Brad Pitt once said he felt betrayed by Santa Claus, but the two actually share some key personality traits: first and foremost, keep a list, double-check it, figure out who’s naughty and who’s nice.
At least that’s what Aaron Taylor-Johnson has lost as he reflects on his experience working with the Oscar-winner on new action-comedy Bullet Train. Yes, according to Taylor-Johnson, Pitt has developed a specific approach to surrounding himself with optimal energy throughout his career.
“He just wants to bring light and joy into the world and be around people who are there to have a good time,” the actor said of Pitt in a recent interview with Variety. “You work with a lot of actors, and after a while you start making notes, ‘I’m definitely never going to work with that person again.'”
“Brad also has this list: the good list and the shit list,” he added.
Of course, while Pitt has yet to confirm the list’s existence, the juicy tidbit demands a purely speculative inquiry into who he’s refused to work with again throughout his decade-long Hollywood career.
Brad Pitt at the Bullet Train premiere at Le Grand Rex on July 18 in Paris, France.Stéphane Cardinale-Corbis via Getty Images
First, let’s start with which past co-stars should be left out of the competition.
Pitt actually has a habit of working with the same actors, including his new film starring Sandra Bullock and Logan Lerman, with whom he appeared in The Lost City and Fury, respectively. Over the years he has also frequently collaborated with Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as directors Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher.
When it comes to who, as Taylor-Johnson put it, might have landed on Pitt’s “shit list,” it’s safe to say he’ll never work with his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie.
The former couple appeared in two films together, Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and her third directorial effort, “By The Sea,” but still bicker over details of their seemingly never-ending divorce, including ownership of the Château Miraval winery.
(As for his other past loves, Pitt seems to get along relatively well with both Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow, who we can confidently place in the friendly exes category).
Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a scene from Interview with the Vampire.Francois Duhamel via Getty Images
And then there’s Tom Cruise, who Pitt hasn’t worked with since her legendary role as the bloodsucker in the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire.
Speaking to Premiere magazine about the behind-the-scenes dynamic a year after the film’s release, Pitt hinted at some underlying tensions with his co-star.
“You have to understand, Tom and I are … we’re going in different directions,” he told the now-defunct outlet. “He’s North Pole. i am south He comes towards you with a handshake where I may or may not jostle you, you know?”
“I always thought there was this underlying competition that got in the way of any real conversation,” he added. “It wasn’t evil at all, not at all. But it was just there and it bothered me a bit. But I’m telling you he catches a lot of shit for being at the top but he’s a good actor and he’s progressing in the movie. He did it. I mean you have to respect that.”
Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt attend the premiere of The Devil’s Own.New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images
According to Rolling Stone, there was also speculation that Pitt clashed with his co-star Harrison Ford while filming the 1997 action thriller The Devil’s Own.
Pitt once described the project as the “most irresponsible part of filmmaking” due to production difficulties, but later clarified that his frustration was not directed at Ford. However, the two have yet to meet again on a film set.
“He’s absolutely cool,” Pitt said of Ford, debunking the rumors. “Look, it was tough. It was the hardest movie I’ve ever been in. But as far as reports of runaway egos and people hiding in trailers, that just wasn’t the case. Everyone was trying to make the best film possible given the circumstances.”
Who else made Pitt’s naughty list, your guess is as good as ours.