Coordinates	20°56′5″N156°40′46″N
name	Academy Award
alt	An Academy Award statuette, depicting a knight, rendered in Art Deco style, holding a crusader's sword
description	Excellence in cinematic achievements
presenter	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
country	United States
year	May 16, 1929
website	www.Oscars.org }}

An Academy Award, also known as the Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is one of the most prominent award ceremonies in the world, and is televised live in more than 200 countries annually. It is also the oldest award ceremony in the media; its equivalents, the Grammy Awards (for music), Emmy Awards (for television), and Tony Awards (for theatre) are modeled after the Academy.

The AMPAS was originally conceived by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio boss Louis B. Mayer as a professional honorary organization to help improve the film industry’s image and help mediate labor disputes. The Oscar itself was later initiated by the Academy as an award "of merit for distinctive achievement" in the industry.

The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honor outstanding film achievements of the 1927/1928 film season. The most recent ceremony, honoring films in 2010, was held at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on February 27, 2011.

History

The first awards were presented on May 16, 1929, at a private brunch at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people. The post Academy Awards party was held at the Mayfair Hotel. The cost of guest tickets for that night's ceremony was $5. Fifteen statuettes were awarded, honoring artists, directors and other personalities of the filmmaking industry of the time for their works during the 1927–1928 period.

Winners had been announced three months earlier of their triumphs; however that was changed in the second ceremony of the Academy Awards in 1930. Since then and during the first decade, the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11 pm on the night of the awards. This method was used until the ''Los Angeles Times'' announced the winners before the ceremony began; as a result, the Academy has used a sealed envelope to reveal the name of the winners since 1941.

For the first six ceremonies, the eligibility period spanned two calendar years. For example, the 2nd Academy Awards presented on April 3, 1930, recognized films that were released between August 1, 1928 and July 31, 1929. Starting with the 7th Academy Awards, held in 1935, the period of eligibility became the full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31.

The first Best Actor awarded was Emil Jannings, for his performances in ''The Last Command'' and ''The Way of All Flesh''. He had to return to Europe before the ceremony, so the Academy agreed to give him the prize earlier; this made him the first Academy Award winner in history. The honored professionals were awarded for all the work done in a certain category for the qualifying period; for example, Emil Jannings received the award for two movies in which he starred during that period. Since the fourth ceremony, the system changed, and the professionals were honored for a specific performance in a single film. As of the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony held in 2010, a total of 2,789 Oscars have been given for 1,825 awards. A total of 302 actors have won Oscars in competitive acting categories or been awarded Honorary or Juvenile Awards.

The 1939 film ''Beau Geste'' is the only movie that features as many as four Academy Award winners for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Susan Hayward, Broderick Crawford) prior to any of the actors receiving the Best Actor Award.

At the 29th ceremony, held on March 27, 1957, the Best Foreign Language Film category was introduced. Until then, foreign language films were honored with the Special Achievement Award.

Oscar statuette

Design

Although there are seven other types of awards presented by the Academy (the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, the Scientific and Engineering Award, the Technical Achievement Award, the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation, and the Student Academy Award), the best known one is the ''Academy Award of Merit'' more popularly known as the Oscar statuette. Made of gold-plated britannium on a black metal base, it is 13.5 in (34 cm) tall, weighs 8.5 lb (3.85 kg) and depicts a knight rendered in Art Deco style holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes each represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians.

MGM's art director Cedric Gibbons, one of the original Academy members, supervised the design of the award trophy by printing the design on a scroll. In need of a model for his statuette Gibbons was introduced by his then wife Dolores del Río to Mexican film director and actor Emilio "El Indio" Fernández. Reluctant at first, Fernández was finally convinced to pose nude to create what today is known as the "Oscar". Then, sculptor George Stanley (who also did the Muse Fountain at the Hollywood Bowl) sculpted Gibbons's design in clay and Sachin Smith cast the statuette in 92.5 percent tin and 7.5 percent copper and then gold-plated it. The only addition to the Oscar since it was created is a minor streamlining of the base. The original Oscar mold was cast in 1928 at the C.W. Shumway & Sons Foundry in Batavia, Illinois, which also contributed to casting the molds for the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Emmy Awards statuettes. Since 1983, approximately 50 Oscars are made each year in Chicago by Illinois manufacturer R.S. Owens & Company.

In support of the American effort in World War II, the statuettes were made of plaster and were traded in for gold ones after the war had ended.

Naming

The root of the name ''Oscar'' is contested. One biography of Bette Davis claims that she named the Oscar after her first husband, band leader Harmon Oscar Nelson; one of the earliest mentions in print of the term ''Oscar'' dates back to a ''Time'' magazine article about the 1934 6th Academy Awards. Walt Disney is also quoted as thanking the Academy for his Oscar as early as 1932. Another claimed origin is that the Academy's Executive Secretary, Margaret Herrick, first saw the award in 1931 and made reference to the statuette's reminding her of her "Uncle Oscar" (a nickname for her cousin Oscar Pierce). Columnist Sidney Skolsky was present during Herrick's naming and seized the name in his byline, "Employees have affectionately dubbed their famous statuette 'Oscar'". The trophy was officially dubbed the "Oscar" in 1939 by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Another legend reports that the Norwegian-American Eleanor Lilleberg, executive secretary to Louis B. Mayer, saw the first statuette and exclaimed, "It looks like King Oscar II!". At the end of the day she asked, "What should we do with Oscar, put him in the vault?" and the name stuck.

Ownership of Oscar statuettes

Since 1950, the statuettes have been legally encumbered by the requirement that neither winners nor their heirs may sell the statuettes without first offering to sell them back to the Academy for US$1. If a winner refuses to agree to this stipulation, then the Academy keeps the statuette. Academy Awards not protected by this agreement have been sold in public auctions and private deals for six-figure sums.

While the Oscar is under the ownership of the recipient, it is essentially not on the open market. The case of Michael Todd's grandson trying to sell Todd's Oscar statuette illustrates that there are some who do not agree with this idea. When Todd's grandson attempted to sell Todd's Oscar statuette to a movie prop collector, the Academy won the legal battle by getting a permanent injunction. Although Oscar sales transactions have been successful, some buyers have subsequently returned the statuettes to the Academy, which keeps them in its treasury.

Nomination

Since 2004, Academy Award nomination results have been announced to the public in late January. Prior to 2004, nomination results were announced publicly in early February.

Voters

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a professional honorary organization, maintains a voting membership of 5,835 as of 2007.

Academy membership is divided into different branches, with each representing a different discipline in film production. Actors constitute the largest voting bloc, numbering 1,311 members (22 percent) of the Academy's composition. Votes have been certified by the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (and its predecessor Price Waterhouse) for the past 73 annual awards ceremonies.

All AMPAS members must be invited to join by the Board of Governors, on behalf of Academy Branch Executive Committees. Membership eligibility may be achieved by a competitive nomination or a member may submit a name based on other significant contribution to the field of motion pictures.

New membership proposals are considered annually. The Academy does not publicly disclose its membership, although as recently as 2007 press releases have announced the names of those who have been invited to join. The 2007 release also stated that it has just under 6,000 voting members. While the membership had been growing, stricter policies have kept its size steady since then.

Rules

Currently, according to Rules 2 and 3 of the official Academy Awards Rules, a film must open in the previous calendar year, from midnight at the start of January 1 to midnight at the end of December 31, in Los Angeles County, California, to qualify (except for the Best Foreign Language Film). For example, the 2010 Best Picture winner, ''The Hurt Locker'', was actually first released in 2008, but did not qualify for the 2009 awards as it did not play its Oscar-qualifying run in Los Angeles until mid-2009, thus qualifying for the 2010 awards.

Rule 2 states that a film must be feature-length, defined as a minimum of 40 minutes, except for short subject awards, and it must exist either on a 35 mm or 70 mm film print or in 24 frame/s or 48 frame/s progressive scan digital cinema format with native resolution not less than 1280x720.

Producers must submit an Official Screen Credits online form before the deadline; in case it is not submitted by the defined deadline, the film will be ineligible for Academy Awards in any year. The form includes the production credits for all related categories. Then, each form is checked and put in a Reminder List of Eligible Releases.

In late December ballots and copies of the Reminder List of Eligible Releases are mailed to around 6000 active members. For most categories, members from each of the branches vote to determine the nominees only in their respective categories (i.e. only directors vote for directors, writers for writers, actors for actors, etc.); there are some exceptions though in the case of certain categories, like Foreign Film, Documentary and Animated Feature Film in which movies are selected by special screening committees made up of members from all branches. In the special case of Best Picture, all voting members are eligible to select the nominees for that category. Foreign films must include English subtitles, and each country can only submit one film per year.

The members of the various branches nominate those in their respective fields while all members may submit nominees for Best Picture. The winners are then determined by a second round of voting in which all members are then allowed to vote in most categories, including Best Picture.

Ceremony

Telecast

The major awards are presented at a live televised ceremony, most commonly in February or March following the relevant calendar year, and six weeks after the announcement of the nominees. It is the culmination of the film awards season, which usually begins during November or December of the previous year. This is an elaborate extravaganza, with the invited guests walking up the red carpet in the creations of the most prominent fashion designers of the day. Black tie dress is the most common outfit for men, although fashion may dictate not wearing a bow-tie, and musical performers sometimes do not adhere to this. (The artists who recorded the nominees for Best Original Song quite often perform those songs live at the awards ceremony, and the fact that they are performing is often used to promote the television broadcast).

