Brad Pitt says he’s aging fast with kids but it’s worth it


Brad Pitt on balancing privacy and exposure

Brad Pitt appeared on Larry King Live last night to promote his new film and talk about his Make It Right project a year after he first toured the building site with the talk show host. Pitt discussed the election, the difference he hopes to make in New Orleans for families displaced by Katrina, and his family. He was guarded but gave some funny general statements about his kids and talked about how fulfilling it is to be a father. Pitt also addressed the reasons why they decided to sell the first photos of Shiloh and the twins to magazines:

On having kids: it wears you out
King: Do you think — do you think having kids — as you have so many — keeps you young?

Pitt: I have so many. No, man, it wears you out. Are you kidding? I’m aging fast.

King: But there’s nothing better in the world, right?

Pitt: It’s worth every second of it.

King: There’s nothing better in the world than being a father.

Pitt: Not for me there’s not. No, not for me. I would agree with that

On his wild past: he got it out of his system
Of course, you know, I got to spend a few decades being idiotic and hell-bent and solipsistic, and everything else. So, you know, I got time to get all that out of my system. So …

King: You mean there was a wild Brad Pitt?

Pitt: I mean, wild in my book, yes. Yes, sure.

Pitt: Yes, I got away with a lot, Larry.

On balancing privacy and exposure for his family
Well, the pictures for “W,” you know, it’s a really strange feeling. It’s something Angie and I had to talk a lot about, especially with the birth of Shiloh. You know, these pictures were going to come out — these pictures are — you know, I’m talking about the pictures of the kids.

There’s a bounty on our heads. And these pictures are going to come out at some point. And they’re going to be chasing us, and they’re going to — they’re going to go to the ends of the earth to get these photos. Video Watch Pitt on privacy »

And we just thought, well, maybe we could — since there’s such a bounty, and that bounty is so obnoxious, we could take that money and funnel it to something good. And that’s what we decided to do.

It’s still a bit uncomfortable to do such a thing, but I know it’s right in the end. And that was a decision we made.

The “W” photos were just — we just didn’t want to leave the house, so we just figured we’d do it ourselves, and had a good time doing it.

[From the CNN.com transcript of Brad Pitt’s appearance on Larry King Live, aired 10/5/08, subheaders added]

I like how Pitt explained their decision to sell the baby photos as something that wasn’t taken lightly and that he still is not entirely comfortable with. What would you do if your family was hounded like that? People have broken into their homes, laid in wait in the woods only to get into bloody fights with their security, and have stalked and harassed them for years. They try to place nice when they can and occasionally stage cute photos with the children, but also work to minimize the impact on their family. It’s a hard balance to strike and one that it’s clear they still struggle with.

Pitt also talked about the place he calls his family’s “base camp”, New Orleans, and said that they feel the most at home there. He said “it’s a place that we can actually walk on the streets,” and described how his neighbors kind of wave and let them go on their way. “They’ve got their own thing going here,” Pitt explained.

Pitt mentioned that he experienced a sense of his own mortality making his critically lauded film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He said it made him realize that he only has so much time left, which made him question how he was living his life. “How do I want to use [that time]? And who do I want to spend it with?… This film just makes me want to hug my kids and call my folks.”

You can read the transcript of Brad Pitt’s Larry King interview on CNN.com.

Here are some more excerpts from Pitt’s interview last night:

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

30 Responses to “Brad Pitt says he’s aging fast with kids but it’s worth it”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Kaiser says:

    So cute. Isn’t Brad turning 45 or 46 in a few weeks? I think he still looks young for his age.

  2. mel says:

    i thought kids keep you young? he ought to be thankful he has 6 kids b/c there are alot of couples that wished they were in his shoes.

  3. Madelyn Rose says:

    I saw the interview last night – he was at times funny but all I could think is, wow, he sounds really dumb. It’s like he has good ideas and a good heart, but he was so inarticulate. You can tell this whole humanitarian world issue awareness thing is something he believes in with his heart, but he certainly isn’t able to articulate about issues (or anything) very well. I don’t remember thinking that about him in the past…maybe it was an off day for him.

    That being said, I can’t WAIT to see Benjamin Button. I think it’s going to be great!

  4. Mia says:

    He isn’t very bright, isn’t he?! I’ve watched him on Larry last night – he can’t finish a sentence.

  5. jeannified says:

    I saw him with Anne Curry…I just don’t think that he was into having to do all of the interviews that he did that day. He looked “off” from the start…like he really didn’t want to be there.

  6. Syko says:

    Mel, I think he IS thankful he has a lot of kids. But six little ones when YOU are in your mid-40s would flat wear you out.

