Brad Pitt earned praise from audiences and critics for his performance in 12 Monkeys, but he had to make a big sacrifice to get it.
His participation in the film 12 Monkeys (1995) marked the beginning of a new phase in Brad Pitt’s career. But let’s go back a little further in time. Before moving to Hollywood in the late 1980s, the famous actor had no film experience. He had just spent four years studying journalism at the University of Missouri, but two weeks after graduation, Pitt turned his back on the university and headed west to California. He knew he wanted something more in life and he hoped to find it in films.
“I just knew there were so many different points of view out there. I wanted to see them. I wanted to hear them. I’ve always loved cinema as a didactic tool, as a way to expose myself to those ideas.” forms that were never offered to me. It wasn’t on the list of career options where I grew up. Then it occurred to me, literally two weeks before I was to graduate: If the opportunity isn’t here, I’ll go for it. Will take,” he told Esquire in an interview.
When he arrived in Los Angeles, Pitt began taking acting classes while driving a limousine to make a living. It was when she met renowned acting teacher Roy London that her perspective towards acting changed. London urged new actors to make risky decisions in their performances.
“I always tell my students how important it is to try new things. I tell them that a good performance is when you’re hired to do something you know how to do well and you Let him do it. But great acting, what interests me, is putting things in place so that you experience something for the first time,” London told the Los Angeles Times.
The original concept of London was used by Pitt for his portrayal of Jeffrey Goines in Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys. His character is completely unpredictable, and he’s incredibly fun to watch.
His performance surprised critics, especially considering that Hollywood did not hold the actor in high esteem and doubted his acting ability. In the early ’90s, Pitt’s larger roles kept him in the heartthrob and heartthrob mold. An image that certainly helped him a lot at the beginning of his career.
But with 12 Monkeys, Pitt showed he could be versatile and a risk-taker. That doesn’t mean it was the first time the actor broke out of the box Hollywood put him in. In 1993, he starred in Early, a killer on a road trip to California with a journalist (David Duchovny) who is writing a book on serial killers. Her performance in Californication is troubling, a sign that she was made for darker roles.
The ban that made Pitt lose his mind in 12 Monkeys
In the Terry Gilliam-directed production, Brad Pitt shows he can be much more than just a pretty face. But there is also something that contributed to making his role what it was meant to be. The director forbade the actor to smoke during the filming of the tape. Pitt was an avid smoker who was addicted to nicotine. He was nervous and anxious to see himself overcome his addiction, and it shows in his character, which captivated audiences and critics alike.
His stellar performance earned him his first Oscar nomination in addition to winning a Golden Globe. Curious to know that Terry Gilliam himself didn’t want to hire Bruce Willis, the film’s other protagonist, because he didn’t like his mouth, and neither was I too convinced to work with Brad Pitt. However, both the actors put up a great show of their talent.
12 Monkeys remains a classic and cult film for every sci-fi lover. What if you must watch it? Answer: Stop what you are doing and watch this now.
