Brad Pitt is arguably one of the most famous actors in Hollywood, with each film he features in bringing in millions of dollars at the box office. In a 2022 interview with GQ, he commented that he was on his “last leg” when it came to acting. Many took the statement to mean he was planning to retire, but that doesn’t appear to be the case, based on a recent feature he worked on with the publication.
Brad Pitt has been acting for decades
Born in 1963, Brad Pitt didn’t intend on becoming an actor – he’d actually majored in journalism while attending university. That being said, he’d always had a love for film, with Gary Oldman, Mickey Rooney and Sean Penn being among his major influences. Wanting to see if he could become a movie star himself, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began securing uncredited roles, followed by some more high-profile parts.
First capturing wider audience attention with Thelma & Louise (1991), Pitt cemented himself as a promising young actor with the 1992 feature, A River Runs Through It. Before long, he was picking up bigger projects, with some of the most notable being Fight Club (1999), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Legends of the Fall (1994), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
With films currently in the works, including one about the world of Formula One, it doesn’t appear as though Pitt is planning on slowing down anytime soon. Over the decades, his talent has seen him become the recipient of several honors, including the Best Supporting Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards.
What exactly did Brad Pitt tell GQ?
In a June 2022 feature in GQ, Brad Pitt commented on, among other things, where he see’s his career going, now that he’s getting older. In later years, we’ve seen the actor pursue other movie-related positions outside of acting, with the magazine, in particular, pointing out his role as a film producer on several projects.
When asked about what comes next, he told interviewer Ottessa Moshfegh, “I consider myself on my last leg, this last semester or trimester. What is this section gonna be? And how do I wanna design it?”
From this comment, it’s easy to assume Pitt meant that he was looking to retire within the next few years, but, as he later clarified, that isn’t the case.
Clarifying the ‘last leg’ statement
A few months after the piece was published in GQ, Deadline caught up with Brad Pitt to clarify what he meant when he said he was on his “last leg.” The actor confirmed he wasn’t planning on retiring any time soon, saying he should have better explained what he meant.
“No,” he exclaimed when asked, adding that, “I really have to work on my phrasing.”
Pitt went on to clarify what he meant, “I was just saying, you know, I’m like past middle age and I want to be specific on how I spend those last bits, whatever they may be.”
Brad Pitt has continued to refute retirement rumors
While he’d hoped that would be the end of it, it appears the retirement rumors are still following Brad Pitt, for he had to further explain his intentions behind the statement in a new profile in GQ, alongside fellow actor George Clooney. He shared what his schedule currently looks like, implying that he’s following the path he’d set for himself a few years ago, which saw him trying to work less.
“I’m doing one movie in a year and a half,” he laughed. “No, I’m still kind of on the same trajectory. I feel the same. I’m really just trying to enjoy the people that I love around me and just living. I don’t know how to not sound cheesy, but just the air is fresh and grass is green and I’ve just become that guy a little bit.”
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Pitt also revisited his previous comments, saying:
“I meant it as seasons. 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.
“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 [Clooney] was explaining. In your 80s, the body becomes 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 the kind of formula to stay creative and keep loving your life.”