“It was someone else’s role”: Brad Pitt Shot Himself in the Foot by Turning Down the Best Morgan Freeman Movie Ever Made

Brad Pitt almost starred in Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption alongside Morgan Freeman.

Brad Pitt was a rising star in the 90s and he went from strength to strength with his film choices and performances in the early days in Hollywood. His breakout role was the charming J.D. in Thelma and Louise put him on everyone’s radar. He went on to gain prominence in the subsequent years with films like A River Runs Through It, Se7en, 12 Monkeys, and Interview with the Vampire.

Brad Pitt’s breakthrough role was in 1991’s Thelma and Louise

The latter had him star opposite Tom Cruise and the film was a commercial success at the time. However, doing that film meant that he missed the chance to star in a more beloved film. Pitt almost starred in Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption. However, he is not regretful of not being able to do the film.

Brad Pitt Almost Starred Opposite Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption

Brad Pitt almost played the role of Tommy in The Shawshank Redemption

Brad Pitt had a very strong decade as an actor in the 90s with a string of successful films while also exploring his range as an actor in various genres. When Pitt committed to doing 1994’s Interview with the Vampire with Tom Cruise, the actor had to pass on another role which would have brought him more laurels to his career.

People would be surprised to know that Pitt was supposed to star in the Morgan Freeman starrer The Shawshank Redemption. He was gonna play a small but important role of Tommy Williams in the film which later went on actor Gil Bellows. While he may have missed out on being in the cult classic film,  Pitt does not drown himself in regret about it.

For the film’s 25th Anniversary, Pitt talked to USA Today about losing on the part. He points to destiny for the way things worked out in that scenario. He also revealed that while it would have been nice to have appeared in the film, he has no regrets about losing the opportunity. He said,

“It would have been kind of cool to be in, but I’m not a regret guy in that way. I just believe in the way things work out, and that was someone else’s role. Even the feeling of, ‘Ooh, that would’ve been nice’ would redirect a choice later down the road. So it all works in tandem in that way.”

In another sense, Pitt’s choice worked in his favor as Interview with the Vampire became a commercial success while The Shawshank Redemption was a flop when they were both released in 1994. However, the latter is a far superior film in terms of its narrative and it is now considered one of the best films ever made.

George Clooney’s Gives an Exciting Update About Upcoming Film With Brad Pitt

George Clooney is reuniting with Brad Pitt after the Ocean’s trilogy in 2024’s Wolfs

Brad Pitt is reuniting with his Ocean’s trilogy co-star George Clooney in the action thriller film Wolfs. The film is directed by Jon Watts and tells the thrilling story of two professional fixers who collide when they are assigned the same job. Clooney recently opened up about the project to Total Film.

Clooney praised director Watts and expressed his excitement about the project. He described the film as a dark R-rated version of Ocean’s Eleven. He said (via GamesRadar),

“Uh… It’s a really good movie. I love this guy, Jon Watts. What a director. It’s out there. We just did a screening of it, and the place kind of went batshit for it. So, we’re excited about it. We think it’s a really fun, dark – very dark – nutty film… It feels like an R-rated Ocean’s film.”

The two stars are also co-producing the film alongside Watts. The much-anticipated reunion film will be released in theaters on September 20, 2024.