Brad Pitt on hubris, ‘War Machine’ and having ‘no secrets’
Brad Pitt and Gen. Stanley McChrystal - the inspiration to Pitt’s four-star Afghanistan commander in the upcoming Netflix war satire “War Machine ”- would seem to be worlds apart. One, an affable member of Hollywood’s elite; the other a hard-charging lifetime military man. But Pitt found one connection with his character: a swollen ego, and the damage done.
“Hubris is a trap and it’s the trap of every great nation that has been number one for too long. You start believing your own stink,” Pitt says. “Anytime I’ve gotten in trouble, it’s because of my own hubris.”
Pitt, at the moment, may be particularly empathetic to such a drastic swing as the one that sank McChrystal via an infamous Rolling Stone profile. Pitt is now, for the first time since Angelina Jolie Pitt filed for divorce from him last September, stepping back into the limelight. He hasn’t been timid. In his first post-separation interview, to GQ, Pitt was unusually candid, speaking frankly about his struggles with alcohol and the pains of dividing their family.
Pitt was similarly forthright in a wide-ranging interview last week with The Associated Press. He called directly - “Hey man, it’s Brad” - and over the course of half an hour, discussed his present state of mind, his current attitude about acting and his alarm at the possibility of expanding the war in Afghanistan. Why the openness?
“I’ve got no secrets. I’ve got nothing to hide,” said Pitt. “We’re human and I find the human condition very interesting. If we’re not talking about it, then we’re not getting better.”
It’s undoubtedly a fraught period of transition for the 53-year-old actor. He said he’s spending his time now “keeping the ship afloat” and “figuring out the new configuration of our family.” ”Kids are everything,“he said, of their six children. ”Kids are your life. They’re taking all the focus, as they should anyway.“
He’s getting through it, he assured. “I’m not suicidal or something,” Pitt said, laughing. “There’s still much beauty in the world and a lot of love. And a lot of love to be given. It’s all right. It’s just life.”
Pitt was most keen to discuss “War Machine” and the strong passions behind it. The film, written and directed by the Australian filmmaker David Michod (“Animal Kingdom”), is based on Michael Hastings’ 2012 book “The Operators,” which chronicled McChrystal’s tumultuous and short-lived stewardship of the war in Afghanistan.
“War Machine,” which debuts on Netflix May 26, takes a slightly fictionalized approach. Pitt’s character is named Gen. Glen McMahon, but the events and personalities covered correspond accurately with McChrystal’s downfall. The switch, made after the project was announced, saved the film from some potentially thorny legal issues.
“We had no interest in impugning General McChrystal or any of his guys,” said Pitt. “For me, the problem is more systematic.”