
Brad Pitt says he needed ‘rebooting' and looked forward to AA meetings
The 61-year old actor, who stars in the new film F1: The Movie, reportedly began attending the men's group meetings after his former partner and film star, Angelina Jolie, filed for divorce in September 2016.
Speaking on the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, he described attending the AA meetings as an 'amazing experience'.
Pitt said: 'I was pretty much on my knees, and I was really open. I was trying anything and everyone. Anything anyone threw at me.
'It was a difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the f*** up in some areas. And it just meant a lot to me.
'It was really moving. Some of these men were so moving.
'What an amazing thing this experience was for me. It was a men's group was AA, it was when I first was getting sober. I just thought it was just incredible men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches, and lot of humour with it.
'I thought it was a really special experience.'
The divorce led to a long-running legal battle between the two stars, with a settlement reached in December.
Pitt shares six children with Jolie with one of them, a daughter, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, becoming the first to request a legal name change in May.
Prior to Jolie, he was married to Friends star Jennifer Aniston until their split in 2005.
He added that he was a little shy when he first attended the meetings but that it later became something he looked 'forward to'.
Pitt said: 'When I've stepped in shit, I'm pretty good at taking responsibility for it, owning up to it.
'How can I write this and make sure it doesn't happen again, or just be better. Step up.
'So I was really open to that, and I was really open to see what these guys were doing, who had their thing and been there for a while. Sure, I was a bit shy. I can generally be a bit shy in any kind of situation at first, but I just remember getting my arms around it pretty quickly, and it became a thing for me. It was really something I'd look forward to.'
The award-winning actor is known for films including Fight Club, 12 Years A Slave and Moneyball and has received six Oscar nominations, taking two home including actor in a supporting role for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood.
He appears in F1: The Movie which follows a racer as he tries to lead a struggling Formula 1 team.
The film stars Pitt alongside Snowfall star Damson Idris and Kerry Condon, known for The Banshees Of Inisherin.
Pitt attended the European Premiere for F1: The Movie in London on Monday and posed for photographs with Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Graziadaily
2 hours ago
- Graziadaily
Fashion Is Obsessed With Formula 1 – And You Can Shop The Celeb-Approved Styles
Naomi Campbell DJ-ing at the Monaco Grand Prix, Jennifer Lopez walking the paddock in a pink leather jumpsuit at the Saudi Arabia race, and Blackpink's Lisa and Timothée Chalamet spotted visiting the F1 teams at the Miami Grand Prix mean it's official: the world's most fashionable people, not to mention a host of luxury brands, have fallen in love with Formula One. Style and speed are natural bedfellows. 'Throughout history, there's been a connection of romance and glamour with speed sports,' says Mai Ikuzawa, founder of the lifestyle label Team Ikuzawa, and who grew up pit-side as daughter of Japanese racing legend Tetsu Ikuzawa. 'There is a hero-factor in racing drivers risking their lives in high-speed machines. People romanticise that – it's hard to find another sport that connects high adrenaline with such luxury and glamour.' Naomi Campbell ©Tag Heuer Alongside a range of racing-inspired apparel, Team Ikuzawa has also collaborated with TAG Heuer on a sell-out chronograph. The watchmaker this year became the official timekeeper of F1, as parent company LVMH signed on a 10-year global partnership. Meanwhile, F1 fandom is about to hit fever pitch on 25 June, when the much-anticipated F1: The Movie hits cinemas. Featuring Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris and Kerry Condon, expect a seat-gripping ride alongside some stellar performances. As well as the movie bringing the racetrack to a new audience this summer, brands are taking note of the sport anew as the female fanbase reaches a record high. Today's F1 viewers are more than 40% female, notably thanks to the hit Netflix series Drive To Survive. According to a report by More Than Equal, an organisation that aims to develop the first female F1 world champion, female fans are more likely to be introduced to F1 through lifestyle and social media content, friends and family, while male audiences have engaged with motorsport though live broadcasts. Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton F1® The Movie - World Premiere in Times Square, New York City. ©Shutterstock 'Brands know that women are watching and that they're big purchase- and decision-makers,' says Naomi Schiff, a former racing driver turned F1 broadcaster. No wonder the likes of Charlotte Tilbury, Tommy Hilfiger and TAG Heuer have all partnered with the F1 Academy, which seeks to increase female participation in motorsport (and which now has its own Netflix series, too). This is being translated into real products as well: cue the upcoming collaboration between luxury ski wear label Perfect Moment and the BWT Alpine Formula One Team, now available to pre-order. The line of skiwear and base layers, alongside après-ski hoodies, T-shirts and accessories, parlays the two brands' French roots and passion for racing suits that are 'built for high speeds and sharp turns,' says Jane Gottschalk, Perfect Moment co-founder and creative director. 'F1 has become a global movement, it's no longer just about the race – but culture, community and the lifestyle that surrounds it,' she says. Schiff credits Lewis Hamilton with upping the ante. 'He's been at the forefront of bringing fashion into the space and allowing people to showcase themselves across their wardrobes,' Schiff says of the seven-time F1 world champion and co-chair of last month's Met Gala. 'Now we have this incredible, almost red carpet of drivers walking into the paddock... it's had a real trickle-down effect on the community. Everyone wants to show up at the Grand Prix looking their best.' In the meantime, motorsport remains one of the most exciting things to watch. 'In a world of social media and AI where glamour and luxury can be fake, the idea of making sportsmen heroes is really relevant,' says Ikuzawa. 'F1 drivers are the world's top athletes and a connection with real, authentic persona and talent? That's the ultimate luxury.' 1. Perfect Moment X BWT Alpine Formula One Team 2. Tommy Hilfiger, Tommy x Mercedes F1 x CR Back Logo Varsity Jacket 3. Maje, Maje X Hot Wheels Hoodie 4. Ferrari, Baseball Cap 5. Reiss, Mclaren F1 Logo T-shirt 6. Adidas, Mercedes AMG Petronas T-Shirt 7. Karen Millen Leather Colourblock High Collar Biker Jacket Price: $279.20 (was £349) 8. Scuderia Ferrari 2025 Team Lewis Hamilton Cap 9. Red Bull Racing Max Verstappen Crest Driver Hoodie Ming Liu is a luxury journalist and author who contributes regularly to the Financial Times, HTSI, New York Times, CNN Style, British Vogue and Vanity Fair among other international titles. A member of the Cultural Council of Switzerland's Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), a non-profit organisation, she is also a contributing editor for Robb Report Monaco and has written several books on watches and jewellery. Ming lives in London with her two very energetic, rambunctious and car-mad boys.


Top Gear
3 hours ago
- Top Gear
Is Valtteri Bottas about to be announced as a Cadillac F1 driver?
Is Valtteri Bottas about to be announced as a Cadillac F1 driver? Cult hero Finn posts hilariously un-subtle teaser, sending rumour mill into overdrive Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. Well if it turns out there's nothing in this… it's the most brazen and brilliant social media gag we've ever seen. Valtteri Bottas has posted a teaser-slash-sketch heavily linking himself to one of the vacant Cadillac F1 drives for 2026. As the Finn walks along the street, the conversation unfolds a little like this: 'Hey Valtteri, that's a Cadillac,' says an unnamed male pointing at an Escalade, before opening its door and declaring 'That's a nice seat!' Advertisement - Page continues below 'Oh wow, that's actually a nice seat,' says VB. 'I wouldn't mind.' 'And there's two seats,' points out his companion. 'And they're both free?' 'Oh yeah. Want to sit in it? Advertisement - Page continues below Valtteri pauses. 'Not yet.' End of scene. The 35-year-old – now moonlighting as Mercedes' reserve driver – has made no secret of his desire to return to the grid, telling last month he was in active talks to do just that for next season. And specifically addressing Cadillac, he said: 'Cadillac is a new team joining the sport, which is exciting. What would be motivating for me is to get into a project, you know? Commit to X amount of years with clear targets. That's what I need at this point. 'I don't see the point of just doing one season just to be in Formula One. But what I feel like I need is a clear project. And I think it's a good example with a new team, that would be quite refreshing, when you can really start from scratch. Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email* 'I do like an Escalade,' he added. 'And the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters.' And if that doesn't sound like job interview prep… READ MORE Valtteri Bottas is in talks to return to Formula One in 2026 Since then it sounds like Cadillac's interest in Bottas has become more concrete, and there's been no more word on whether Sergio Perez – another race winner currently enjoying an F1 sabbatical – is in the frame for one of Cadillac's seats. All we know is that it definitely can't be both… Who would you hire, folks? Successful applicants must have years of experience and awards; strong social media game preferred but not essential.