The Academy Awards is televised live across the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, the United Kingdom, and gathers millions of viewers elsewhere throughout the world. The 2007 ceremony was watched by more than 40 million Americans. Other awards ceremonies (such as the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Grammys) are broadcast live in the East Coast but are on tape delay in the West Coast and might not air on the same day outside North America (if the awards are even televised). The Academy has for several years claimed that the award show has up to a billion viewers internationally, but this has so far not been confirmed by any independent sources. The Awards show was first televised on NBC in 1953. NBC continued to broadcast the event until 1960 when the ABC Network took over, televising the festivities through 1970, after which NBC resumed the broadcasts. ABC once again took over broadcast duties in 1976; it is under contract to do so through the year 2020.

After more than sixty years of being held in late March or early April, the ceremonies were moved up to late February or early March starting in 2004 to help disrupt and shorten the intense lobbying and ad campaigns associated with Oscar season in the film industry. Another reason was because of the growing TV ratings success of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, which would cut into the Academy Awards audience. The earlier date is also to the advantage of ABC, as it now usually occurs during the highly profitable and important February sweeps period. (Some years, the ceremony is moved into early March in deference to the Winter Olympics.) Advertising is somewhat restricted, however, as traditionally no movie studios or competitors of official Academy Award sponsors may advertise during the telecast. The Awards show holds the distinction of having won the most Emmys in history, with 47 wins and 195 nominations.

After many years of being held on Mondays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/6:00 p.m Pacific, in 1999 the ceremonies were moved to Sundays at 8:30 p.m. Eastern/5:30 p.m. Pacific. The reasons given for the move were that more viewers would tune in on Sundays, that Los Angeles rush-hour traffic jams could be avoided, and that an earlier start time would allow viewers on the East Coast to go to bed earlier. For many years the film industry had opposed a Sunday broadcast because it would cut into the weekend box office.

On March 30, 1981, the awards ceremony was postponed for one day after the shooting of President Ronald Reagan and others in Washington, D.C.

In 1993, an ''In Memoriam'' segment was introduced, honoring those who had made a significant contribution to cinema who had died in the preceding 12 months, a selection compiled by a small committee of Academy members. This segment has drawn criticism over the years for the omission of some names.

In 2010, the organizers of the Academy Awards announced that winners' acceptance speeches must not run past 45 seconds. This, according to organizer Bill Mechanic, was to ensure the elimination of what he termed "the single most hated thing on the show" – overly long and embarrassing displays of emotion.

The Academy has also had recent discussions about moving the ceremony even further back into January, citing TV viewers' fatigue with the film industry's long awards season. But such an accelerated schedule would dramatically decrease the voting period for its members, to the point where some voters would only have time to view the contending films streamed on their computers. Also, a January ceremony may have to compete with National Football League playoff games.

Past ceremonies and ratings

The following is a listing of all Academy Awards ceremonies and ratings since 1929.

Historically, the "Oscarcast" has pulled in a bigger haul when box-office hits are favored to win the Best Picture trophy. More than 57.25 million viewers tuned to the telecast for the 70th Academy Awards in 1998, the year of ''Titanic'', which generated close to US$600 million at the North American box office pre-Oscars. The 76th Academy Awards ceremony in which ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (pre-telecast box office earnings of US$368 million) received 11 Awards including Best Picture drew 43.56 million viewers. The most watched ceremony based on Nielsen ratings to date, however, was the 42nd Academy Awards (Best Picture ''Midnight Cowboy'') which drew a 43.4% household rating on April 7, 1970.

By contrast, ceremonies honoring films that have not performed well at the box office tend to show weaker ratings. The 78th Academy Awards which awarded low-budgeted, independent film ''Crash'' (with a pre-Oscar gross of US$53.4 million) generated an audience of 38.64 million with a household rating of 22.91%. In 2008, the 80th Academy Awards telecast was watched by 31.76 million viewers on average with an 18.66% household rating, the lowest rated and least watched ceremony to date, in spite of celebrating 80 years of the Academy Awards. The Best Picture winner of that particular ceremony was another low-budget, independently financed film (''No Country for Old Men'').

Venues

In 1929, the first Academy Awards were presented at a banquet dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. From 1930–1943, the awards were presented first at the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood. Then the Oscar ceremonies were held at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles from 1930 to 1943.

Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood then hosted the awards from 1944 to 1946, followed by the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles from 1947 to 1948. The 21st Academy Awards in 1949 were held at the Academy Award Theater at what was the Academy's headquarters on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.

From 1950 to 1960, the awards were presented at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre. With the advent of television, the 1953–1957 awards took place simultaneously in Hollywood and New York first at the NBC International Theatre (1953) and then at the NBC Century Theatre (1954–1957), after which the ceremony took place solely in Los Angeles. The Oscars moved to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California in 1961. By 1969, the Academy decided to move the ceremonies back to Los Angeles, this time to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Los Angeles County Music Center.

In 2002, Hollywood's Kodak Theatre became the permanent home of the award ceremonies.

Academy Awards of merit

Current awards

Best Actor in a Leading Role: 1928 to present

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: 1936 to present

Best Actress in a Leading Role: 1928 to present

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: 1936 to present

Best Animated Film: 2001 to present

Best Animated Short Film: 1931 to present

Best Art Direction: 1928 to present

Best Cinematography: 1928 to present

Best Costume Design: 1948 to present

Best Director: 1928 to present

Best Documentary Feature: 1943 to present

Best Documentary Short Subject: 1941 to present

Best Film Editing: 1935 to present

Best Foreign Language Film: 1947 to present

Best Live Action Short Film: 1931 to present

Best Makeup: 1981 to present

Best Original Score: 1934 to present

Best Original Song: 1934 to present

Best Picture: 1928 to present

Best Sound Editing: 1963 to present

Best Sound Mixing: 1930 to present

Best Visual Effects: 1939 to present

Best Adapted Screenplay: 1928 to present

Best Original Screenplay: 1940 to present

In the first year of the awards, the Best Director award was split into two separate categories (Drama and Comedy). At times, the Best Original Score award has also been split into separate categories (Drama and Comedy/Musical). From the 1930s through the 1960s, the Art Direction, Cinematography, and Costume Design awards were likewise split into two separate categories (black-and-white films and color films).

Another award, entitled the Academy Award for Best Original Musical, is still in the Academy rulebooks and has yet to be retired. However, due to continuous insufficient eligibility each year, it has not been awarded since 1984 (when ''Purple Rain'' won).

Retired awards

Best Assistant Director: 1933 to 1937

Best Dance Direction: 1935 to 1937

Best Engineering Effects: 1928 only

Best Original Musical or Comedy Score: 1995 to 1999

Best Original Story: 1928 to 1956

Best Score – Adaptation or Treatment: 1962 to 1969; 1973

Best Short Film – Color: 1936 and 1937

Best Short Film – Live Action – 2 Reels: 1936 to 1956

Best Short Film – Novelty: 1932 to 1935

Best Title Writing: 1928 only

Best Unique and Artistic Quality of Production: 1928 only

Proposed awards

The Board of Governors meets each year and considers new awards. To date, the following proposed awards have not been approved:

Best Casting: rejected in 1999 Best Stunt Coordination: rejected in 1999; rejected in 2005 Best Title Design: rejected in 1999

Special Academy Awards

These awards are voted on by special committees, rather than by the Academy membership as a whole, but the individual selected to receive the special award may decline the offer. They are not always presented on a consistent annual basis.

Current special awards

Academy Honorary Award: 1929 to present

Academy Scientific and Technical Award: 1931 to present

Gordon E. Sawyer Award: 1981 to present

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: 1956 to present

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award: 1938 to present

Retired special awards

Academy Juvenile Award: 1934 to 1960

Academy Special Achievement Award: 1972 to 1995

Criticism

Due to the positive exposure and prestige of the Academy Awards, studios spend millions of dollars and hire publicists specifically to promote their films during what is typically called the "Oscar season." This has generated accusations of the Academy Awards being influenced more by marketing than quality. William Friedkin, an Academy Award-winning film director and former producer of the ceremony, expressed this sentiment at a conference in New York in 2009, describing it as "the greatest promotion scheme that any industry ever devised for itself."

In addition, some winners critical of the Academy Awards have boycotted the ceremonies and refused to accept their Oscars. The first to do so was Dudley Nichols (Best Writing in 1935 for ''The Informer''). Nichols boycotted the 8th Academy Awards ceremony because of conflicts between the Academy and the Writer's Guild. George C. Scott became the second person to refuse his award (Best Actor in 1970 for ''Patton'') at the 43rd Academy Awards ceremony. Scott described it as a 'meat parade', saying 'I don't want any part of it." The third winner, Marlon Brando, refused his award (Best Actor in 1972 for ''The Godfather''), citing the film industry's discrimination and mistreatment of Native Americans. At the 45th Academy Awards ceremony, Brando sent Sacheen Littlefeather to read a 15-page speech detailing his criticisms.

It has been observed that several of the Academy Award winners – particularly Best Picture – have not stood the test of time or defeated worthier efforts. Tim Dirks, editor of AMC's filmsite.org, has written of the Academy Awards,

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Best Picture is not the only category to come under criticism. In his review of ''The Lives of Others'', Nick Davis argued,

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Acting prizes in certain years have been criticized for not recognizing superior performances so much as being awarded for sentimental reasons, personal popularity, atonement for past mistakes, or presented as a "career honor" to recognize a distinguished nominee's entire body of work.

