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Brad Pitt

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The Shawnee, Oklahoma, native was born on December 18, 1963, and grew up in Springfield, Missouri, the eldest of three children in a devout Baptist family. Brad (born William Bradley Pitt) left the University of Missouri just before completing a degree in journalism to pursue acting. "You keep finding things in little increments," he later recalled. "Each one of those little increments led me to saying, You know what? I don't want to do this. I want to go over there and see what that's all about."

It proved to be a smart move. Pitt soon landed forgettable roles playing "good guys", but parlayed his burgeoning sex appeal into real Hollywood clout, getting prestige personal projects such as Seven Years In Tibet off the ground. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his part in 12 Monkeys, and turned in critically acclaimed performances in Fight Club and Snatch.

Famous for dating his co-stars, Brad – several times voted People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive – was linked to Julia Ormond as well as Juliette Lewis, whom he met on the set of a TV movie and later shared the screen with in Kalifornia.

Brad was engaged to another co-star, Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow, long before Shakespeare (and the rest of the world) fell in love with her. The two met while filming the psychological thriller Se7en back in 1995, and were involved in a much publicised law suit with Playgirl magazine over its publication of some candid nudes of Brad cavorting outside a bungalow in the Caribbean. The relationship came to an end in June 1997.

The following summer, the handsome filmstar was seen canoodling with Friends actress Jennifer Aniston at a concert in New York. The romance blossomed and on July 29, 2000, they tied the knot, soon becoming one of Tinseltown's favourite couples. But by 2005 the romance was in trouble and in autumn of that year the pair divorced.

Before the official papers had made it through court, however, the chisel-jawed star was already linked to another famous Tinseltown beauty - his Mr & Mrs Smith co-star Angelina Jolie. While both denied being involved, the pair were soon spotted jetting the globe together on humanitarian missions, along with the Lara Croft star's adopted children. Rumours about the relationship grew when in December Brad filed the paperwork to adopt Angelina's children. But it wasn't until representatives for both stars confirmed in January 2006 that they were expecting a baby together that the couple's liaison also became official. Their relationship was cemented when, in May 2006, daughter Shiloh Nouvel arrived.

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