Brad Pitt
Born: 18th December 1963
Where: Oklahoma, USA
It's difficult to believe that Hollywood legend-in-the-making and star of Fight Club and Troy was once reduced to dressing up as a giant chicken to promote a restaurant.
As an average student at the University of Missouri studying journalism, Pitt dropped out and drifted to California where waded through a procession of low-paid, menial jobs.
He supported himself by driving limos, moving fridges and even dressing as the giant chicken to promote restaurant El Pollo Loco.
His first screen break came in 1987, when he was cast as an extra in the movie Less Than Zero and then landed small TV roles.
He featured in three episodes of Dallas before winning a part in Cutting Class and in 1990 co-starred with Juliette Lewis in the fact-based TV-movie Too Young to Die?.
1991 saw Pitt in his breakthrough role as drifter JD in Thelma & Louise after Billy Baldwin bowed out to star in Backdraft.
The role shot him to an elevated Hollywood position and led Pitt to his first feature lead, Johnny Suede, about an aspiring pop singer.
His career was well on its way, and in 1992 he had a major role in A River Runs Through It, directed by Robert Redford; the following year he featured in True Romance.
In 1994 Pitt worked with Anthony Hopkins in Legends Of The Fall and co-starred with Tom Cruise in Interview With the Vampire.
His next high profile project was with Morgan Freeman as a detective tracking a serial killer in Seven, opposite then girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow in her first feature role as Brad's character's wife.
He earned an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe Award for his performance in Terry Gilliam's offbeat drama Twelve Monkeys, in which he portrayed a mental patient.
Pitt's success was heightened with Seven Years in Tibet, which became controversial when it was disclosed that the character Pitt played, Heinrich Harrer, had ties to the Nazis.
He was consequently banned from entering China by authorities less than pleased about his role in Seven Years in Tibet.
In 1999 he co-starred with Edward Norton in Fight Club, and after a glitzy showbiz wedding to fellow actor Jennifer Aniston, Brad portrayed an Irish gypsy boxer in Snatch, written and directed by Guy Ritchie.
In 2001, he starred alongside Julia Roberts in the romantic thriller The Mexican and next co-starred with Robert Redford in the thriller The Spy Game.
Pitt then joined a glittering ensemble cast - including George Clooney, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts - for Steven Soderbergh's remake of Ocean's Eleven.
In 2004, Wolfgang Petersen cast him as Greek hero Achilles in the CGI-heavy blockbuster Troy with Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger.
Recent work includes the sequel Ocean's Twelve and the comedy thriller Mr & Mrs Smith with Angelina Jolie, with whom he began a relationship.
In early 2005, he and Jennifer Aniston announced their marriage was over.
The following year he starred opposite Cate Blanchett in the multi-stranded drama Babel and also returned - in 2007 - as Rusty in the threequel Ocean's Thirteen.