Associated events

The following events are closely associated with the annual Academy Awards ceremony:

Governors Awards

The 25th Independent Spirit Awards (in 2010), usually held in Santa Monica the Saturday before the Oscars, marked the first time it was moved to a Friday and a change of venue to L.A. Live, the newly built entertainment complex developed in Downtown Los Angeles.

The 8th annual "Night Before", traditionally held at the Beverly Hills Hotel (eight years running in 2010) and generally known as ''THE'' party of the season, benefits the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which operates a retirement home for SAG actors in the San Fernando Valley.

Elton John's AIDS fundraiser viewing party airs the awards live at the nearby Pacific Design Center.

The Governors' Ball is the Academy's official after-party, including dinner, and is held adjacent to the awards-presentation venue.

The Vanity Fair after-party, historically held at the former Morton's restaurant, is now for the 2nd year at the Sunset Towers.

See also

Academy Awards pre-show

Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party

Golden Raspberry Award

List of Academy Award records

List of Academy Award-winning films

List of Academy Awards ceremonies

List of Academy Award trophies on public display

List of actors who have appeared in multiple Best Picture Academy Award winners

List of Asian Academy Award winners and nominees

List of Australian Academy Award winners and nominees

List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees

List of Black Academy Award winners and nominees

List of British and Commonwealth Academy Award winners and nominees

List of English Academy Award nominees and winners

List of fictitious Academy Award nominees

List of foreign language films nominated for Academy Awards

List of French Academy Award winners and nominees

Lists of Hispanic Academy Award winners and nominees by country

List of Italian Academy Award winners and nominees

List of Latin American Academy Award winners and nominees

List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees

List of people who have won multiple Academy Awards in a single year

List of Polish Academy Award winners and nominees

List of posthumous Academy Award winners and nominees

List of presenters of Best Picture Academy Award

List of Scandinavian Academy Award winners and nominees

List of superlative Academy Award winners and nominees

List of years in film

Oscar season

Notes

References

Brokaw, Lauren (2010). "Wanna see an Academy Awards invite? We got it along with all the major annual events surrounding the Oscars". Los Angeles: The Daily Truffle.

Gail, K., and Piazza, J. (2002). ''The Academy Awards: The Complete History of Oscar.'' Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc. ISBN 1-57912-240-X.

Levy, Emanuel (2003). ''All About Oscar: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards.'' New York: Continuum. ISBN 0-8264-1452-4.

Wright, Jon (2007). ''The Lunacy of Oscar: The Problems with Hollywood's Biggest Night''. Thomas Publishing, Inc.

External links

Oscars.org—official Academy site

Oscar.com—official Academy Award ceremony site

"Oscar Greats" at ''Time'' magazine

Category:Academy Awards Category:American film awards Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:Awards established in 1929

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Coordinates	20°56′5″N156°40′46″N
Name	Brad Pitt
Alt	A Caucasian with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a mustache and short brown beard, in front of a turquoise background. He is wearing a white shirt and white hat.
Birth name	William Bradley Pitt
Birth date	December 18, 1963
Birth place	Shawnee, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Missouri
Occupation
Spouse	(divorced)
Partner	Angelina Jolie (2005–present)
Children	6 }}

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received three Academy Award nominations and five Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one Golden Globe. He has been described as one of the world's most attractive men, a label for which he has received substantial media attention.

Pitt began his acting career with television guest appearances, including a role on the CBS prime-time soap opera ''Dallas'' in 1987. He later gained recognition as the cowboy hitchhiker who seduces Geena Davis's character in the 1991 road movie ''Thelma & Louise''. Pitt's first leading roles in big-budget productions came with ''A River Runs Through It'' (1992) and ''Interview with the Vampire'' (1994). He was cast opposite Anthony Hopkins in the 1994 drama ''Legends of the Fall'', which earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. In 1995 he gave critically acclaimed performances in the crime thriller ''Seven'' and the science fiction film ''12 Monkeys'', the latter securing him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. Four years later, in 1999, Pitt starred in the cult hit ''Fight Club''. He then starred as Rusty Ryan in the major international hit ''Ocean's Eleven'' (2001) and its sequels, ''Ocean's Twelve'' (2004) and ''Ocean's Thirteen'' (2007). His greatest commercial successes have been ''Troy'' (2004) and ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' (2005). Pitt received his second Academy Award nomination for his title role performance in the 2008 film ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''.

Following a high-profile relationship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston for five years. Pitt lives with actress Angelina Jolie in a relationship that has attracted wide publicity. He and Jolie have six children—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. Since beginning his relationship with Jolie, he has become increasingly involved in social issues both in the United States and internationally. Pitt owns a production company named Plan B Entertainment, whose productions include ''The Departed'' (2006), which won an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Early life

The son of Jane Etta (née Hillhouse), a high school counselor, and William Alvin Pitt, a truck company owner, Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The family soon moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he lived together with his younger siblings, Doug (born 1966) and Julie Neal (born 1969). He was raised as Southern Baptist in a conservative household.

Pitt attended Kickapoo High School, where he was a member of the basketball, golf, tennis, wrestling and swimming teams. He participated in the school's Key and Forensics clubs, in school debates, and in musicals. Following his graduation from high school, Pitt enrolled in the University of Missouri in 1982, majoring in journalism, with a focus on advertising. As a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, he acted in several fraternity shows. As graduation approached, Pitt did not feel ready to settle down. He loved films—"a portal into different worlds for me"—and, since films were not made in Missouri, he decided to go to where they were made. Two weeks before earning his degree, Pitt left the university and moved to Los Angeles, where he took acting lessons and worked odd jobs.

Career

Early work

While struggling to establish himself in Los Angeles, Pitt took lessons from acting coach Roy London.

Pitt's onscreen career began in 1987, with uncredited parts in the films ''No Way Out'', ''No Man's Land'' and ''Less Than Zero''. His television debut came in May 1987 with a two-episode role on the NBC soap opera ''Another World''. In November of the same year Pitt had a guest appearance on the ABC sitcom ''Growing Pains''. He appeared in four episodes of the CBS primetime series ''Dallas'' between December 1987 and February 1988 as Randy, the boyfriend of Charlie Wade (played by Shalane McCall). Pitt described his character as "an idiot boyfriend who gets caught in the hay." Speaking of his scenes with McCall, Pitt later said, "It was kind of wild, because I'd never even met her before." Later in 1988, Pitt made a guest appearance on the Fox police drama ''21 Jump Street''.

In the same year, the Yugoslavian–U.S. co-production ''The Dark Side of the Sun'' (1988) gave Pitt his first leading film role, as a young American taken by his family to the Adriatic to find a remedy for a skin condition. The film was shelved at the outbreak of the Croatian War of Independence, and was not released until 1997. Pitt made two motion picture appearances in 1989: the first in a supporting role in the comedy ''Happy Together''; the second a featured role in the horror film ''Cutting Class'', the first of Pitt's films to reach theaters. He made guest appearances on television series ''Head of the Class'', ''Freddy's Nightmares'', ''Thirtysomething'', and (for a second time) ''Growing Pains''.

Pitt was cast as Billy Canton, a drug addict who takes advantage of a young runaway (played by Juliette Lewis) in the 1990 NBC television movie ''Too Young to Die?'', the story of an abused teenager sentenced to death for a murder. Ken Tucker, television reviewer for ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote: "Pitt is a magnificent slimeball as her hoody boyfriend; looking and sounding like a malevolent John Cougar Mellencamp, he's really scary." The same year, Pitt co-starred in six episodes of the short-lived Fox drama ''Glory Days'', and took a supporting role in the HBO television movie ''The Image''. His next appearance came in the 1991 film ''Across the Tracks''; Pitt portrayed Joe Maloney, a high school runner with a criminal brother, played by Ricky Schroder.

After years of supporting roles in movies and frequent television guest appearances, Pitt attracted wider recognition in his supporting role in the 1991 road film ''Thelma & Louise''. He played J.D., a small-time criminal who befriends Thelma (Geena Davis). His love scene with Davis has been cited as the event that defined Pitt as a sex symbol.

After ''Thelma & Louise'', Pitt starred in the 1991 film ''Johnny Suede'', a low-budget picture about an aspiring rock star, and the 1992 film ''Cool World'', although neither furthered his career, having poor reviews and box office performance.

Pitt took the role of Paul Maclean in the 1992 biographical film ''A River Runs Through It'', directed by Robert Redford. His portrayal of the character has been described as a career-making performance, proving that Pitt could be more than a "cowboy-hatted hunk." He has admitted to feeling under pressure when making the film and thought it one of his "weakest performances ... It's so weird that it ended up being the one that I got the most attention for." Pitt believed that he benefited from working with such a talented cast and crew. He compared working with Redford to playing tennis with a superior player, saying "when you play with somebody better than you, your game gets better."

In 1993, Pitt reunited with Juliette Lewis for the road film ''Kalifornia''. He played Early Grayce, a serial killer and the boyfriend of Lewis's character in a performance described by Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' as "outstanding, all boyish charm and then a snort that exudes pure menace." Pitt also garnered attention for a brief appearance in the cult hit ''True Romance'' as a stoner named Floyd, providing much needed comic relief to the action film. He capped the year by winning a ShoWest Award for Male Star of Tomorrow.

