American actor Brad Pitt has revealed that he experienced a "one little period" of suicidal thoughts, during which he felt an overwhelming sense of oppression and saw no way out. The 62-year-old, known for his role in Fight Club, said his "survival instincts" ultimately prevented him from acting on these thoughts, and he has not considered suicide before or since.
Pitt's candid confession
In an interview with Esquire magazine, Pitt explained: "I was never suicidal in any way, it just was not my make-up. In fact, if I have any afflictions, it's probably being a congenital optimist, which has helped many times, and it's also gotten me, I've walked foolishly head-on into a Mack truck because of my optimism."
He added: "Or, as my forever-funny friend David Fincher will say, 'yeah, you see the glass as half full, but it's half full of urine.' Anyway, I've never been suicidal except for one little period, and in that one little period, I just thought — I just couldn't — just didn't see a way out. The pain was so oppressive that I wasn't going to act on this, but I could feel the cold steel of the bullet in my head, and it felt like relief."
AI and the future of film
Elsewhere in the interview, Pitt discussed the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in filmmaking, suggesting it could enable the production of mid-budget films. He described the technology as a "very interesting experiment."
He said: "There's a lot of pushback against AI, but AI is going to be the very thing that, if used as a tool, is going to help these mid-budget films, forty to ninety million dollar budgeted films, get made."
AI replacing actors?
When asked if AI could eventually replace actors, Pitt responded: "It depends on who's creating it, you know? Who's behind it, who's telling the story, who's saying: 'I want to see this emotion from him', and then being able to mine through whatever AI provides and going 'more in this direction', and tailoring it in that way. So, they could, but the final product might not be my choices and what I found and discovered in the thing."
He added: "Look, it's going to be a very interesting experiment."
Pitt's views on scanning and acting
Pitt also spoke about being scanned for films over the past 20 years, revealing that he always includes a clause in his contracts ensuring he owns the scans. He said: "I destroy them, I should have kept them. All this time I've always had them destroyed, because I'm a paranoid Ozark boy."
In a lighter moment, Pitt admitted that bad acting "drives me crazy" and added: "It's why I can't watch porn."
Career highlights
Pitt is renowned for his roles in films such as Thelma And Louise (1991), Seven (1995), Snatch (2000), The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008), Inglourious Basterds (2009), and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019). He has won two Oscars and two Bafta awards.
The full interview is available on Esquire UK. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, Samaritans can be reached for free on 116 123 or via samaritans.org.