  7. Tina says:

    I agree with the posters who watched Brad Pitt on Larry King Live and in the interview he did with Anne Curry. Brad was unable finish his sentences. He was unable to line his thoughts up coherently. Maybe he really is *that* exhausted. 😕 Poor dear.

  8. whatevs says:

    Hell, I have a hard time speaking coherently at times. I’ve been told I’m very articulate (HS debate), but sometimes you just have an off day or moment. No reason to hold it against him, he’s probably just tired.

    Not hating on him here, I just don’t get why he always mentions having so many kids. “So many”. When you think about it, six isn’t really all THAT much. Think about those people with the 18 kids or whatever. That’s “so many” worth mentioning.

  9. Judy says:

    6 kids is so many kids these days and very few people are having 12 to 18 kids anymore thank God for that.
    I had 4 kids and they wore me out so I can see where Pitt and Anjie get worn ot too. But of course those of us that only have 2 kids can say that 6 kids are not that many lol because they do not have 6 kids.

  10. debra77 says:

    I think his interviews were great. Its funny how people have to find fault in anything. He did 3 major interview that day… Ann, Ellen and Larry. He did a great job. He was funny and you could tell how much he cares about this project and the movie. It is also clear how happy and content he is. You can tell this, because for many people when their personal lives become more then they could hope for, have a tendency to try and go out and help other people in need. When you are doing well, you want to share that with others. Brad and Angie both are doing that. He does not have to be able to speak in an eloquent tone to make a point.. Life is not about what you say or how you say it.. It is about what you do,,, and if you walk the talk… THEY ARE WALKING THEIR TALK…
    Now go criticize the other celebs who are doing absolutely nothing.. I can name quite a few.

  11. pattyanne says:

    Brad was a cheating husband who flaunted his sexual relationship with his paramour in a family like setting on the cover of W. In an earlier interview this month, he stated “so i cheated on Jennifer Aniston”…as if that makes it right….That says it all. Narcissistic, self-serving, identity confused Peter Pan Pitt. Yes, he’s aged considerably during the past three years, however it was by his choice….now you’ve made your bed….yadda, yadda…

  12. daisy424 says:

    I remember those days of no sleep, shaving one leg, (when I had time to shower) mountains of laundry, runny noses, food fights, kissing boo boos, etc., and that’s not counting the teenage years 😯 That really kicked my ass.

    But, at the end of each day, you’re tired, but very happy. It’s all worth it Brad, hang in there.

    Now that ours are grown, we have more free time and it’s deliciously calm, but I find that I miss the hectic pace and the din. 😉

  13. Mairead says:

    In an earlier interview this month, he stated “so i cheated on Jennifer Aniston”…as if that makes it right…….Yes, he’s aged considerably during the past three years, however it was by his choice…

    Ok – who wants to take this one? Dante, c’mon you ould boozehound 😉

  14. Kristen says:

    @ PattyAnne

    I’ll take it on….

    When in the hell did he state he cheated on Jennifer Aniston in an interview? That’s a bunch of bullsh*it.

    I mean seriously – the fu*king world would have imploded by now if he said that.Narciccistic, self-serving…. thanks for giving us a description of yourself.

    And yeah he’s aged… he’s in his mid 40’s and has six kids that he takes care of, he and Angie are promoting two movies with press junkets and red carpet appearances almost everyday. No kidding he’s aged. Haven’t we all?

    You know for some reason I think Brad is VERY, VERY HAPPY IN HE BED HE HAS MADE. Christ, I’m straight and I wouldn’t kick Angie out of my bed.

  15. prissa says:

    Kristen – I salute you!

  16. DD says:

    I doubt he actually admitted to cheating on JA, but I do agree that he did flaunt his relationship with AJ on that W magazine fake family spread – which was so inappropriate.

  17. keltilass says:

    You people crack me up! 🙂 Well, all but the dippy-do-da with the fake quote.

    I have to comment on the “so many”

    I had my first four babies in five years. You know what? When you are sorely outnumbered, those little critters get in cahoots. It doesn’t take them long to figure out they can drive their parents bonkers. I know my kids aged me faster than I would have aged otherwise. Now my grand kids are taking up the slack. 😉

    I wish Brad and Angelina all the best. It’s great fun (as much as I bitch) raising a large brood. It’ll kill ya, but you’ll go out with a smile on your face.

  18. IMO says:

    He has nannies, a chef, assistants, cleaning staff, drivers and teachers.

    He is exhausted because they fly every couple of days to a different country (or a different state at best) and he doesn’t have a real home.

    Had he had a real home and had his poor children had some stability and routine (not to mention friends and a school)- he would not look so tired and worn down.

