Brad Pitt insists he personally wrote all of his awards speeches — but did admit some “very funny friends” helped him with “some laughs.”
The actor, who achieved a full awards-season sweep including the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at Sunday night’s Academy Awards, has been hit with speculation that he’d had professional speechwriters penning his unusually candid and funny speeches.
But Pitt said backstage at the Oscars after picking up his award for his role in “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, “ Historically, I’ve always been really tentative about speeches, like, they make me nervous.
“So this — this round, I figured if we’re going to do this — like, put some, like, some real work into it and try to get comfortable, and this is the result of that.
“No, I definitely write them. I have some funny friends. I have some very, very funny friends that helped me with some laughs, but, no, it’s, you know, it’s got to come from the heart.”
He continued of his shyness on an awards stage, “For me, it was just about getting cozy, you know, up in front of a mass of people. I know that sounds antithetical given the profession I’ve chosen, but it’s not necessarily my thing. So that’s probably what I’ll remember.”
But of his political reference in his Oscar acceptance speech onstage — where he made a dig about John Bolton not being brought to give evidence before the Senate and said Quentin Tarantino (who likes a different historical ending) should make a movie about the impeachment — Pitt, 56, said, “I was really disappointed with this week. And I think when gamesmanship trumps doing the right thing, it’s a sad day and I don’t think we should let it slide. And I’m very serious about that.”
After thanking his kids with Angelina Jolie onstage at the Oscars, Pitt said he wasn’t going to push them into acting, but would rather let them find their way.
He said, “We can have that conversation if — once they are 18. And then I — listen, I want them to follow their bliss. You know, follow their passions, whatever — whatever they are most interested in. And then it’s — then I think it’s about, you know, guiding as you can. But they get to try everything on and find what — where their passion lies. So, sure, why not?”
And in a nod to his previous funny speech at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where he said, “I gotta add this to my Tinder profile,” (Pitt isn’t actually on Tinder, it turns out), Pitt was asked, “What’s your Tinder profile going to say now?” He laughed and responded, “You’ll just have to look it up.”
Over the past month, Pitt has delivered a series of hilariously self-deprecating acceptance speeches as he’s won a Golden Globe, SAG and several Critics Circle awards for his role as stuntman Cliff Booth in Tarantino’s film.
The move has sparked heated Hollywood speculation about Pitt’s secret speechwriter — with names floated from “Anchorman” director Adam McKay to Pitt’s close pal George Clooney, both of whom are not Pitt’s comedy pen pal, sources close to the actor told Page Six.
“I’ve gotta add this to my Tinder profile,” he quipped at the Screen Actors Guild Awards while accepting a trophy for his role in “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood.”
“Let’s be honest, it was a difficult part,” he continued, cracking up the crowd. “A guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesn’t get on with his wife. It’s a big stretch.”
He wasn’t able to attend the BAFTA Awards in London, but penned a speech read out by Margot Robbie who said — in front of Prince William and Kate Middleton — “I’m going to name this [award] Harry, because Brad is really excited to bring it back to the States with him.”
And at the Golden Globes, Pitt joked, “I wanted to bring my mom but I couldn’t, because anyone I stand next to, they say I’m dating. And that would just be awkward.”