Brad Pitt’s Biggest Fear Exposed by Angelina Jolie in Rare Interview

It is remarkably easy to forget that actors, despite the blinding glare of their stardom, are fundamentally the same as anyone else. They are often bundles of high-functioning nerves, filled with the same crippling anxieties and paralysing fears that strike the rest of humanity.

While some stars might lose sleep over the fear of becoming obsolete or the constant worry that a fan might breach their private sanctuary, others have far more primal concerns. For Brad Pitt, a man usually synonymous with effortless cool and unflappable composure, that fear comes in the form of deep-sea predators.

During the promotion of her 2014 historical epic Unbroken, his former partner Angelina Jolie shed light on this surprisingly intense phobia. While the family was stationed in Australia for filming, the vast expanse of the surrounding ocean became a source of significant domestic tension.

Jolie revealed that while she encouraged their children to learn to swim and surf as early as possible to conquer her own fear of drowning, Pitt wanted nothing to do with the water. She noted that her children successfully learned to navigate the waves, even though their father didn’t want to know when they were in the water.

This specific avoidance was fueled by a profound shark phobia that made the mere thought of his kids surfing an unbearable prospect for the actor. There is something undeniably grounding about the image of a Hollywood titan being genuinely terrified of what might be lurking beneath the surface.

While he may portray a fearless stuntman or a high-stakes adventurer on the silver screen, Pitt shares the common human dread of being eaten alive. It serves as a refreshing reminder that, regardless of fame or fortune, we all have that one simple, irrational fear that can leave us feeling completely helpless.

As of February, both Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are moving into distinct new chapters of their storied careers. Pitt recently dominated the conversation at Super Bowl LX, where a surprise teaser trailer for The Adventures of Cliff Booth made its global debut.

The film, directed by David Fincher and written by Quentin Tarantino, sees Pitt reprising his Oscar-winning role from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, shifting the setting to the gritty, high-octane 1970s.

On the other side of the industry, Angelina Jolie is currently earning some of the best reviews of her career for the fashion-centric drama Coutures, which held its Parisian premiere on February 9.

In the film, Jolie portrays Maxine Walker, a filmmaker navigating a breast cancer diagnosis during the chaos of Paris Fashion Week. The project is a deeply personal one for the actress, who has been vocal about the film’s themes of resilience and the delicate beauty of life’s imperfections.

Looking forward, Pitt remains attached to the highly anticipated F1 sequel, which producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed is officially in development following the first film’s massive $633 million global haul.

Meanwhile, Jolie is preparing to return to her action roots with Sunny, a female-led gangster epic directed by Eva Sørhaug. She is also set to star in The Initiative, an espionage thriller that reunites her with Mr. & Mrs Smith director Doug Liman, proving that both stars are as relevant as ever as they navigate their “second acts” in Hollywood.

Do you think Brad Pitt’s decision to revisit his most iconic characters, like Cliff Booth, is a clever way to maintain his movie-star legacy, or would you rather see him tackle more experimental roles like his contemporaries? Share your thoughts in the comments.