AM I BEAUTIFUL? I DON'T CARE! - by Scott Orlin

In the interview Brad Pitt reveals his tricks for sex scenes, talks about the quest for his dream woman and a very special passion.

CINEMA: Did your relation to death change because of the movie?

Brad Pitt: Less because of the movie, more like with everyone else because of age. For a child, the thought about death is unbelievable. Something like that only happens to other people, you yourself feel invincible. Now I know I have got something to lose, that everything can end suddenly because of an accident. That frightens me, because I've got a lot of plans. Except for that, there would be some things to do before I die.

CINEMA: What, for example?

Brad Pitt: As an actor, I'd like to make an effort to give more depth to my parts, more truth. As a man, I'd like to find out if I really could be happier with a woman than I am alone. That's interesting to me.

CINEMA: Suppose death gives you a week of grace. What would you do during the last days of your life?

Brad Pitt: I'd apologize to some people I really got angry. I can't think of anything except for this.

CINEMA: What do you think: Is our life predestined or is everything just chance?

Brad Pitt: When I see the different fates of people, children who starve from birth on, others that have a life in luxury, then many things don't seem to be fair. Is there an institution that provides justice after death? I don't know. I don't think that our life is predestined, but sometimes things happen that can't be just chance. For example when you meet people you think you have known forever. Perhaps some incidents in our lives are predestined, but in the end it depends on what you make out of it.

CINEMA: As Joe Black, you're a peanutbutter-junkie. How much did you have to eat of that stuff?

Brad Pitt: Oh, an incredible amount, it must have been mountains of it. Since then, I haven't even touched peanutbutter.

CINEMA:Do you have a similar weakness in your private life?

Brad Pitt: Not for sweets. More love. Yes, I'm addicted to affection. But aren't all actors in a way?

CINEMA: Many of your fellow actors complain about sex scenes. Do you also regard them as unpleasant?

Brad Pitt: Not really. I want to do those scenes as well as all the others. You have to get in the right mood for that, of course. For example, it doesn't do harm if you get yourself into a bit of a wild mood - if you understand what I mean. Except for that, for those scenes, I can fall back on 34 years of experience of life.

CINEMA: In the movie, you'd give up everything for the right woman. Brad Pitt, too?

Brad Pitt: No, I'm afraid that this woman doesn't exist. But I think that the right woman would give me my freedom, and I'd allow her the same.

CINEMA: What is the most important condition to make a relationship work?

Brad Pitt: Total honesty. And then, each one should be accepted by the other like s/he is. A relationship in which both try to change each other can't work for a long time. But is there a woman in this world who wants to stand by me faithfully and back me up? This question has been on my mind for quite a time.

CINEMA: Where's the passion?

Brad Pitt: Of course, that's part of it. But I haven't had problems with that so far.

CINEMA: At the moment, your passion is for the design of your house in the Hollywood Hills. How did you get to this interest in architecture?

Brad Pitt: That's become my most beautiful hobby. I just deavoured a book about the architect Frank Lloyd Wright who designed the New York Guggenheim Museum, among other [buildings]. Wright lead a completely chaotic life and in his work he aimed at perfect harmony. I can understand that very well. His speciality was perspective, using light and dark. He invented a new language of architecture by this. Like the architects of the Vienna Secession (?), he determined the design into details - like the shape of doorknobs or the colour of the carpeting. I am now trying to do this in my house, too, everything with natural materials. Doing this, I'm alone for days and don't even notice how time passes. I do the landscaping, too.

CINEMA: What about your other passion, music?

Brad Pitt: I gave up the dream of making music professionally. I'm just not good enough. But sometimes I play at home, when no one listens, just like this. That's fun.

CINEMA: In what way do you use your good looks to get something?

Brad Pitt: Uh-oh, that's a sore point. I don't care about the question if I'm beautiful, it doesn't help. I have no objections to my body, but all that hysteria about it gets on my nerves. What kind of an achivement is it, if someone looks good? None! Thank god, acting brings you down to earth again all the time. Think about the fact that among the best actors in this world there is none who looks good in the classical sense. But exactly those, Marlon Brando or Jack Nicholson, for example, are my ideals.

CINEMA: Someone who gets 20 million dollars per film says that?

Brad Pitt: I regret not having reached that sum already. Anyway, I think the fees paid in Hollywood are justified. Because they are ruled merciless by offer and demand. Of course, we actors don't find cures for cancer and don't save lives, but we are part of a huge industry that makes tons of money with movies. And if it loses it again on other movies, it's always us, the actors, who pay for the consequences of a flop. Either with yearlong unemployment or with mini fees for parts in miserable movies.