
In 2022, nine of Brad Pitt's sculptures were displayed at the Sara Hildén Art Museum in Tampere, Finland, alongside works by Nick Cave and Thomas Houseago.
2023: Sculptures Exhibited in Finland
In 2023, nine of Brad Pitt's sculptures continued to be displayed at the Sara Hildén Art Museum in Tampere, Finland, alongside works by Nick Cave and Thomas Houseago.
2025: Pitt's Films Gross Over $7.5 Billion Worldwide
As of 2025, Brad Pitt's films have grossed over $7.5 billion worldwide, according to The Numbers.
2025: Pitt's Highest Grossing Picture
In 2025, F1 became Pitt's highest grossing picture.
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