Editing Brad Pitt (section)

=== Worldwide recognition (2004–2008) ===
Pitt had two major film roles in 2004, starring as [[Achilles]] in ''[[Troy (film)|Troy]]'', and reprising his role, [[Rusty Ryan (character)|Rusty Ryan]], in the sequel ''[[Ocean's Twelve]]''. He spent six months sword training before the filming of ''Troy'', based on the ''[[Iliad]]''.<ref name="troy">{{cite news |author=Rome Neal |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brad-pitts-sailing-along/ |title=Brad Pitt's Sailing Along |date=July 1, 2003 |publisher=[[CBS News]] |work=[[The Early Show]] |access-date=November 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111216000421/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/01/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main561157.shtml |archive-date=December 16, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> An on-set injury to his [[Achilles tendon]] delayed production on the picture for several weeks.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635286338.html |title=For Pitt's sake |access-date=May 15, 2008 |date=May 7, 2004 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406100911/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635286338.html |archive-date=April 6, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Stephen Hunter]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' stated that Pitt excelled at such a demanding role.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25869-2004May13.html |title=The Boy Toys Of 'Troy' |author=Stephen Hunter |date=May 13, 2004 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=March 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726125943/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25869-2004May13.html |archive-date=July 26, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Troy'' was the first film produced by [[Plan B Entertainment]], a film production company he had founded two years earlier with Jennifer Aniston and [[Brad Grey]], CEO of [[Paramount Pictures]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Roger Friedman |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/anistons-star-shines-with-and-without-pitt |title=Aniston's Star Shines With and Without Pitt |access-date=May 16, 2005 |date=November 1, 2005 |publisher=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609215017/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,174126,00.html |archive-date=June 9, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Ocean's Twelve'' earned $362&nbsp;million worldwide,<ref name="earnings">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?view=Actor&id=bradpitt.htm |title=Brad Pitt Movie Box Office Results |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=December 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091120031827/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?view=Actor&id=bradpitt.htm |archive-date=November 20, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> and Pitt and Clooney's dynamic was described by CNN's Paul Clinton as "the best male chemistry since Paul Newman and Robert Redford."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/09/review.oceans/index.html |title=Review: 'Ocean's Twelve' high-spirited fun |author=Paul Clinton |date=December 9, 2004 |publisher=[[CNN|CNN: Showbiz/Movies]] |access-date=December 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420013026/http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/09/review.oceans/index.html |archive-date=April 20, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2005, Pitt starred as John Smith in the [[Doug Liman]]-directed action comedy ''[[Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005 film)|Mr. & Mrs. Smith]]'', in which a bored married couple discover that each is an assassin sent to kill the other. The feature received reasonable reviews but was generally lauded for the chemistry between Pitt and [[Angelina Jolie]], who played his character's wife Jane Smith. The ''[[Star Tribune]]'' noted that "while the story feels haphazard, the movie gets by on gregarious charm, galloping energy and the stars' thermonuclear screen chemistry".<ref>{{cite news |author=Colin Covert |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mr_and_mrs_smith/ |title=Mr. & Mrs. Smith |access-date=September 8, 2008 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |work=[[Minneapolis Star Tribune]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215124516/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mr_and_mrs_smith |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' earned $478&nbsp;million worldwide, making it one of the biggest hits of 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2005&p=.htm |title=2005 Yearly Box Office Results |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=January 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130235103/http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2005&p=.htm |archive-date=January 30, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:BradPittBAR08.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Pitt at the premiere of ''[[Burn After Reading]]'' in 2008]]