Critical success

1994 marked a significant turning point in Pitt's career. Starring as the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac in the feature film ''Interview with the Vampire'', based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel of the same name, he was part of an ensemble cast that included Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater, and Antonio Banderas. Despite his winning two MTV Movie Awards at the 1995 ceremony, his performance was poorly received. According to the ''Dallas Observer'', "Brad Pitt ... is a large part of the problem [in the film]. When directors play up his cocky, hunkish, folksy side ... he's a joy to watch. But there's nothing about him that suggests inner torment or even self-awareness, which makes him a boring Louis."

Following the release of ''Interview with the Vampire'', Pitt starred in ''Legends of the Fall'' (1994), based on a novel by the same name by Jim Harrison, set in the American West during the first four decades of the twentieth century. Portraying Tristan Ludlow, son of Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) a Cornish immigrant, Pitt received his first Golden Globe Award nomination, in the Best Actor category. Aidan Quinn and Henry Thomas co-starred as Pitt's brothers. Although the film's reception was mixed, many film critics praised Pitt's performance. Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' said, "Pitt's diffident mix of acting and attitude works to such heartthrob perfection it's a shame the film's superficiality gets in his way." The ''Deseret News'' predicted that ''Legends of the Fall'' would solidify Pitt's reputation as a lead actor.

In 1995, Pitt starred alongside Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow in the crime thriller ''Seven,'' playing a detective on the trail of a serial killer (played by Kevin Spacey). Pitt called it a great movie and declared the part would expand his acting horizons. He expressed his intent to move on from "this 'pretty boy' thing [...] and play someone with flaws." His performance was critically well received, with ''Variety'' saying that it was screen acting at its best, further remarking on Pitt's ability to turn in a "determined, energetic, creditable job" as the detective. ''Seven'' earned $327 million at the international box office.

Following the success of ''Seven'', Pitt took a supporting role as Jeffrey Goines in Terry Gilliam's 1995 science-fiction film ''12 Monkeys''. The movie received predominantly positive reviews, with Pitt praised in particular. Janet Maslin of the ''New York Times'' called ''Twelve Monkeys'' "fierce and disturbing" and remarked on Pitt's "startlingly frenzied performance", concluding that he "electrifies Jeffrey with a weird magnetism that becomes important later in the film." He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film and received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

The following year he had a role in the legal drama ''Sleepers'' (1996), based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's novel of the same name. The film received mixed reviews. In the 1997 movie ''The Devil's Own'' Pitt starred, opposite Harrison Ford, as the Irish Republican Army terrorist Rory Devany, a role for which he was required to learn an Irish accent. Critical opinion was divided on his accent; "Pitt finds the right tone of moral ambiguity, but at times his Irish brogue is too convincing – it's hard to understand what he's saying", wrote the ''San Francisco Chronicle.'' ''The Charleston Gazette'' opined that it had favored Pitt's accent over the movie. ''The Devil's Own'' grossed $140 million worldwide, but was a critical failure. Later that year he led as Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in the Jean-Jacques Annaud film ''Seven Years in Tibet''. Pitt trained for months for the role, which demanded significant mountain climbing and trekking practice, including rock climbing in California and the European Alps with his co-star David Thewlis. The film received mostly negative reviews, and was generally considered a disappointment.

Pitt had the lead role in 1998's ''Meet Joe Black''. He portrayed a personification of death inhabiting the body of a young man to learn what it is like to be human. The film received mixed reviews, and many were critical of Pitt's performance. According to Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', Pitt was unable to "to make an audience believe that he knows all the mysteries of death and eternity." Roger Ebert stated "Pitt is a fine actor, but this performance is a miscalculation."

From 1999 to 2003

In 1999, Pitt portrayed Tyler Durden, an uncompromising and charismatic individual, in ''Fight Club'', a film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name, directed by David Fincher. Pitt prepared for the part with lessons in boxing, taekwondo, and grappling. To look the part, Pitt consented to the removal of pieces of his front teeth which were restored when filming ended. While promoting ''Fight Club'', Pitt said that the film explored not taking one's aggressions out on someone else but to "have an experience, take a punch more and see how you come out on the other end." ''Fight Club'' premiered at the 1999 Venice International Film Festival. Despite divided critical opinion on the film as a whole, Pitt's performance was widely praised. Paul Clinton of CNN noted the risky yet successful nature of the film, while ''Variety'' remarked upon Pitt's ability to be "cool, charismatic and more dynamically physical, perhaps than [...] his breakthrough role in ''Thelma and Louise''". In spite of a worse-than-expected box office performance, ''Fight Club'' became a cult classic after its DVD release in 2000.

Following ''Fight Club'', Pitt was cast as an Irish Gypsy boxer with a barely intelligible accent in Guy Ritchie's 2000 gangster film ''Snatch''. Several reviewers were critical of ''Snatch''; however, most praised Pitt. Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' said Pitt was "ideally cast as an Irishman whose accent is so thick even Brits can't understand him", going on to say that, before ''Snatch'', Pitt had been "shackled by roles that called for brooding introspection, but recently he has found his calling in black comic outrageousness and flashy extroversion;" while Amy Taubin of ''The Village Voice'' claimed that "Pitt gets maximum comic mileage out of a one-joke role".

The following year Pitt starred opposite Julia Roberts in the romantic comedy ''The Mexican'', a film that garnered a range of reviews but enjoyed box office success. Pitt's next role, in 2001's $143 million-grossing Cold War thriller ''Spy Game'', was as Tom Bishop, an operative of the CIA's Special Activities Division, mentored by Robert Redford's character. Mark Holcomb of Salon.com enjoyed the film, although he noted that neither Pitt nor Redford provided "much of an emotional connection for the audience". On November 22, 2001, Pitt made a guest appearance in the eighth season of the television series ''Friends'', playing a man with a grudge against Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston, to whom Pitt was married at the time. For this performance he was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. In December 2001, Pitt had the role of Rusty Ryan in the heist film ''Ocean's Eleven'', a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack original. He joined an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. Well-received by critics, ''Ocean's Eleven'' was successful at the box office, earning $450 million worldwide.

Pitt appeared in two episodes of MTV's reality series ''Jackass'' in February 2002, first running through the streets of Los Angeles with several cast members in gorilla suits, and participating in his own staged abduction in another episode. In the same year, Pitt had a cameo role in George Clooney's directorial debut ''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind''. He took on his first voice-acting roles in 2003, speaking as the titular character of the DreamWorks animated film ''Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas'' and playing Boomhauer's brother, Patch, in an episode of the animated television series ''King of the Hill''.

After 2003

Pitt had two major film roles in 2004, starring as Achilles in ''Troy'', and making a second appearance as Rusty Ryan, in the sequel ''Ocean's Twelve''. He spent six months sword training before the filming of ''Troy'', based on the ''Iliad''. An on-set injury to his Achilles tendon delayed production on the picture for several weeks. With a total worldwide gross of $497 million, ''Troy'' remains Pitt's most commercially successful picture to date. The film earned $364 million outside the U.S. and $133 million domestically. Stephen Hunter of ''The Washington Times'' stated that Pitt excelled at such a demanding role. ''Ocean's Twelve'' earned $362 million worldwide, and Pitt and Clooney's dynamic was described (by CNN's Paul Clinton) as "the best male chemistry since Paul Newman and Robert Redford."

In 2005, Pitt starred in the Doug Liman-directed action comedy ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith'', in which a bored married couple discover that each is an assassin sent to kill the other. The feature received reasonable reviews but was generally lauded for the chemistry between Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who played his character's wife Jane Smith. The ''Star Tribune'' noted that "while the story feels haphazard, the movie gets by on gregarious charm, galloping energy and the stars' thermonuclear screen chemistry." ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' earned $478 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest hits of 2005.

For his next feature film, Pitt starred opposite Cate Blanchett in Alejandro González Iñárritu's multi-narrative drama ''Babel'' (2006). Pitt's performance was critically well-received, and the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' said that he was credible and gave the film visibility. Pitt later said he regarded taking the part as one of the best decisions of his career. The film was screened at a special presentation at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was later featured at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. ''Babel'' received seven Academy and Golden Globe award nominations, winning the Best Drama Golden Globe, and earned Pitt a nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe.

Reprising his role as Rusty Ryan in a third picture, Pitt starred in 2007's ''Ocean's Thirteen''. While less lucrative than the first two films, this sequel earned $311 million at the international box office. Pitt's next film role was as American outlaw Jesse James in the 2007 Western drama ''The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'', adapted from Ron Hansen's 1983 novel of the same name. Directed by Andrew Dominik and produced by Pitt's company Plan B, the film premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival, with Pitt playing a "scary and charismatic" role, according to Lewis Beale of ''Film Journal International'', and earning Pitt the Volpi Cup award for Best Actor at the 64th Venice International Film Festival. Although Pitt attended the festival to promote the film, he left early after being attacked by a fan who pushed through his bodyguards. He eventually collected the award one year later at the 2008 festival.

Pitt's next appearance was in the 2008 black comedy ''Burn After Reading'', his first collaboration with the Coen brothers. The film received a positive reception from critics, with ''The Guardian'' calling it "a tightly wound, slickly plotted spy comedy", noting that Pitt's performance was one of the funniest. He was later cast as Benjamin Button, the lead in David Fincher's 2008 film ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'', a loosely adapted version of a 1921 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story follows a man who is born an octogenarian and ages in reverse, with Pitt's "sensitive" performance making ''Benjamin Button'' a "timeless masterpiece," according to Michael Sragow of ''The Baltimore Sun''. The performance earned Pitt his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, as well as a fourth Golden Globe and second Academy Award nomination, all in the category for Best Actor. The film received thirteen Academy Award nominations in total, and grossed $329 million at the box office worldwide.

