‘Uncomfortable’: Brad Pitt opens up about grim reality of finding fame

Brad Pitt has revealed he turned to marijuana at the height of his career to escape the pressures of fame.

In a New York Times interview published this week, the Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood star said he was “too uncomfortable” following the massive success of his films in the ’90s.

“I spent most of the ’90s hiding out and smoking pot,” said Pitt, 55. “I was too uncomfortable with all the attention.”

At the time, the actor released movies like 1994’s Interview with the Vampire, 1995’s Seven and 1999’s Fight Club. He was around 25 to 35 years old.

However, Pitt shared that he later turned a corner when he “got to a place where I was aware that I was imprisoning myself”.

“Now I go out and live life, and generally people are pretty cool,” he continued.
 

A memory from childhood, in which he was picked out of a crowd to participate in a Harlem Globetrotters bit, reminded Pitt that getting back into the world could help him make others feel good through his movies — and so he stopped hiding.

“I’m not trying to say anyone is being brushed with my greatness,” he said. “I’m trying to say that I have the opportunity to brighten someone’s day. That’s a rare thing.”

This article originally appeared in the NY Post and was reproduced with permission