BRAD PITT: RELISHES HIS ROLE AS MR MUM - by Veronika Parker

NO one could deny that Brad Pitt has a lot going on right now: dad to six children aged under eight, Hollywood heavyweight, environmental campaigner and partner to arguably the most beautiful woman in the world.

His life is a juggling act but Brad Pitt wouldn't have it any other way.

It's a wonder the star of Quentin Tarantino's new film Inglourious Basterds has time to talk. But, in typical dashing form, find time he does.

`This is a very good time for me,' declared Pitt. `I am involved in the kinds of projects that intrigue me, I have the most beautiful family anyone could ask for, and it's great fun to be able to be here and take in this kind of atmosphere.

`This is a very interesting time in my life. I feel my life is on track and I'm very happy and very lucky to be able to be in this position.'

His role in Inglourious Basterds is yet another departure for Pitt who seems to pride himself on playing vastly different roles from year to year.

Though critics were sharply divided on Tarantino's latest outing, a brutally violent tale of a group of Jewish American soldiers bent on exacting revenge on the Nazis, most observers at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, felt that Pitt turned in a charismatic performance as Lieutenant Aldo Raines, an officer with a distinct Tennessee accent and a ruthless style.

`I've been wanting to work with Quentin Tarantino for many years _ ever since I did True Romance which he wrote the screenplay for,' Pitt said.

`It was just a matter of time because Quentin is one of the great auteurs and you always want to work with people who have a very unique and specific vision like he has.'

Despite spending all of his spare time with his growing brood, Pitt clearly hasn't forgotten how to be one of the boys as he tells the tale of how he came to be on the project.

`Quentin came over to visit and talk about the film,' he recalled. `I remember waking up the next morning with a headache and there were something like five bottles of wine on the floor.

`I must have enjoyed talking to Quentin that night because six weeks later I was in Berlin and I was in uniform playing Lieutenant Aldo Raine.

`Quentin has this edge to everything he does and it was an outrageous experience overall. I loved being part of it.'' Today, Pitt is as famous for his family as his acting. With six children (Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne) to care for, Pitt admits having kids has affected the choices he makes in movies.

`It affects the timing. Angie and I won't work at the same time because it would disrupt our children's lives too much. So we alternate, more or less.

`I actually enjoyed spending a lot of time with the kids lately when Angie was working and it was very fulfilling to be home and have that extended time where I didn't have to focus on anything except being a father.' Pitt and Jolie's relationship has never been anything less than high profile, and each new addition to their brood elicits more attention. Pitt admits it can be challenging when trying to raise a family.

`As they get older, they become a little more self-sufficient but it's always going to involve a lot of effort and caring,'' Pitt said.

`You can't escape the very serious responsibilities that you have as a father.

`My attitude is pretty much shaped by the way my own parents raised me and my brother and sister.

`I feel that I was able to grow up with a good perspective and a good commonsense understanding of the world.

`I want to be able to impart those same values to my children. They may have a lot of privileges, but I hope they will have a lot of respect for other people and the fact that life can be very difficult at times simply in the strictest physical and economic sense.

`The kids like the travelling and getting to see different places. But sometimes it's hard not being able to take them to certain places that you would want to show them as parents. Still, we are able to go to a lot of interesting towns and cities and see a lot of things that other people don't have the chance to.

`So there are some trade-offs but I think in the end the kids are going to develop a very healthy sense of adventure and have an interesting and broad perspective on the world.'