Since 2008, Pitt's work has included a leading role in Quentin Tarantino's ''Inglourious Basterds'', released in August 2009 at a special presentation at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Pitt played Lieutenant Aldo Raine, an American resistance fighter battling Nazis in German-occupied France. The film was a box office hit, taking $311 million worldwide, and garnered generally favorable reviews. The film received multiple awards and nominations, including eight Academy Award nominations and seven MTV Movie Award nominations, including Best Male Performance for Pitt. He voiced the superhero character Metro Man in the 2010 animated feature ''Megamind''. Pitt appeared in Terrence Malick's drama ''The Tree of Life'', co-starring Sean Penn, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. He has signed on to appear as a British explorer searching for a mysterious Amazonian civilization in ''The Lost City of Z'', based on David Grann's 2009 book of the same name. In a performance that attracted strong praise, he portrayed the Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane in the drama ''Moneyball'', which is based on the 2003 book of the same name written by Michael Lewis. ''Moneyball'' received six Academy Award nominations including Best Actor for Pitt.

Other projects

Film and television work

Along with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Grey, CEO of Paramount Pictures, Pitt founded the film production company Plan B Entertainment in 2002, although Aniston and Grey withdrew in 2005. The company has produced several films, including ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' starring Johnny Depp in 2005, as well as 2007's ''The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'' and ''A Mighty Heart'', starring Angelina Jolie. Plan B was also involved in producing ''The Departed'', the winner of the 2007 Academy Award for Best Picture. Pitt was credited onscreen as a producer; however, only Graham King was ruled eligible for the Oscar win. Pitt has been reluctant to discuss the production company in interviews.

Pitt has appeared in several television commercials: one for the U.S. market, a Heineken commercial aired during the 2005 Super Bowl; it was directed by David Fincher, who had directed Pitt in ''Seven'', ''Fight Club'' and ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''. Other commercial appearances came in television spots designed for Asian markets, advertising such products as the Acura Integra, in which he was featured opposite Russian model Tatiana Sorokko, as well as SoftBank and Edwin Jeans.

Humanitarian causes

Pitt supports the ONE Campaign, an organization aimed at combating AIDS and poverty in the developing world. He narrated the 2005 PBS public television series ''Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge'', which discusses current global health issues and traveled to Pakistan in November 2005 with Angelina Jolie to see the impact of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. The following year Pitt and Jolie flew to Haiti, where they visited a school supported by Yéle Haïti, a charity founded by Haitian-born hip hop musician Wyclef Jean. In May 2007, Pitt and Jolie donated $1 million to three organizations in Chad and Sudan dedicated to those affected by the crisis in the Darfur region. Along with Clooney, Damon, Don Cheadle, and Jerry Weintraub, Pitt is one of the founders of "Not On Our Watch", an organization that tries to focus global attention and resources to stop and prevent genocides such as that in Darfur.

Pitt has a sustained interest in architecture and has narrated ''Design e2'', a PBS television series focused on worldwide efforts to build environmentally friendly structures through sustainable architecture and design. He founded the Make It Right Foundation in 2006, organizing housing professionals in New Orleans to finance and construct 150 sustainable, affordable new houses in New Orleans's Ninth Ward following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The project involves 13 architectural firms and the environmental organization Global Green USA, with several of the firms donating their services. Pitt and philanthropist Steve Bing have each committed $5 million in donations. The first six homes were completed in October 2008, and in September 2009 Pitt received an award in recognition of the project from the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built and operated. Pitt met with U.S. President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi in March 2009 to promote his concept of ''green housing'' as a national model and to discuss federal funding possibilities.

In September 2006, Pitt and Jolie established a charitable organization, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, to aid humanitarian causes around the world. The foundation made initial donations of $1 million each to Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders, followed by an October 2006 donation of $100,000 to the Daniel Pearl Foundation, an organization created in memory of the late American journalist Daniel Pearl. According to federal filings, Pitt and Jolie invested $8.5 million into the foundation in 2006; it gave away $2.4 million in 2006 and $3.4 million in 2007. In June 2009 the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $1 million to a U.N. refugee agency to help Pakistanis displaced by fighting between troops and Taliban militants. In January 2010 the foundation donated $1 million to Doctors Without Borders for emergency medical assistance to help victims of the Haiti earthquake.

In the media

Pitt's sex appeal has been picked up by many sources including ''Empire'', who named him one of the 25 sexiest stars in film history in 1995. The same year, Pitt won ''People'''s Sexiest Man Alive, an accolade he won again in 2000. Pitt appeared on ''Forbes'''s annual Celebrity 100 list of the 100 most powerful celebrities in 2006, 2007, and 2008, at No. 20, No. 5, and No. 10 respectively. In 2007 he was listed among the Time 100, a compilation of the 100 most influential people in the world, as selected annually by ''TIME''. The magazine credited Pitt with using "his star power to get people to look [to where] cameras don't usually catch". Pitt was again included in the Time 100 in 2009, this time in the Builders and Titans list.

Pitt visited the University of Missouri campus in October 2004 to encourage students to vote in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, in which he supported John Kerry. Later in October he publicly supported the principle of public funding for embryonic stem-cell research. "We have to make sure that we open up these avenues so that our best and our brightest can go find these cures that they believe they will find," he said. In support of this he endorsed Proposition 71, a California ballot initiative intended to provide federal government funding for stem-cell research.

Starting in 2005, Pitt's relationship with Angelina Jolie became one of the most reported celebrity stories worldwide. After confirming that Jolie was pregnant in early 2006, the unprecedented media hype surrounding the couple reached what Reuters, in a story titled "The Brangelina fever," called "the point of insanity". To avoid media attention the couple flew to Namibia for the birth of their daughter Shiloh, "the most anticipated baby since Jesus Christ." Similarly intense media interest greeted the announcement two years later of Jolie's second pregnancy; for the two weeks Jolie spent in a seaside hospital in Nice, reporters and photographers camped outside on the promenade to report on the birth.

In September 2008 Pitt donated $100,000 to the campaign against California's 2008 ballot proposition Proposition 8, an initiative to overturn the state Supreme Court decision that had legalized same-sex marriage. Pitt stated his reasons for the stance: "Because no one has the right to deny another their life, even though they disagree with it, because everyone has the right to live the life they so desire if it doesn't harm another and because discrimination has no place in America, my vote will be for equality and against Proposition 8."

Personal life

Relationships

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Pitt was involved in successive relationships with several of his co-stars, including Robin Givens (''Head of the Class''), Jill Schoelen (''Cutting Class''), and Juliette Lewis (''Too Young to Die?'' and ''Kalifornia''), who, at the age of 16, was ten years his junior when they started dating. In addition, Pitt had a much-publicized romance and engagement to his ''Seven'' co-star Gwyneth Paltrow, whom he dated from 1994 to 1997.

Pitt met ''Friends'' actress Jennifer Aniston in 1998 and married her in a private wedding ceremony in Malibu on July 29, 2000. For years their marriage was considered a rare Hollywood success; however, in January 2005, Pitt and Aniston announced that they had decided formally to separate after seven years together. Two months later Aniston filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Pitt and Aniston's divorce was finalized by the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 2, 2005, legally ending their marriage. Despite media reports that Pitt and Aniston have an acrimonious relationship, Pitt said in a February 2009 interview that he and Aniston "check in with each other", adding that they were both big parts of each others' lives.

During Pitt's divorce from Aniston, his involvement with his ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' co-star Angelina Jolie attracted vigorous media attention. While Pitt denied claims of adultery, he admitted that he "fell in love" with Jolie on the set. In April 2005, one month after Aniston filed for divorce, a set of paparazzi photographs emerged showing Pitt, Jolie and her son Maddox at a beach in Kenya; the pictures were construed in the press as evidence of a relationship between Pitt and Jolie. During the summer of 2005, the two were seen together with increasing frequency, and the entertainment media dubbed the couple "Brangelina". On January 11, 2006, Jolie confirmed to ''People'' that she was pregnant with Pitt's child, thereby publicly acknowledging their relationship for the first time.

In an October 2006 interview with ''Esquire'', Pitt said that he and Jolie would marry when everyone in America is legally able to marry. He reaffirmed his stance to ''Parade'' in August 2009, and again to ''People'' in July 2011. In February 2010, Pitt and Jolie successfully sued British tabloid ''News of the World'' for falsely reporting that they were separating, a story that had been widely picked up by credible media outlets.

Children

In July 2005, Pitt accompanied Jolie to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she adopted her second child, six-month-old Zahara Marley, a decision which Jolie later stated she and Pitt had made together. Pitt's publicist announced in December 2005 that Pitt was seeking to legally adopt Jolie's two children, Zahara and Cambodia-born Maddox Chivan. On January 19, 2006, a California judge granted Jolie's request to change the children's surnames from "Jolie" to "Jolie-Pitt". The adoptions were finalized soon after.

