Brad Pitt was born on December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His mother was a school counselor and his father worked as an executive at a trucking firm. The family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where Brad attended Kickapoo High School.

Brad attended the university of Missouri, and his majors were journalism and advertising. After graduation he moved to Los Angeles, and a new life had started for him. He was young and ambitious and had $325 in his wallet.

Brad was cast in the role of 'J.D.' a lanky cowboy in the movie 'Thelma and Louise.' In just fourteen minutes of screen time, Brad created a character so memorable that it launched what will most likely be a long, high-profile film career. He followed up that success with a good turn in 'A River Runs Through It.

Pitt gained relatively instant stardom as the hitchhiking hunk--part charmer, part thief--who seduces Geena Davis in the female buddy movie, "Thelma & Louise" (1991). The following year, he achieved leading man status sporting a formidable pompadour as the fictitious, aspiring teen idol "Johnny Suede", and maintained the hairstyle as a soft-hearted yet hard-boiled vet turned cartoon cop in "Cool World", Ralph Bakshi's uneven blend of live-action and animation.

Brad's future was picking up at this point. He was soon cast in 'A River Runs Through It', and then a huge starring role alongside Tom Cruise in 'Interview With the Vampire.' With Brad's popularity rising like wildfire, he was soon named 'Sexiest Man Alive' by People Magazine.

Brad Pitt spent four days in Ethiopia to learn more about AIDS in Africa as part of a fund-raising campaign to combat the disease on the world's poorest continent. He visited local projects fighting the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS & also met with eight top Ethiopian singers who have collaborated on songs to educate people about HIV and to raise money for AIDS programs.