The Movie Brad Pitt Calls His Favorite of All Time May Not Be What You Expect

Brad Pitt has long credited his Missouri upbringing for his deep appreciation of the cinematic experience. Speaking about his childhood, the actor recalled how his parents would frequently take him to local drive-ins during the summer months.

He described a profound love for storytelling that began while sitting on the hood of the family car, watching tales unfold on the giant outdoor screen. To Pitt, the art of film is a way to remind us that despite our complexities and mysteries, we are all ultimately the same.

Before he was a global superstar, Pitt was a college student at the University of Missouri studying advertising and graphic design. He eventually decided to leave everything behind to move to California, famously telling his parents he was heading west for art school rather than admitting his true dream was to act.

He never actually made it to art school, opting instead to dive straight into the Hollywood hustle by taking small TV roles and appearing in fast-food commercials. His early years in Los Angeles were defined by the typical struggles of a traveling student.

For a while, he shared a cramped North Hollywood apartment with seven other guys, all of whom slept on the floor in the living room because they had no furniture. Pitt remembered that time fondly as a blast, noting that as long as they had a television, a toaster oven, and a stereo, they had everything a young man could need.

When asked about his biggest influences, Pitt once named a handful of actors who shaped his perspective on the craft. While he admitted to not knowing much about the classics early on, he was eventually mesmerized by Marlon Brando’s energy in A Streetcar Named Desire.

However, his absolute favorite performance and film belong to Jack Nicholson in the 1975 masterpiece One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Pitt has assertively named it his favorite movie of all time, praising Nicholson’s portrayal of a criminal who finds himself trapped in a mental institution.

As of this year, Brad Pitt is in the midst of a massive professional resurgence. His most anticipated project, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, just debuted a surprise trailer during Super Bowl LX on February 8.

The film, which is a standalone follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, features Pitt reprising his Oscar-winning role as the legendary stuntman. While Quentin Tarantino wrote the script, the film is directed by David Fincher, marking a high-profile reunion for the duo behind Fight Club and Se7en.

The new film is set in the 1970s and follows Booth as a “Hollywood fixer” navigating the darker corners of the industry. The ensemble cast is packed with talent, including Elizabeth Debicki, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Carla Gugino, and Holt McCallany.

The project has already generated massive buzz as one of the biggest Netflix releases slated for the summer. Beyond his return as Cliff Booth, Pitt also starred in the high-octane racing drama F1.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film stars Pitt as a veteran driver named Sonny Hayes who comes out of retirement to mentor a young prodigy played by Damson Idris. Between his return to the world of Tarantino and his foray into the world of elite racing, the 62-year-old actor shows no signs of slowing down his storied career.

Do you think Brad Pitt returning to the character of Cliff Booth under the direction of David Fincher will result in a performance even better than his Oscar-winning turn in the original film? Share your thoughts in the comments.