Jolie gave birth to daughter Shiloh Nouvel in Swakopmund, Namibia, on May 27, 2006. Pitt confirmed that their newborn daughter would have a Namibian passport. The couple sold the first pictures of Shiloh through the distributor Getty Images; the North American rights were purchased by ''People'' for over $4.1 million, while ''Hello!'' obtained the British rights for approximately $3.5 million. The proceeds from the sale were donated to charities serving African children. Madame Tussauds in New York unveiled a wax figure of two-month-old Shiloh; it marked the first time an infant was recreated in wax by Madame Tussauds.

On March 15, 2007, Jolie adopted three-year-old Pax Thien from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Since Vietnam does not allow unmarried couples to adopt, Jolie adopted Pax as a single parent. In April 2007, Jolie filed a request to legally change her son's surname from "Jolie" to "Jolie-Pitt", which was approved on May 31, 2007. The rights for the first post-adoption images of Pax were sold to ''People'' for a reported $2 million, as well as to ''Hello!'' for an undisclosed amount. Pitt adopted Pax in the United States on February 21, 2008.

At the Cannes Film Festival in May 2008, Jolie confirmed that she was expecting twins. She gave birth to son Knox Léon and daughter Vivienne Marcheline on July 12, 2008 in Nice, France. The rights for the first images of Knox and Vivienne were jointly sold to ''People'' and ''Hello!'' for $14 million—the most expensive celebrity pictures ever taken. The couple donated the proceeds to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

Religion

In an October 2007 interview, Pitt revealed that he is no longer a Christian and does not believe in an afterlife. "There's peace in understanding that I have only one life, here and now, and I'm responsible." In a July 2009 interview he said that he did not believe in God, and that he was "probably 20 percent atheist and 80 percent agnostic."

Filmography

+ Actor
! Year	! Film	! Role	Notes
1987		Officer at party
1987		Waiter
1987		Partygoer
1987		Chris	Appeared on the May 14 and 15, 1987 episodes
1987	''Growing Pains''	Jeff	Episodes: "List of Growing Pains episodes#Season 3: 1987-1988
1987–88		Randy	4 episodes
1988	''[[21 Jump Street''	Peter	Episode: "Best Years of Your Life"
1987		Brian
1987	''Cutting Class''	Dwight Ingalls
1987	''Head of the Class''	Chuck	Episode: "Partners"
1987	''Freddy's Nightmares''	Rick Austin	Episode: "Black Tickets"
1990	''''	Cameraman	TV movie
1990	''Too Young to Die?''	Billy Canton	TV movie
1990	''Glory Days''	Walker Lovejoy	6 episodes
1991	''Across the Tracks''	Joe Maloney
1991	''Thelma & Louise''	J.D.
1991	''Johnny Suede''	Johnny Suede
1992	''Contact''	Cox
1992	''Cool World''	Detective Frank Harris
1992	''''	Paul Maclean
1993	''Kalifornia''	Early Grayce
1993	''True Romance''	Floyd
1994	''''	Elliott Fowler
1994		Louis de Pointe du Lac	MTV Movie Award for Best Performance - MaleMTV Movie Award for Most Desirable MaleNominated–MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo shared with Tom CruiseNominated–Saturn Award for Best Actor
1994	''Legends of the Fall''	Tristan Ludlow	Nominated–Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
1995		David Mills	MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable MaleNominated–MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo shared with Morgan FreemanNominated–MTV Movie Award for Best Performance - Male
1995	''12 Monkeys''	Jeffrey Goines
1996		Michael Sullivan
1997	''''	Francis "Frankie" Austin McQuire/Rory Devaney
1997		Heinrich Harrer
1997	''''	Rick
1998	''Meet Joe Black''	Joe Black/Man in the Coffee Shop
1999	''Fight Club''
1999	''Being John Malkovich''	Himself	Cameo
2000		Mickey O'Neil	Nominated–Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
2001	''''	Jerry Welbach
2001	''Spy Game''	Tom Bishop
2001	''''	Rusty Ryan
2001	''Friends''	Will Colbert
2002		Himself
2002	''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind''	Brad, Bachelor No.1
2003	''Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas''		Voice
2003		Himself	Cameo
2004		Achilles
2004	''''	Rusty Ryan	Nominated–Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
2005		John Smith
2006		Richard
2007	''''	Rusty Ryan
2007	''''	Jesse James
2008	''Burn After Reading''	Chad Feldheimer
2008	''''	Benjamin Button
2009	''Inglourious Basterds''	Lt. Aldo Raine
2010	''Megamind''	Metro Man	Voice
2011	''''	Mr. O'Brien
2011		Billy Beane
2011	''Happy Feet Two''	Will the Krill	Nominated – Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Actor of the Year
2012	''Cogan's Trade''	Jack Cogan	Post-production
2012		Gerry Lane	Post-production

+ Producer
! Year	! Film	Notes
2006	''God Grew Tired of Us''	Executive producer
2006	''''	Nominated–BAFTA Award for Best Film
2006
2007	''''	Executive producer
2007		Executive producer
2007	''''	Nominated–Independent Spirit Award for Best Film
2007	''''
2008	''Pretty/Handsome''	Executive producer (TV)
2009	''''	Executive producer
2009	''''	Executive producer
2010
2010	''Eat Pray Love''
2011	''''	Palme d'Or
2011		Pending–Academy Award for Best Picture
2012	''Cogan's Trade''
2012

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Not On Our Watch – Founded by: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Jerry Weintraub

Category:1963 births Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from Oklahoma Category:American agnostics Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American television actors Category:American vegans Category:American voice actors Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Former Baptists Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma Category:University of Missouri alumni

af:Brad Pitt ar:براد بيت an:Brad Pitt ast:Brad Pitt az:Bred Pitt bn:ব্র্যাড পিট zh-min-nan:Brad Pitt be:Брэд Піт bg:Брад Пит bo:པ་རའི་པི་ཏ། bs:Brad Pitt br:Brad Pitt ca:Brad Pitt cs:Brad Pitt cy:Brad Pitt da:Brad Pitt de:Brad Pitt et:Brad Pitt el:Μπραντ Πιτ es:Brad Pitt eo:Brad Pitt eu:Brad Pitt fa:برد پیت fr:Brad Pitt ga:Brad Pitt gv:Brad Pitt gd:Brad Pitt gl:Brad Pitt ko:브래드 피트 hy:Բրեդ Փիթ hi:ब्रैड पिट hr:Brad Pitt id:Brad Pitt is:Brad Pitt it:Brad Pitt he:בראד פיט jv:Brad Pitt kn:ಬ್ರ್ಯಾಡ್‌ ಪಿಟ್‌ ka:ბრედ პიტი kk:Брэд Питт la:Brad Pitt lv:Breds Pits lb:Brad Pitt lt:Brad Pitt li:Brad Pitt hu:Brad Pitt mk:Бред Пит ml:ബ്രാഡ് പിറ്റ് mr:ब्रॅड पिट ms:Brad Pitt mn:Брэд Питт nah:Brad Pitt nl:Brad Pitt ja:ブラッド・ピット pih:Brad Pitt no:Brad Pitt nn:Brad Pitt uz:Brad Pitt ps:براډ پېت pl:Brad Pitt pt:Brad Pitt ro:Brad Pitt ru:Питт, Брэд sq:Brad Pitt simple:Brad Pitt sk:Brad Pitt sl:Brad Pitt sr:Бред Пит sh:Brad Pitt su:Brad Pitt fi:Brad Pitt sv:Brad Pitt tl:Brad Pitt ta:பிராட் பிட் tt:Брэд Питт te:బ్రాడ్ పిట్ th:แบรด พิตต์ tr:Brad Pitt uk:Бред Пітт vi:Brad Pitt wuu:孛拉特 皮此 yi:ברעד פיט zh:畢·彼特

Coordinates	20°56′5″N156°40′46″N
birthname	Jonah Hill Feldstein
birth date	December 20, 1983
birth place	Los Angeles, California
occupation	Actor, producer, screenwriter, comedian
yearsactive	2004–present
homepage	}}

Jonah Hill (born Jonah Hill Feldstein; December 20, 1983) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian, best known for his roles in ''Superbad'', ''Knocked Up'', ''Funny People'', ''Get Him to the Greek'', and ''Moneyball''. He made his theatrical debut in ''I Heart Huckabees'', alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin Hoffman. Hill was first nominated for a Teen Choice Award for his role in ''Accepted'' as Sherman Schrader. He co-created and starred in the animated comedy ''Allen Gregory'' on FOX. His first dramatic role was in the critically acclaimed 2011 sports film ''Moneyball'', for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Early life

Hill was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Sharon Lyn (née Chalkin), a costume designer and fashion stylist, and Richard Feldstein, a tour accountant for Guns N' Roses. Hill was raised Jewish. His parents were originally from Long Island, New York, and the family vacationed in the Catskills. He attended The Center for Early Education, Brentwood School and then Crossroads School, in Santa Monica. After graduating from high school, Hill left California to attend The New School, where he studied acting.

Career

While in college, Hill began writing his own plays and performing them in the ''Black and White'' bar in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. His plays developed a small following and helped him realize that his true desire was to act in films. Hill was befriended by Dustin Hoffman's children, Rebecca and Jake, who introduced Hill to their father. The elder Hoffman asked him to audition for a role in ''I Heart Huckabees'', in which Hill made his film debut.

Hill then made a brief appearance in Judd Apatow's directorial debut ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin'', which eventually led to him starring in a larger supporting role in the Apatow-directed ''Knocked Up'', an uncredited role of Dewey Cox's grown-up brother Nate Cox in ''Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story'', and leading roles in the Apatow-produced ''Superbad'' and ''Get Him to the Greek''.

