The Transformation Of Brad Pitt From 26 To 56 Years Old
Brad Pitt is an award-winning actor, he's a father of six, and he's dated some of the biggest names in Hollywood. You might be asking, is there anything he can't do? And the answer is yes ... he simply cannot age.
Last year, British GQ investigated how Brad Pitt looked so good for his age, and Dr. Costas Papageorgiou, a U.K. medical director of the New York Dermatology Group at the Harrods Wellness Clinic attributed his good looks to the fact that the Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood actor was embracing his age.
"Brad truly looks after himself. He's not trying to look younger, but looks the healthiest version of himself," Papageorgiou explained. "Brad also appears to have protected his face and neck from the sun to preserve skin elasticity, inflammation, and redness."
Allow us to take you through his transformation to show you why even after 30 flirty and thriving years, we still swoon over him.
Brad Pitt was a country heartthrob
It didn't take us long to fall for Brad Pitt. All it took was denim, a cowboy hat, and a dashing country accent for Pitt to unlock our hearts in his first large role as J.D. in Thelma and Louise in 1991. Even his co-star Geena Davis knew he had something special when he was auditioning at 26, as she recalled in a 2020 interview with People.
"He just has 'it.' I could tell when he was auditioning that he was super talented," she explained. "He has done so many incredible things over the years. I don't think that it is unusual for him to be honored. He really is the 'star' of the moment, which is fabulous, and it is just great to see."
We couldn't agree more. In 2020, Pitt won an Oscar for his role in Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, and in his acceptance speech, he included Davis in his thanks.
"And to Geena [Davis] and Ridley [Scott] for giving me my first shot, to all the wonderful people I've met along the way to standing here now ... once upon a time in Hollywood? Ain't that the truth," he said.
So, it looks like we have Davis to thank for getting him started.
Brad Pitt got ripped for Fight Club
As an actor, it's natural to go through transformations, especially if you want awards. And as if we thought Brad Pitt couldn't get any better looking, he proved that you can get better looking with age. Almost 10 years after Thelma and Louise, at 34, he surprised us — when he appeared in one of his most well-known roles, Fight Club — with a sculpted body featuring chiseled abs.
While he may not have received any Academy recognition, he did make many, many people swoon.
However, his physique didn't come without the work. His preparation for the film consisted of four consecutive days of resistance training, followed by cardio to ensure he'd burn the most fat. For the film, he was around 5-6% body fat (per GQ Australia).
We think it's safe to say that we can't imagine the strict workout routine and dedication it took for him to achieve his look, but whether he had his god-like physique or not, we still can't get enough of him.
Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow had matching hair
We thought the couple matching was something Brad Pitt only did with Angelina Jolie when they rocked matching tuxedoes at the 2014 BAFTAs, but it wasn't.
The name Gwyneth Paltrow is well known, but it may get lost when associating her with Pitt. The couple dated briefly starting in 1994 when they met on the film set of Se7en. They were so serious in fact, that they got engaged in 1996, and love wasn't all they shared. At one point, the couple shared the same hairstyle: a blonde sweep with signature brown highlights (per InStyle).
Although Pitt and Paltrow were serious about each other, following their split in 1997, Paltrow told Howard Stern in a 2015 interview on SiriusXM radio show that "he was too good for me!" Can you believe it? (per E! News).
It's probably safe to say that the matching highlight and haircut can hold its own next to Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's full denim look.
Brad Pitt looked totally different after his divorce from Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2004. In the film, Pitt rocked a shaved head.
In his early days as an actor, it wasn't uncommon to see Pitt with long blonde hair. During his relationship with Jolie, his hair changed lengths and shades of gray, but his fierce jawline remained. Even after becoming a dad to six children and gaining a few lines on his face, he's still a face we'd pay to see on the big screen.
Following his shocking divorce with Jolie, a source close to the father of six told Us Weekly in March 2017 that he was "focusing on himself again," by "watching what he eats and has a chef making him healthy meals."
In May 2017, we got a close-up of just how different Pitt looked when he appeared on the cover of GQ. During the interview, the Hollywood hunk's shockingly thinner physique could've been attributed to the fact that he stopped drinking and smoking.
In the interview, he shared that he "can't remember a day since I got out of college when I wasn't boozing or had a spliff, or something." He also shared that he was running from feelings, but that he was happy to be done with all that, and that he had his "feelings at his fingertips again."
Brad Pitt will never not be timeless
Although his style and charm have kept us swooning for decades, when it comes to Hollywood, Pitt seems ready to bow out. In an interview with GQ Australia in July 2019, the actor talked about the natural process that Hollywood goes through to keep Hollywood young.
"I'm behind the camera on the producing side and I enjoy that a lot," he shared. "But I keep doing less and less. I really believe that overall it's a younger man's game — not that there aren't substantial parts for older characters — I just feel, the game itself, it'll move on naturally. There will be a natural selection to it all."
Over the years, Pitt has continued to be our celebrity crush. And it may not be happening today, but whenever Pitt does decide to retire from the spotlight, at least we'll have his films and numerous photos to reminisce on and remember how good-looking he's always been.