Similar to Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt might be on a list of a select few that are true movie stars. Pitt is very selective with the roles that he takes and in truth, we see a film of his once per year, max. Nowadays, Pitt is very selective and picky with the roles that he takes on, Brad made this career-altering adjustment following the film 'Troy'. According to the celeb, the film just didn't fit the mold as far as films he loves to work on, "I had to do “Troy” because — I guess I can say all this now — I pulled out of another movie and then had to do something for the studio. So I was put in “Troy.” It wasn’t painful, but I realized that the way that movie was being told was not how I wanted it to be. I made my own mistakes in it."
"I could not get out of the middle of the frame. It was driving me crazy. Somewhere in it, “Troy” became a commercial kind of thing. Every shot was like, Here’s the hero! There was no mystery. So about that time I made a decision that I was only going to invest in quality stories, for lack of a better term. It was a distinct shift that led to the next decade of films." He didn't turn down the film but the truth is, Pitt turned down a bunch of iconic films. One, in particular, might've been the worst decision, given that the main actor would go on to make $256 million thanks to the franchise.
Not Understanding The Script
That's right, the film Brad Pitt said no to was 'The Matrix'. Pitt would also state that this wasn't the first iconic film he said no to. As for why he didn't do it, the movie star quite frankly just didn't understand the script, standing by his principles, Pitt doesn't do roles he's not fully invested in.
Here's what he had to say, "I did pass on The Matrix. I took the red pill. That’s the only one I’m naming … I wasn’t offered two or three. Only the first one. Just to clarify that. I come from a place, maybe it’s my upbringing, if I didn’t get it, then it wasn’t mine. I really believe [the role] was never mine. It’s not mine. It was someone else’s and they go and make it. I really do believe in that. If we were doing a show on the great movies I’ve passed on, we would need two nights."
Ultimately, Keanu Reeves got the role and we couldn't picture a better man in the spot. Although Pitt missed out on some serious coin, it really didn't hurt his career, he went on to some huge projects regardless, and his net worth is at a cool $300 million.
Sources: Collider & Cinema Blend