Pitt Names the Two Co-Stars Who Momentarily Left Him Speechless
During the July 2 episode of the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, 61-year-old Oscar winner Brad Pitt admitted that only two actors have ever made him feel star-struck: Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon.
A Breakout Turn in Thelma & Louise (1991)
Pitt’s revelation goes back to his earliest taste of fame. Cast as the charming drifter J.D. in Ridley Scott’s road classic Thelma & Louise, he shared the screen—and several pivotal scenes—with Davis’s Thelma and Sarandon’s Louise. Although he was awed on first meeting the seasoned leading ladies, Pitt said he “got over it quickly” once filming began.
“She Took Care of Me”
In a 2023 conversation with W Magazine, Pitt recalled that the intimate scene with Davis stretched over two days of shooting. “Geena was wonderfully kind and protective,” he said, crediting her for easing his nerves during the shoot.
How Davis and Sarandon Saw the Newcomer
Years later, both actresses praised the then-newcomer’s work ethic and instinct. Speaking to Extra in 2021, Sarandon remembered being struck not just by Pitt’s looks but by the humor and depth he brought to a role that was “pretty thin on the page.” She noted that Pitt continued to pick challenging parts long after he could have coasted on his appearance alone.
Davis echoed that sentiment in a 2020 PEOPLE interview marking the film’s 30th anniversary. “He just had that indefinable ‘it’ factor even in the audition,” she said, adding that his later Oscar win felt inevitable.
An Enduring Cultural Touchstone
Thelma & Louise remains celebrated as a feminist landmark for its portrayal of two women seizing control of their destinies. Reflecting on the film’s impact during a 2024 panel with Sarandon and Mira Sorvino, Davis said, “The movie changed my life—people still tell me how many times they’ve watched it and what it meant to them.”
Pitt may have started out star-struck, but the experience set him on a path from promising newcomer to Hollywood mainstay.
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