On television, Hill played the "RA Guy" on the first season of the Oxygen Network sitcom ''Campus Ladies''. He also guest-starred in an episode of ''Clark and Michael''.

He was scheduled to host ''Saturday Night Live'' on November 17, 2007, which would have featured musical guest Kid Rock, but the episode was canceled due to the Writers Guild of America strike which lasted from November 5, 2007, to February 12, 2008. Instead, he hosted the March 15, 2008, show, which featured musical guest Mariah Carey (who was a replacement for the originally scheduled musical guest Janet Jackson).

He guest-starred in an episode of ''Reno 911'' which aired on April 1, 2009.

Hill was in negotiations for a part in ''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' as a sidekick to Shia LaBeouf's character. He next starred in Judd Apatow's third directorial feature, ''Funny People'', which also starred Adam Sandler, Eric Bana and Seth Rogen. He also was an associate producer of the 2009 Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary ''Brüno''.

He guest starred on an episode of ''The Simpsons'' called "Pranks and Greens", portraying an immature man named Andy Hamilton who was hailed the best prankster in Springfield Elementary School history.

In July 2011, Jonah appeared at ESPN's ESPY awards sporting a much slimmer physique. He claimed to have lost 40 pounds. Hill will be appearing in the film ''21 Jump Street'' by 2012.

In November 2011, Hill, along with Sam Worthington and Dwight Howard, starred in commercials for the video game ''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3'', making his first appearance with his new look. Hill was scheduled to guest star on the November 21, 2011 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw, but he skipped the event and a reason for Hill's no-show was not made clear.

In August 2011 it was confirmed that Hill would star in Neighborhood Watch. In September 2011 it was announced that Jonah Hill was in talks to star in Quentin Tarantino's new movie ''Django Unchained''. Hill had to decline a role in Quentin Tarantino's ''Django Unchained'', due to his prior commitment to ''Neighborhood Watch'', lamenting that the former was "the perfect next step" in his career.

Hill received a Golden Globe nomination, his first nomination, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for his performance in the 2011 sports film ''Moneyball'', in which he portrayed his first dramatic role as Peter Brandt. In late January 2012, Hill received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Moneyball.

Writing

Hill has wanted to be a writer since he was young, dreaming of someday joining the writing teams of ''The Simpsons'', ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''The Larry Sanders Show''. At one point, Hill was writing a screenplay with close friend and ''I Heart Huckabees'' co-star Jason Schwartzman. At another, he was writing ''Pure Imagination'', a comedy for Sony about a man who develops an imaginary friend after a traumatic experience. Filming was expected to begin in 2008, but it has been in development since then. Hill co-created, co-writes, executive produces and lends his voice to the new Fox animated comedy Allen Gregory, which will air in between The Simpsons and Family Guy on Sunday nights. The show has been cancelled as of December 1st. Hill directed his first music video for singer Sara Bareilles's "Gonna Get Over You".

Filmography

Film '''' ''Grandma's Boy (2006 film) ''Knocked Up'' ''Strange Wilderness'' '''' ''How to Train Your Dragon (film) "Gonna Get Over You" ''The Apocalypse'' ''How to Train Your Dragon 2''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
2004	''I Heart Huckabees''	Bret
2005	|	eBay store Customer
rowspan="4"	2006	Grandma's Boy'' ||	Barry
''Click (2006 film)	Click''	Ben Newman – at age 17
''Accepted''	Sherman Schrader
''10 Items or Less (film)	10 Items or Less''	Packy
rowspan="5"	2007	|	Jonah
''Evan Almighty''	Eugene Tenanbaum
''Rocket Science (2007 film)	Rocket Science''	Lionel
''Superbad (film)	Superbad''	Seth
''Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story''	Nate Cox's Ghost
rowspan="8"	2008	|	Lynn Cooker
''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''	Matthew
''Just Add Water (film)	Just Add Water''	Eddie
''Emerson Park''	Dylan Machado
''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian''	Brundon
''Funny People''	Leo
''''	Frank
''Brüno''	–
2009	|	Andy Hamilton	Television series, voice role
rowspan="4"	2010	How to Train Your Dragon'' ||	Snotlout	Voice role
''Get Him to the Greek''
''Cyrus (film)	Cyrus''	Cyrus
''Megamind''	Titan/Hal Stewart
rowspan="3"	2011	|	Director	Music video
''Moneyball (film)	Moneyball''	Peter Brand
''''	Noah Jaybird
rowspan="3"	2012	|	Himself	Pre-Production
''21 Jump Street (film)	21 Jump Street''	Schmidt
''Neighborhood Watch (film)	Neighborhood Watch''	Franklin
2014	|	Snotlout	Voice role

Television

''Campus Ladies'' ''Wainy Days'' ''Reno 911!'' ''Allen Gregory''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
2004	''NYPD Blue''	Clerk
2006	|	Guy	7 Episodes
rowspan="2"	2007	|	Neil	(TV series short), Two Episodes
''Clark and Michael''	Derek
''Human Giant''	Weenie King Customer
rowspan="3"	2009	|	Daniel	Episode "Training Day"
''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!''	Jeffrey Simmons
''The Simpsons''	Andy Hamilton
2011	|	Allen Gregory	Voice, Title Character

References

External links

The ''Superbad'' boys: exclusive video interview with stv.tv/movies

Photo spread of Jonah Hill with Riley Keough in Harper's Bazaar

Category:1983 births Category:Actors from California Category:American film actors Category:American Jews Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Jewish actors Category:Living people Category:People from Marin County, California

ar:جونا هيل da:Jonah Hill de:Jonah Hill es:Jonah Hill fr:Jonah Hill id:Jonah Hill it:Jonah Hill he:ג'ונה היל nl:Jonah Hill ja:ジョナ・ヒル no:Jonah Hill pl:Jonah Hill pt:Jonah Hill ru:Хилл, Джона simple:Jonah Hill sv:Jonah Hill zh:喬納·希爾

Coordinates	20°56′5″N156°40′46″N
Name	Billy Crystal
Birth date	March 14, 1948
Birth name	William Edward Crystal
Birth place	New York City, United States
Spouse	Janice Goldfinger (1970–present)
Nationality	American
Active	1975–present

}} William Edward "Billy" Crystal (born March 14, 1948) is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. He gained prominence in the 1970s for playing Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom ''Soap'' and became a Hollywood film star during the late 1980s and 1990s, appearing in the critical and box office successes ''When Harry Met Sally...'' and ''City Slickers''. He has hosted the Academy Awards eight times.

Early life

Crystal was born in the Doctor's Hospital in Manhattan and grew up in Long Beach, New York, the son of Helen (née Gabler), a housewife, and Jack Crystal, a record company executive and producer of jazz records, who owned and operated the Commodore Record store. His uncle was musician and songwriter Milt Gabler, and his brother, Richard "Rip" Crystal, is a television producer. Crystal grew up in a Jewish family that he has described as "large" and "loving". Billie Holiday was one of Crystal's babysitters during his childhood.

After graduation from Long Beach High School, Crystal attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, on a baseball scholarship, having learned the game from his father, who pitched for St. John's University. Crystal never played a game at Marshall because the program was suspended during his freshman year. He did not return as a sophomore, staying back in New York with his future wife. He then went on to Nassau Community College, and later attended New York University, where he graduated with a B.F.A. from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1970. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the BG News from 1969–70.

Career

Television

Crystal returned to New York and performed regularly at ''The Improv'' and ''Catch a Rising Star''. He studied film and television direction under Martin Scorsese at New York University. In 1976, Crystal appeared on an episode of ''All in the Family''. He was on the dais for the Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of Muhammad Ali on February 19, 1976, where he did impressions of both Ali and sportscaster Howard Cosell. He was scheduled to appear on the first episode of ''NBC Saturday Night'' (later renamed ''Saturday Night Live'') (October 11, 1975), but his sketch was cut. He did do a stand-up bit later in that first season as "Bill Crystal", on the April 17, 1976, episode; the "Can you dig it? I knew that you could," portion of which was repeatedly quoted by characters in the 1977 film, ''Saturday Night Fever''.

Crystal's earliest prominent role was as Jodie Dallas on ''Soap'', one of the first unambiguously gay characters in the cast of an American television series. He continued in the role the series' entire 1977–1981 run.

After hosting ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1984, he joined the regular cast. His most famous recurring sketch was his parody of Fernando Lamas Fernando, a smarmy talk show host whose catchphrase, "You look... mahvelous!," became a media sensation. Crystal subsequently released an album of his stand-up material titled ''Mahvelous!'' in 1985, as well as the single "You Look Marvelous", which peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the same year. Also in the 1980s, Crystal starred in an episode of Shelley Duvall's ''Faerie Tale Theater'' as the smartest of the three little pigs.

In 1996, Crystal was the guest star of the third episode of ''Muppets Tonight''.

Acting in film and hosting the Oscars

Crystal's first film role was in Joan Rivers's 1978 film ''Rabbit Test''. Crystal also made game show appearances such as ''The Hollywood Squares'', ''All Star Secrets'' and ''The $20,000 Pyramid''. He holds the record for getting his contestant partner to the top of the pyramid in winner's circle in the fastest time, 26 seconds.