The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
With ‘F1,' rising star Damson Idris enters Hollywood's fast lane
Damson Idris was trying to tune out the noise, but that's a little difficult at a Formula One race. The British-Nigerian actor was in the zone, in character, filming the high-octane summer movie 'F1' with Brad Pitt at some of the world's most famous racetracks. While Idris' profile has been rising in recent years, after six seasons starring in the FX series 'Snowfall,' there's nothing like being next to globally famous Formula One drivers and a Hollywood megastar to put things into perspective. He was pretty sure he was going to coast under the radar. Then he started hearing not just his own name from fans in the crowd but 'Franklin Saint,' too, the name of his drug kingpin character on 'Snowfall.' 'It's funny, because I see myself as a young actor who nobody knows,' Idris, 33, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. Anonymity may already be a thing of the past for Idris, though. In May, he made a splash at the Met Gala, arriving in a full racing suit (branded with 'F1's' fictional team name APXGP) and a Swarovski crystal-studded helmet that he and two ushers removed to reveal a second look underneath. The boldness and theatricality of the stunt made it one of the most talked about moments at an event where everyone is trying to stand out. And things are poised to rev up even more when 'F1' opens globally Friday. Speeding into theaters on a wave of great reviews and the promise of a 'Top Gun: Maverick'-style spectacle, filmmaker Joseph Kosinski is pretty sure Idris is going to start hearing people shout 'Joshua Pearce' at him too. That's the name of Idris' character, the hotshot rookie driver of the worst team on the circuit who's desperate to prove himself and hang on to one of the coveted seats. 'I'm very excited for people to see him own this character and go toe to toe with a giant movie star,' Kosinski said. 'I think he can do anything. He's just super talented, and I feel like I'm lucky to see him at the beginning of what's going to be a pretty stratospheric launch.' Idris tries to seek out projects that challenge him and characters who are as different as possible — from each other and, especially, from him. Joshua Pearce fit the bill in a moment when he was preparing to say goodbye to Franklin Saint. After he read the 'F1' script, the character even infiltrated his dreams. 'I said to myself, 'Man, no one's going to be able to play this part like I will.' I remember writing Joe (Kosinski) a letter and telling him that,' Idris said. 'When we finally jumped in the cars for the first time, I was hooked. I was like, 'Yep this movie's mine. It's no one else's and I can't wait to give my all to it.' And that's exactly what I did.' Giving it his all at 180 mph 'F1' wouldn't just require playing a part. Both he and Pitt had to learn how to drive the cars at speeds of up to 180 mph. It took months of training behind the wheel the supervision of stunt drivers Luciano Bacheta and Craig Dolby, as well as physical training to adapt to the G-forces they'd feel in the car. When it came time to film, which they did with special cameras attached to the cars, sometimes they were driving during breaks at real races with hundreds of thousands of spectators around. Every time you see Idris' or Pitt's face in the car, Kosinski said, they're really driving that car. 'It's so insane. It's actually quicker in real life and it looks really fast on the screen,' Idris said. 'In a split second, a decision could be really detrimental. But I couldn't imagine doing this movie any other way. If it was on green screen, you'd be able to tell.' There's a bit of art-meets-life symmetry wrapped up in 'F1,' in which an up-and-comer teams up with a veteran. In the film, it's a reluctant pairing of two alphas. The mentorship is fraught, the lessons are hard-earned and the competition is not exactly friendly. Unlike Joshua, Idris is more than willing to get advice from those around him, whether it's producers like Jerry Bruckheimer and Jeremy Kleiner, his director Kosinski, or his co-stars, from Pitt to Javier Bardem. 'I speak to them every day and I ask for advice,' he said. 'The main focus is on stories, playing characters that I can be proud of and range. That's everything I'm setting out to do in this career.' Acting was not always the goal for Idris. Like many kids in South London, he once dreamed of being a soccer player. Sure, the idea of being a renowned athlete held some appeal, but he also loved the sheer discipline it required. Then, at age 18, he realized he'd never be as great as Lionel Messi. 'When I see him one day, hopefully I'm blessed to meet him, I'm going to tell him that he's the reason why I quit football, because he was so good,' he said. 'Wonderfully, acting is a subjective industry, so I can at least cheat my way into working with Brad Pitt.' Cheating is, of course, a bit of cheeky hyperbole for an actor who studied drama at university and continued training at London's Identity School of Acting afterward. Since he made his stage debut in Ade Solanke's 'Pandora's Box' over 10 years ago, Idris has been hitting the pavement like the rest of his peers. And he's just getting started. What's next for Damson Idris Idris recently wrapped filming the Tomi Adeyemi adaptation 'Children of Bone and Blood' in Cape Town, South Africa. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Idris plays Prince Inan in the African fantasy that co-stars Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Idris' idol and real-life mentor Idris Elba. 'It's not just a namesake,' Idris said. 'I feel so blessed to be able to say that I'm like his little brother and I can call him and get advice.' Next up, Idris will prepare to portray Miles Davis in Bill Pohlad's 'Miles & Juliette,' about the jazz legend's romance with French singer Juliette Gréco. He's also founded a fine jewelry line, named Didris, inspired by his mother, and is getting into producing as well — his production company has a deal with FX Networks and wants to make opportunities for emerging talents. And like his character in 'F1,' Idris is learning to block out the noise. He knows that a film career is a long journey and there will be ups and downs. 'It's a huge moment, but I'm fortunate to have so many people in my life that keep me grounded,' Idris said. 'I've soaked in information from people I admire who say the same thing during these higher moments: Pinch yourself, stay grounded, remember where you came from. 'That's exactly how I'm walking through this portal and into these next couple of years. I'm excited, I'm humbled, I am blessed and I can't wait to see what the future brings.'