    I am beginning to feel for him. His “wife” should take care of her psychological problems instead of dragging her family everytime she has trouble coping and craves a change.

  19. Cheyenne says:

    I wish I could age like that. For 45 years old he looks damn good.

    The January Architectural Digest with his photo on the cover arrived in my mail today. Excellent article on the MakeItRight foundation which is helping to rebuild the Lower Ninth ward. The houses look great, lots of energy-saving features and built to withstand a cat-5 hurricane.

  20. Aspen says:

    Anyone who tells you that kids keep you young is either lying or talking about your emotional and spiritual self. Kids wear your physical body OUT if you interact with them like you should. I only have one, and I am forever more running after her, jumping with her, picking up after her, hugging her, making things with her, correcting her and dealing with discipline, and STILL picking up after her…on and on. It’s an exhausting job being an involved parent.

    The “keeping you young” part is in the way I view Christmas again with childish glee. It’s the way I enjoy blowing bubbles with her in the back yard. It’s the way I sit and giggle with her while we make dirt pies with grass frosting. That’s the young part.

    The rest…is very taxing on the aging process. 🙂 Worth it….but taxing.

  21. Kim says:

    For 45 years with all the botox, he really looks badly aged. He has not sounded coherent for a while now. Not on Oprah, Ann Curry and now not on Larry King. When he collapses under the wieght of it all, his fans will call it a new dance move. That man is as tense as a tight rope.

    I think he loves his kids but there is no doubt that he is over his head with all this. He has always been a bit dumb ok every one knows he is stupid. More in the last so so years. Angelina recognised this and manipulated him for her own ends. But we all reap what we so. When you ask for the rain, do not complain about the mud.

    As for the photo shoots, even if the paparazzi stalked them, they always fan the frenzy. Those W pictures were totally unneccessary. Making money off your children is sick, using them to promote a movie is madness. They have enough money to donate to charity without using those poor children Then he turns around and complain about privacy.

    Even if the pictures were neccessary, why sell controversial pictures of the mother of your children semi nude or breast feeding? Hypocrisy and dumbosity is a bad combination. Such actions only feed the frenzy.

    And if they can ask that no one talks about Jen in interviews, why not ask that no one talks about their children? Dumb people always think every one is dumb.

  22. Kristen says:

    Thank you Prissa!

  23. Codzilla says:

    daisy: I’m living it! At least when they’re teenagers, they sleep through the night. At least that’s what people tell me …. 😯

  24. Kristen says:

    IMO – Your sure ‘they’ need psychological help?

    OCD anyone?

  25. Kristen says:

    Kim ~

    You sound very jealous. The breastfeeding pictures were beautiful. And they are THEIR children – not yours. So I guess it’s really none of your business is it? They have explained that a million times – do you have selective reading skills that have alluded us all?

    The picture were art – Brad has always been involved in photography. So why not him – my husband took pictures of me naked while I was pregnant, pictures of me breastfeeding. They (Brad and Angie’s) were beautiful. Brad took them as art and meant them to be seen as art – not simple photographs.

    Who are we to judge anything they do – we don’t know them, we don’t know their lives, WE ONLY WHAT THE TABLOIDS WANT US TO THINK! Tabloids are not jornalists.

  26. debra77 says:

    I think Brad looks wonderful. I loved his interview on Ellen. He seemed so relaxed with her. I wish he had been in the studio live. The man is still sexy, and I would take him any time. Oh yeah Brad Pitt is stupid… IF stupid means staying relevent in this industry, keeping a career active, producing some amazing movies… Yeah we should all be that stupid.

  27. daisy424 says:

    Codzilla, sleep through the night? If only that were true 🙂 Maybe after they have climbed back in through the basement window tired from a night of fun after sneaking out. My daughters were much harder as teens than my sons.
    As adults, they have revealed some of the pranks they pulled as teens, I put my fingers in my ears and say LaLaLa……
    But, that does explain the cornstalks stuck to the under carriage of their GTI though. 😯

    I thought I had heard it all;
    The phone rings at 1AM, you answer it through your sleep haze. You hear your teen on the line saying,”It’s okay Mom I’ve got it, it’s for me, go back to sleep”.
    Only to find out later, it was your teen calling to make you think they’re at home.

  28. Mairead says:

    Now that IS crafty daisy! 😯

  29. Kristen says:

    Thanks for the heads up Daisy – my son is a teenager…. I’ll have to remember that one

  30. daisy424 says:

    😀 Kristen.
    I was a out of control teenager and put my parents through some shit for sure. 😯

    So when my kids would try and pull crap, I was “been there done that” on to them….most of the time 😉
    Good luck!