Crystal appeared briefly in Rob Reiner's 1984 "rockumentary" ''This Is Spinal Tap'' as Morty The Mime, a waiter dressed as a mime at one of Spinal Tap's parties. He shared the scene with a then-unknown, non-speaking Dana Carvey. Crystal's line in the film was "Mime is money." Reiner directed Crystal again in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987).

Reiner directed Crystal for a third time in the classic romantic comedy ''When Harry Met Sally...'' (1989), for which Crystal was nominated for a Golden Globe. Crystal then starred in the buddy comedy ''City Slickers'' (1991), which proved very successful both commercially and critically and for which Crystal was nominated for his second Golden Globe.

Following the success of these films, Crystal wrote, directed, and starred in ''Mr. Saturday Night'' (1992) and ''Forget Paris'' (1995). In the former, Crystal played a serious role in aging makeup, as an egotistical comedian who reflects back on his career. He directed the made-for-television movie ''61*'' (2001) based on Roger Maris's and Mickey Mantle's race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1961. This earned Crystal an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special.

Crystal has continued working in film, including ''Analyze This'' (1999) and ''Analyze That'' (2002) with Robert De Niro, and in the English version of ''Howl's Moving Castle'' as the voice of Calcifer. Pixar originally approached him to provide the voice of Buzz Lightyear in ''Toy Story'' (1995). He turned down that offer, but regretted it after the film became one of the most popular releases of the year. Crystal later went on to provide the voice of Mike Wazowski in the Pixar film, ''Monsters, Inc.'' (2001), which was nominated for the inaugural Best Animated Feature Oscar.

Crystal hosted the Academy Awards broadcast in 1990–1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2004; and he reportedly turned down hosting the 2006 ceremony to concentrate on his one-man show, ''700 Sundays''. His eight times as the M.C. is second only to Bob Hope's 18 in most ceremonies hosted. At the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony in 2011, he appeared as a presenter for a digitally inserted Bob Hope and before doing so was given a standing ovation. Film critic Roger Ebert said when Crystal came onstage about two hours into the show, he got the first laughs of the broadcast.

Broadway

Crystal won the 2005 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event for ''700 Sundays'', a two-act, one-man play, which he conceived and wrote about his parents and his childhood growing up on Long Island. He toured the U.S. with the show in 2006 and Australia in 2007.

Following the initial success of the play, Crystal wrote the book ''700 Sundays'' for Warner Books, which was published on October 31, 2005. In conjunction with the book and the play that also paid tribute to his uncle, Milt Gabler, Crystal produced two CD compilations: ''Billy Crystal Presents: The Milt Gabler Story'', which featured his uncle's most influential recordings from Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" to "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets; and ''Billy Remembers Billie'' featuring Crystal's favorite Holiday recordings.

Philanthropy

In 1986, Crystal started hosting ''Comic Relief'' on HBO with Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. Founded by Bob Zmuda, Comic Relief raises money for homeless people in the United States.

On September 6, 2005, on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', Crystal and Jay Leno were the first celebrities to sign a Harley-Davidson motorcycle to be auctioned off for Gulf Coast relief.

Crystal has participated in the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Portraying himself in a video, Crystal introduces museum guests to the genealogy wing of the museum.

New York baseball

On March 12, 2008, Crystal signed a minor league contract, for a single day, to play with the New York Yankees, and was invited to the team's major league spring training. He wore uniform number 60, in honor of his upcoming 60th birthday. On March 13, in a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Crystal led off as the designated hitter. He managed to make contact, fouling a fastball up the first base line, but was eventually struck out by Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm on 6 pitches and was later replaced in the batting order by Johnny Damon. He was released on March 14, his 60th birthday. Although a life-long Yankee fan, he is a part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, even earning a World Series ring in 2001 when the Diamondbacks beat his beloved Yankees.

In the movie ''City Slickers'', Crystal wears a New York Mets baseball cap.

Personal life

Billy Crystal and his wife Janice have two daughters, actress Jennifer and producer Lindsay, and are now grandparents. They reside in Pacific Palisades, California.

Awards

In addition to his Golden Globe Award-nominations, Emmy Awards, and Tony Award, Crystal won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show for ''700 Sundays'' and received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
1977–1981		Jodie Dallas	TV series
1977	''SST: Death Flight''	David
		Lionel Carpenter
''Human Feelings	Angel	Made for TV
1980	''Animalympics''	Lodge Turkell	Voice
1984	''This Is Spinal Tap''	Morty the Mime
1986		Danny Constanzo
		Miracle Max
''Throw Momma from the Train''	Larry Donner
1988	''Memories of Me''	Abbie	Writer/Producer
1989	''When Harry Met Sally...''	Harry Burns
1991	''City Slickers''	Mitch Robbins
	''Horton Hatches the Egg''	Narrator	Voice
''Mr. Saturday Night''	Buddy Young, Jr.	Writer/Director/ProducerNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1994	''City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold''	Mitch Robbins	Writer/Producer
	''Forget Paris''	Mickey Gordon	Writer/Director/Producer
1996	''Muppets Tonight''	Himself	Guest star on third episode
	''Deconstructing Harry''	Larry
	Jack Lawrence
''Friends''	The Gynecologist (with Robin Williams)	TV Series
1998	''My Giant''	Sam 'Sammy' Kamin	Writer/Producer
1999	''Analyze This''	Dr. Ben Sobel	Executive Producer
2000	''The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle''	Mattress salesman	Uncredited
	''61*''		Director
''America's Sweethearts''	Lee Phillips	Writer/Producer
''Monsters, Inc.''	Michael "Mike" Wazowski	Voice
	''Mike's New Car''	Mike Wazowski	Short Film SubjectVoice
''Analyze That''	Dr. Ben Sobel	Executive Producer
2004		Calcifer	Voice
2005	''Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone''	Karl Scott	Voice
2006		Mike Car	Voice
		Jerry	Uncredited
''Planet Sheen''	Soldier Joagth	Voice Episode: ''What's Up Chock?''
2011			Cameo
2013	''Monsters University''	Mike Wazowski	Voice

''Saturday Night Live''

Characters

Al Minkman, a shady businessman

Fernando, host of ''Fernando's Hideaway'', a celebrity interview show; based on actor Fernando Lamas

Buddy Young, Jr. (an insult comic who appears on Weekend Update)

Lew Goldman

Ricky, a bowler

Tony Minetti, a butcher

Willie, a man who, along with his friend, Frankie (played by Christopher Guest), discuss their masochistic tendencies

Impersonations

Fernando Lamas

Howard Cosell

Muhammad Ali

John F. Kennedy

Joe Franklin

Hervé Villechaize

Joe Garagiola

Adam Ant

Prince

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Bibliography

A children's book. A children's book. Crystal's memoirs with his father.

References

External links

Billy Crystal appears on Michael Eisner's talkshow on CNBC

Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:American film actors Category:American impressionists (entertainers) Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish American writers Category:Jewish comedians Category:Mark Twain Prize recipients Category:Marshall Thundering Herd baseball players Category:New York University alumni Category:People from Long Beach, New York Category:American Jews Category:GLAAD Media Awards winners

ar:بيلي كريستال an:Billy Crystal bg:Били Кристъл ca:Billy Cristal cy:Billy Crystal da:Billy Crystal de:Billy Crystal el:Μπίλυ Κρίσταλ es:Billy Crystal fr:Billy Crystal ga:Billy Crystal gl:Billy Crystal ko:빌리 크리스털 hr:Billy Crystal id:Billy Crystal it:Billy Crystal he:בילי קריסטל la:Gulielmus Crystal nl:Billy Crystal ja:ビリー・クリスタル no:Billy Crystal nn:Billy Crystal pl:Billy Crystal pt:Billy Crystal ru:Кристал, Билли simple:Billy Crystal sh:Billy Crystal fi:Billy Crystal sv:Billy Crystal tr:Billy Crystal zh:比利·克里斯托

: ''For other uses of the title The Grid, see Grid (disambiguation).''

Coordinates	20°56′5″N156°40′46″N
name	The Grid
background	group_or_band
origin	England
genre	HouseTechnoAmbient house
years active	1988–19962003–present
label	East West, Virgin, Deconstruction, Some Bizzare
associated acts	Soft Cell, Chris Braide
current members	Richard NorrisDavid Ball
notable instruments	}}

The Grid are an English electronic dance group, consisting of Richard Norris and David Ball (formerly of Soft Cell), The lead single from this album, "Swamp Thing", featuring elaborate banjo lines played by Roger Dinsdale. "Swamp Thing" proved to be a commercial success in the UK, Europe and Australia, reaching #3 in the UK || align="center"| 14 || Deconstruction Records |- | 1995 || ''Music for Dancing'' || align="center"| 67 || Deconstruction Records |- | 2008 || ''Doppelgänger'' || align="center"| - || Some Bizzare Records |}

Singles

"Floatation (song) "Swamp Thing (The Grid song)

Year !! Single !! UK Singles Chart
1989	"On the Grid" (promo only)	-
1989	Intergalactica" (promo only) >
1990	Floatation" |	60
1990	A Beat Called Love" >
1990
1991
1992
1992
1993
1993
1993	Swamp Thing" |	3
1994
1994
1995
2006
2007

References

External links

Grid Central - An Unofficial Page for The Grid

Death of Roger Dinsdale.

[ The Grid on allmusic.com]

The Grid MySpace page

Category:English dance music groups Category:English electronic music groups Category:English house music groups Category:British techno music groups Category:Remixers Category:Electronic music duos

de:The Grid pl:The Grid ru:The Grid sv:The Grid