While it’s hard to top Tom Cruise in the stunt department, his Interview with the Vampire costar isn’t too far behind in terms of respect in the stunt community. Even though most don’t associate Oscar-winner Brad Pitt with death-defying stunts, the actor bears huge respect for stunt performers and even helped his Flight Club stunt double to rise the ranks.
Before becoming a prominent action filmmaker, David Leitch, notable for his work on The Fall Guy, Deadpool 2, and Hobbs & Shaw, worked as a double for Pitt during the ’90s. And reflecting on the change of attitude of Hollywood stars for the stunt community over the years, the director expressed his gratitude to the Bullet Train Star.
Brad Pitt Has Been a Life-Long Supporter of the Stunt Community
For a long time, performers, responsible for all the heroic stunts onscreen, weren’t credited for their talent, as actors would often steal the credit. But things have changed a lot since, and Leitch, who worked with Brad Pitt as his double in the 90s, especially in Fight Club, expressed his appreciation to Pitt. While many didn’t bother acknowledging the role of stunt performers, Brad Pitt on the other hand has always been a huge supporter of their craft.
Leitch said (via Vulture),
“People will never believe the anecdotes that I have as a stunt performer. We’re behind the scenes and we’re doing all the cool shit, and the actor’s taking all the credit… Brad has been a huge supporter of the stunt community his entire career.”
The director also credited Keanu Reeves, stressing that both A-listers never shied away from commending the stunt community for making them look great.
Brad Pitt Performed Almost All of His Stunts in Bullet Train
Similar to Keanu Reeves, who would go on to collaborate with the stunt double-turned-director Chad Stahelski in John Wick, Brad Pitt also headlined Leitch’s action assassin comedy, Bullet Train. Being their first collaboration since Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the action filmmaker revealed that the Oscar-winner was immediately onboard when he pitched the idea to Pitt.
While the Fight Club Star is known for excelling in dramas, per The Fall Guy director (via Yahoo! Movies), the actor performed 99% of his stunts in the film by himself.
“Brad did do 99%of his stunts because of the way the action was choreographed and he has a high aptitude, so that was from my knowledge of how to make him shine in the action knowing him for so long, and I leaned into his strengths,”
Pitt’s brilliance in Bullet Train further stands as a testament to his versatility, highlighting why he has been one of the best in the business for decades like Tom Cruise.
Bullet Train is available to stream on Netflix.
