Suited up in a black tuxedo, Brad Pitt on Sunday (local time) won the Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of 'Cliff Booth' in Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
Taking a jibe over US President Donald Trump's recently-concluded infamous impeachment trial, where no official was allowed to testify in Senate, Pitt said, "They told me I have 45 seconds this year, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week." “I’m thinking maybe Quentin [Tarantino] does a movie about it. In the end, the adults do the right thing.”
Pitt soon steered his speech back to the personal side, giving a shoutout to his director, Tarantino, who he called an “original” and “one of a kind.” “The film industry would be a much drier place without you and I love the ethos you gave Cliff Booth,” he continued. “Look for the best in people, expect the worst but look for the best.”
He then turned his speech into a tribute to his co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, who is nominated for Best Actor at this year’s Oscars, saying “I’ll ride on your coattails any day, man. The view’s fantastic.” Pitt closed by saying, “This is for my kids, who color everything I do. I adore you.”
This award is Pitt's first Oscar win for an acting category. He had previously won in 2012 as a producer of Best Picture winner '12 Years a Slave'. The actor was up against acting giants Anthony Hopkins ("The Two Popes"), Joe Pesci ("The Irishman"), Al Pacino ("The Irishman") and Tom Hanks ("A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"). Pitt, who has had a great 2019 courtesy "Once Upon..." and James Gray's "Ad Astra", impressed both the audiences and critics with his portrayal of Booth, whose dangerous side hides beneath an easy-going persona.
The role, which made many believe that Pitt was Tarantino's muse in the film, helped the actor win all the precursor awards including the BAFTA, the Golden Globe, the SAG and the Critics Choice Award. Pitt's journey to his first acting Oscar has been a roller-coaster ride. In his two decade long career, the actor has been nominated seven times by the Academy.
He received his first Academy Award nomination in 1996 in the best supporting actor category for "12 Monkeys", but lost to Kevin Spacey ("The Usual Suspects). The actor got his second nod in the best actor category for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". He again got nominated for the best actor trophy in 2012 for "Moneyball". He was also up for best picture award in the year 2012 ("Moneyball") and 2016 ("The Big Short").
From being the heartthrob of the industry in '90s to staying away from media glare during his divorce from actor Angelina Jolie and then bouncing back as the renewed crush of the Hollywood, Pitt's journey in the movies came a full circle this award season. The actor has not announced his next acting gig yet, but will be serving as producer on Jon Stewart's political comedy "Irresistible" and Andrew Dominik-directed "Blonde" based on Joyce Carol Oates' novel of the same name.
(Inputs from Agencies)