For his next film, Pitt starred opposite [[Cate Blanchett]] in [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]]'s [[multiperspectivity|multi-narrative]] drama ''[[Babel (film)|Babel]]'' (2006).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/15/babel_departed_top_golden_globe_picks/|author=Ty Burr|title='Babel,' 'Departed' top Golden Globe picks|date=December 15, 2006|access-date=April 22, 2010|work=The Boston Globe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113062529/http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/15/babel_departed_top_golden_globe_picks/|archive-date=January 13, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Pitt's performance was critically well-received, and the ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'' said that he was credible and gave the film visibility.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/290909_babel03q.html |title=Three gripping stories intertwine in 'Babel,' a grim view of a borderless world |author=William Arnold |date=November 3, 2006 |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |access-date=October 15, 2008 |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321195954/https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Three-gripping-stories-intertwine-in-Babel-a-1218776.php |url-status=live}}</ref> Pitt later said he regarded taking the part as one of the best decisions of his career.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/celebrity-news-gossip/pitts-pitch-brad-babbles-on-in-the-buildup-for-babel-77615.html |title=Pitt's pitch Brad babbles on in the build-up for 'Babel' |date=September 11, 2006 |work=[[Irish Independent]] |access-date=December 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104002624/http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/celebrity-news-gossip/pitts-pitch-brad-babbles-on-in-the-buildup-for-babel-77615.html |archive-date=November 4, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film was screened at a special presentation at the [[2006 Cannes Film Festival]]<ref>{{cite news|author=Geoff Pevere|title=Babel speaks volumes&nbsp;– Movie lauded as first hit at 2006 Cannes film fest Star Brad Pitt a no-show as he awaits baby's birth|date=May 24, 2006|work=Toronto Star|page=E01}}</ref> and was later featured at the 2006 [[Toronto International Film Festival]].<ref name="tongue">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-09-10-pitt-toronto_x.htm |title=Babies and 'Babel' loosen Brad Pitt's tongue |author=Harlan Jacobson |date=September 10, 2006 |work=USA Today |access-date=December 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304034236/http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-09-10-pitt-toronto_x.htm |archive-date=March 4, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Babel'' received seven Academy and Golden Globe award nominations, winning the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture&nbsp;– Drama|Best Drama]] Golden Globe, and earned Pitt a nomination for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor]] Golden Globe.<ref name="golden globes" /> That same year, Pitt's company Plan B Entertainment produced ''[[The Departed]]'', which won the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]]. Pitt was credited on-screen as a producer; however, only [[Graham King]] was ruled eligible for the Oscar win.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/24/business/fi-grey24/2 |title=Academy to ponder credit for 'Departed' |author=Claudia Eller |date=January 24, 2007 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=November 14, 2008 |quote=Along with [Graham] King, [Brad] Grey and his former producing partner, actor Brad Pitt, were given screen credit on the movie by Warner. |page=2 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171018203740/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/24/business/fi-grey24 |archive-date=October 18, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Reprising his role as Rusty Ryan in a third picture, Pitt starred in 2007's ''[[Ocean's Thirteen]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/oceans-thirteen-pacino-clooney-hot-stuff |title='Ocean's Thirteen': Pacino + Clooney = Hot Stuff |author=Roger Freidman |date=May 24, 2007 |publisher=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] |access-date=October 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414133502/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,275238,00.html |archive-date=April 14, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> While less lucrative than the first two films, this sequel earned $311&nbsp;million at the international box office.<ref name="earnings" /> Pitt's next film role was as American outlaw [[Jesse James]] in the 2007 [[Western (genre)|Western]] drama ''[[The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford]]'', adapted from [[Ron Hansen (novelist)|Ron Hansen]]'s [[The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (novel)|1983 novel of the same name]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Manohla Dargis |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/movies/21assa.html |title=The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)&nbsp;– Movie Review |access-date=May 15, 2008 |date=September 21, 2007 |work=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527113242/http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/movies/21assa.html |archive-date=May 27, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Directed by [[Andrew Dominik]] and produced by Pitt's company Plan B Entertainment, the film premiered at the [[64th Venice International Film Festival|2007 Venice Film Festival]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-09-17-brad-pitt-cover_N.htm |title=Brad Pitt: Hollywood's most wanted man |author=Donna Freydkin |date=September 