Brad Pitt is frustrated by his lifetime of being in the media spotlight – but he says he’s now aware that someone’s got it worse after his experience with press in a GQ profile tied to the premiere of the actor’s upcoming movie, “F1.”
Certain Formula One racers have said that actually getting into their car serves as a refuge of sorts from fan and media scrutiny. When asked if he felt the same way while making “F1,” Pitt noted that he didn’t see it that way.
“It’s been an annoyance I’ve had to always deal with in different degrees, large and small, as I do the things I really want to do. So, it’s always been this kind of nagging time-suck or waste of time, if you let it be that,” Pitt explained. “My life is fairly contained. It feels pretty warm and secure with my friends, with my loves, with my fam, with my knowledge of who I am, that, you know, it’s like this fly buzzing around a little bit.”
Though he doesn’t explicitly relate to that part of being a professional driver, overall Pitt noted his life as a celebrity helped him relate to the isolations these athletes feel.
“I think we’ve got it bad. But those guys are so scrutinized and that sport is so revered and there are so many of us that think we could do it, too, just because we drive a car fast down the freeway or something. They get so much s–t,” Pitt said. “It is shocking to me. They’ve got to have thicker skin than even us.”
The actor also opened up about his divorce from Angelina Jolie, which was finalized in December of 2024 following an eight-year legal battle. Pitt remarked that he didn’t feel any different after his divorce was legalized.
“I don’t think it was that major of a thing. Just something coming to fruition. Legally,” Pitt said.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski with a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger, “F1” sees Pitt play Sonny Hayes, a Formula One driver who raced in the 1990s before suffering from a crash. The movie follows Sonny after he comes out of retirement to mentor Joshua “Noah” Pearce for the Apex Grand Prix team. In addition to Pitt, the movie stars Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and Javier Bardem. “F1” is set to premiered in the United States on June 27.
