This story has been updated since it was originally published on 12/25/2021
Despite Brad Pitt’s sprawling career, the 58-year-old actor recently revealed in an interview with GQ that he considers himself to be on his “last leg.”
This comes as surprising news, considering everything the Bullet Train star has had on his plate over the past few years. Pitt’s not only an actor and producer, but also has his own winery, recording studio, and even a clothing brand. Still, he told GQ: “I consider myself on my last leg. This last semester or trimester. What is this section gonna be? And how do I wanna design that?”
View this post on Instagram
There are likely a few reasons Pitt wants to start slowing down on the career front. For one, he previously told GQ he believes “overall [Hollywood is] a younger man’s game.” In the 2019 interview with the outlet, he went on to say that he feels “the game itself, it’ll move on naturally. There will be a natural selection to it all.” Perhaps the actor feels the natural selection of Hollywood has finally run its course on him.
However, there’s still hope that the star will continue making art in some form, as he says it’s one of the things that keeps him going in life. “I’m one of those creatures that speaks through art,” he explained. “I just want to always make. If I’m not making, I’m dying in some way.”
In fact, Pitt’s recent pursuit of music has allowed him to find more fulfillment in life. “Music fills me with so much joy,” he told GQ. “I think joy’s been a newer discovery, later in life. I was always moving with the currents, drifting in a way, and onto the next. I think I spent years with a low-grade depression, and it’s not until coming to terms with that, trying to embrace all sides of self—the beauty and the ugly—that I’ve been able to catch those moments of joy.”
View this post on Instagram
Back in 2021, the actor revealed that he would temporarily be taking a break from the silver screen to start a career in music. The Oscar-winning producer teamed up with Emmy-winning music producer Damien Quintard to reopen the legendary Miraval Studios in the South of France, which in the past has hosted recording sessions for big names such as Pink Floyd, Sting, and the Cranberries, to name just three.
The recording facility was built in 1977, and is located at the Château Miraval estate which the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood actor bought with his now ex-wife Angelina Jolie back in 2012. (They also tied the knot at a 13th Century chapel on the Château Miraval estate in 2014, FYI.) The studio was initially designed by its first owner, Jacques Loussier, but underwent complete redesign before Pitt and Quintard reopen it for musicians to record new pieces this year. It was a pretty cool and unexpected career move, we must say!
Pitt and Quintard’s partnership may seem unexpected at first, but according to Quintard, working with the actor was a no brainer, as they immediately saw eye to eye when they met at his studio in Paris. “We talked for hours and hours,” Quintard told The Hollywood Reporter. “He talked to me about his plans for Miraval. I was obviously super excited, because as a Frenchman and a music lover, one of the holy grails is Miraval. I went over there, did my design for the space. We clicked on that side, and we moved forward.
"The combination of Brad’s vision for Miraval and our common passion for taking the time to make simple but beautiful things has resulted in something that is one-of-a-kind," he added. "We are so excited for musicians of all types to be a part of what we’ve created."
The redesigned studio will reportedly be a mix of old and new, as it will still feature most of its original recording equipment, but within a much more contemporary setting. Some of the new features apparently include a desk designed by Pitt and Quintard, as well as brand new recording equipment such as recording booths, sound and video editing work stations, and rare synthesizers, among many other things.
There will even be a mezzanine overlooking the entire studio, as well as an adjacent tower where musicians and their guests can stay without having to venture too far from the studio. Anyone lucky enough to record at the studio will also have access to the estate's swimming pool and chef! It sounds like Pitt and Quintard have thought of everything! The studios were initially expected to open in this summer, so our fingers are crossed we'll see the finished product soon! Who will its first musicians be, we wonder?
