Brad Pitt Is Least Satisfied With These Roles in His Career: “I Was Just Bad”

Brad Pitt is known as one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, but even he isn’t proud of everything he’s done on screen. Over the years, he’s been pretty open about a few roles that just didn’t work for him. In fact, there are two films from earlier in his career that he wishes he had done differently.

One of those is Meet Joe Black, the romantic drama from 1998. Directed by Martin Brest, the movie featured Pitt as Death, who comes to Earth and ends up falling in love with the daughter of the man he’s supposed to take.

The film starred Anthony Hopkins and Claire Forlani alongside Pitt and had all the pieces to be something special. Visually, the movie was praised, but a lot of critics and viewers felt it was way too long and that Pitt’s performance came across as stiff and awkward.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Meet Joe Black sits at just 45% with critics. Many reviews called his character “emotionally distant” and “unclear.” Pitt has spoken about the film since, and he’s not shy about his feelings. In an interview, he said, “I dogged it. I muffed it.” He felt like he didn’t give it his best and said the role marked a time when he felt lost as an actor. “It was the pinnacle of my…loss of direction and compass,” he added.

While he praised Anthony Hopkins’ work in the movie, he admitted that he couldn’t fully connect with the material.

The second role Pitt isn’t happy with is from A River Runs Through It, a 1992 film directed by Robert Redford and based on the novel by Norman Maclean. The story follows two brothers growing up in Montana between World War I and World War II. Pitt played Paul, the younger brother, a wild and passionate journalist who liked to take risks.

The movie got strong reviews for its cinematography and storytelling and even won an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Many critics at the time thought Pitt’s performance was a breakout moment for him, but he didn’t see it that way.

“My performance in A River Runs Through. It was weak. I was just bad,” Pitt told the LA Times despite the role’s success.

Talking about the movie later, Pitt said, “Robert Redford made a quality movie. But I don’t think I was skilled enough. I think I could have done better.” He explained that maybe the pressure got to him. “Maybe it was the pressure of the part, and playing someone who was a real person — and the family was around occasionally — and not wanting to let Redford down,” he said.

Even though A River Runs Through It helped put Pitt on the map as a serious actor, he still doesn’t feel like he gave the role everything it needed.

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