Brad Pitt Was Disappointed With His Performance In A Classic Sci-Fi Movie

Ever-handsome Brad Pitt was really on a roll in the 1990s in terms of scoring parts in movies that became immortal and celebrated classics. From "Thelma & Louis" to "A River Runs Through It" to "California" to "Seven" to "Fight Club," and many more, he had the kind of run within a decade that some actors can only achieve in a lifetime — if they're lucky. But the only part he received an Oscar nod for during that time was in Terry Gilliam's mind-bending sci-fi thriller, "12 Monkeys" (which has an overlooked TV remake fans should watch). Pitt played Jeffrey Goines, a mental patient and ecoterrorist with wild conspiracy theories, whom Bruce Willis' protagonist, James Cole, encounters in a mental hospital when he's sent back in time.

Despite the acknowledgement of his performance from the Academy and the praise from both critics and viewers, Pitt just wasn't satisfied with the work and effort he put into portraying Goines overall. In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, the actor elaborated on why that is: "I nailed the first half of "12 Monkeys." I got the second half all wrong. That performance bothered me because there was a trap in the writing. It's not the writing's fault, but it was something that I couldn't figure out. I knew in the second half of the film I was playing the gimmick of what was real in the first half — until the last scene — and it bugged the [expletive] out of me."

Up until Jeffrey Goines' paranoid lunatic, Brad Pitt played vastly different parts — mostly charismatic studs, sensitive souls, or dashing love interests — but "12 Monkeys'" director Terry Gilliam purposely cast him in a role that was uncharacteristic for him. He wanted to see what Pitt can do when he can't rely on his usual schticks and has to dig deeper to get the essence of the kind of character that Goines is (he had the same mindset regarding Bruce Willis, too). 

So when asked at the Lumiere Film Festival during his masterclass in 2023, the legendary filmmaker said (via Variety), "Brad [Pitt] worked incredibly hard to prepare for the role – he went to psychiatric wards, visited mental hospitals... and the first day of the shoot, he exploded on the set! It was breathtaking how funny he was, how strange, how psychotic, it was incredible! So, in the end, Bruce [Willis] did one of the best performances of his life, and so did Brad."

So, despite his disappointment looking back on one of his most famous and popular characters, Pitt had many defenders who championed his work, including the likely most important person, Gilliam himself. And it's undeniable that his contribution helped turn "12 Monkeys" into one of the staples of '90s cinema when it comes to memorable sci-fi movies. Not to mention that the 1995 film — despite its complex plot and weird atmosphere — became an unlikely blockbuster, garnering over $168 million against its $29 million budget at the box office.