Brad Pitt is convinced he’s on the “last leg” of his acting career, but not for the reason fans might think.
The Oscar winner opened up in a recent joint interview for GQ, alongside his Wolfs co-star George Clooney, about the meaning behind the phrase he has previously used regarding the future of his career.
“I meant that as seasons,” Pitt explained. “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.”
The 60-year-old actor continued of his perspective on his current life season, “And then it’s this time now. It’s: What are these last years going to be? Because I see my parents are very… I see just what George was explaining. In your 80s, the body becomes more frail. 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.”
The Moneyball actor-producer previously told GQ in 2022 that he was contemplating what the final phase of his career would look like, as he’s on his “last leg.”
Clooney added that they’re both “lucky” to be able to plan out their futures, adding, “We’re in a profession that doesn’t force you into retirement.”
However, when prompted about the fear of the phone not ringing with jobs anymore at a certain age, Clooney said there are “two ways” for actors to go about it.
“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,” the Ticket to Paradise actor explained. “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… you have to make peace with the idea that you’re going to die!”
He continued, “I will walk up to people and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, you’re older than I thought.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m 63, you dumb shit!’ It’s just: That’s life. And so as long as you can make peace with the idea of change, then it’s okay. The hard part is, and I know a lot of actors who do this — and you [Pitt] do too — who don’t let that go and try desperately to hold onto it.”
