Brad Pitt was raised in a Southern Baptist Christian household in Missouri, attended First Baptist church and later a more charismatic church. Over time he described himself as agnostic or atheist, but in recent years he has said he “found himself coming back around” to belief in connection though not necessarily traditional religion.
Quick Profile: Brad Pitt
| Full Name | William Bradley Pitt |
| Date of Birth | December 18, 1963 |
| Place of Birth | Shawnee, Oklahoma, U.S. (raised in Springfield, Missouri) |
| Religion / Belief | Raised Southern Baptist → later agnostic/atheist |
| Marriages | Jennifer Aniston (2000–2005); Angelina Jolie (2014–2019) |
| Children | 6 (Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, Vivienne) |
| Major Awards | 2 Academy Awards (Best Supporting Actor: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 2019; Best Picture producer: 12 Years a Slave, 2013); 2 Golden Globes; 2 BAFTAs |
| Highest Salary | $30 million for F1 (2025) |
| Known For | Actor, producer; top box-office star |
| Notable Production Company | Plan B Entertainment (co-founded) |
What Religion is Brad Pitt?
Brad Pitt was raised in a conservative Southern Baptist household in Springfield, Missouri, where faith played a central role in his early upbringing. However, as an adult, he has publicly distanced himself from organized religion, oscillating between periods of agnosticism and atheism during his rise to fame in the 1990s and early 2000s.
In later years, Pitt has described reconciling his spiritual side, emphasizing a personal, non-dogmatic approach to belief rather than adherence to any specific faith. He has spoken in interviews about finding meaning through humanism and philanthropy, influenced by his global travels and humanitarian work, but has never formally converted to another religion.
Early Life
Brad Pitt grew up in a conventional, middle-class Christian family. He was born in Oklahoma but his family moved and he was raised in Springfield, Missouri. His father ran a trucking company and his mother was a school counsellor. He attended Kickapoo High School where he participated in sports, debate, musicals and other school activities.
During his youth his family attended a strict First Baptist church. Later the family joined a more charismatic Christian movement where services included speaking in tongues, raising hands and very expressive worship — experiences which Pitt has said left him questioning religion early on.
After high school he enrolled at the University of Missouri to study journalism and advertising but left shortly before completing so he could move to Los Angeles and pursue acting.
Career Highlights
Brad Pitt’s acting career accelerated when he had a memorable early film role in Thelma & Louise (1991) that brought him major attention.
In the 1990s he took on a variety of strong roles — in films like Interview with the Vampire (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995), Se7en (1995) and Fight Club (1999) — which showcased his range from drama to thriller to more psychological fare.
Moving into the 2000s and beyond, Pitt showed he could do big-budget blockbusters like Troy (2004), he built his production output via his company Plan B, and starred in prestige films that won awards — for example Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (2019) which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Personal Life
Brad Pitt has had a public personal life. He was married to Angelina Jolie (married 2014, separated 2016, divorce finalized 2024) and has six children (three biological, three adopted).
He has spoken openly about his struggle with alcohol and in recent years described attending Alcoholics Anonymous because he “needed to wake up.”
He’s also known for philanthropic work: his company Plan B has produced socially-meaningful films, and he co-founded the Make It Right Foundation to build homes for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina (though that foundation faced controversies).
Movies and Salaries
Here are some of Brad Pitt’s reported salaries for major films (note: salaries often include estimates or back-end deals)
- For Fight Club (1999) he reportedly earned about $17.5 million.
- For Troy (2004) he also reportedly earned around $17.5 million.
- For Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) reports say he earned $20 million.
- For Ocean’s Eleven (2001) his upfront salary was around $10 million plus backend, with total take home $30 million.
- More recently he commands very high fees and has deals with streaming platforms. For example estimates say he received $30 million+ for newer films.
Trivia
- Brad Pitt’s first meaningful film payday was only $6,000 for his brief role in Thelma & Louise.
- He played Tyler Durden in Fight Club, a role that became iconic in 1999 and is still cited as one of his defining performances.
- His production company, Plan B Entertainment, has been behind major socially-impactful films like 12 Years a Slave (2013) which won the Oscar for Best Picture.
- He once accepted a lower salary for a passion project (Quentin Tarantino’s films) because he valued the creative collaboration rather than just money.