17, 2007 |work=USA Today |access-date=February 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202035211/http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-09-17-brad-pitt-cover_N.htm |archive-date=December 2, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> with Pitt playing a "scary and charismatic" role, according to Lewis Beale of ''[[Film Journal International]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003639817 |title=The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford&nbsp;– Review |access-date=February 25, 2009 |author=Lewis Beale |work=[[Film Journal International]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101075657/http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003639817 |archive-date=January 1, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and earning Pitt the [[Volpi Cup]] award for Best Actor at the [[64th Venice International Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Christopher Hastings |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/exclusions/venice-film-festival/nosplit/venice-thewinners.xml |title=Venice Film Festival&nbsp;– the winners |date=December 7, 2007 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK |access-date=October 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914201439/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=%2Farts%2Fexclusions%2Fvenice-film-festival%2Fnosplit%2Fvenice-thewinners.xml |archive-date=September 14, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He eventually collected the award one year later at the [[65th Venice International Film Festival|2008 festival]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Tom O'Neil |url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/08/brad-pitt-venic.html |title=Brad Pitt finally claims last year's best-actor trophy at the Venice Film Festival |access-date=August 27, 2008 |date=September 9, 2008 |work=Los Angeles Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090820082903/http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/08/brad-pitt-venic.html |archive-date=August 20, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> As of January 2019, it was his own favorite of his films.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gq.com/story/brad-pitt-gq-style-cover-story |title=Brad Pitt Talks Divorce, Quitting Drinking, and Becoming a Better Man |first=Michael |last=Paternity |date=May 3, 2017 |access-date=January 19, 2019 |magazine=[[GQ Style]] |editor-first=Ryan |editor-last=McGinley |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121100357/https://www.gq.com/story/brad-pitt-gq-style-cover-story |archive-date=January 21, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Pitt's next appearance was in the 2008 black comedy ''[[Burn After Reading]]'', his first collaboration with the [[Coen brothers]]. The film received a positive reception from critics, with ''[[The Guardian]]'' calling it "a tightly wound, slickly plotted spy comedy",<ref name="Guard0827">{{cite news |author=Andrew Pulver |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/27/venicefilmfestival.coenbrothers1 |title=Review: Burn After Reading |access-date=October 15, 2008 |date=August 27, 2008 |work=The Guardian |location=UK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219071701/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/27/venicefilmfestival.coenbrothers1 |archive-date=December 19, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> noting that Pitt's performance was one of the funniest.<ref name="Guard0827" /> He was later cast as Benjamin Button, the lead in [[David Fincher]]'s 2008 film ''[[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)|The Curious Case of Benjamin Button]]'', a loosely adapted version of a 1921 [[The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (short story)|short story]] by [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]]. The story follows a man who is born an [[octogenarian]] and ages in reverse,<ref name="Benjamin">{{cite news |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1553713/20070302/story.jhtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104024515/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1553713/20070302/story.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 4, 2013 |title=Director David Fincher: Beyond The Zodiac |author=Kurt Loder |author-link=Kurt Loder |date=March 2, 2007 |publisher=MTV Movie News |access-date=October 30, 2008}}</ref> with Pitt's "sensitive" performance making ''Benjamin Button'' a "timeless masterpiece", according to [[Michael Sragow]] of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=One for the ages |author=Michael Sragow |date=December 25, 2008 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]]}}</ref> The performance earned Pitt his first [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] nomination,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7850879.stm |title=SAG Awards 2009: The winners |date=January 26, 2009 |work=BBC News |access-date=February 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218132102/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7850879.stm |archive-date=February 18, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as a fourth Golden Globe and second Academy Award nomination,<ref name="golden globes" /> all in the category for Best Actor. The film received thirteen Academy Award nominations, and grossed $329&nbsp;million at the box office worldwide.<ref name="earnings" />