Top 10 Brad Pitt Performances

#10 – Tristan Ludlow: “Legends of the Fall” (1994)

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Kicking off our list is the epic tale that casts Pitt as one of three brothers living in the wilderness of the early 1900s. An early example of Pitt's potential, this film guaranteed him lead roles for years to come. His layered performance as an untamed wanderer shows true growth through scenes of both love and war, and it earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor.

In this remake of the Rat Pack classic, Pitt plays George Clooney's buddy and partner-in-crime. This cool guy with the devil-may-care attitude helps plan elaborate heists, dons crazy disguises, spouts entertaining banter, and spends most of his on-screen time gorging on fast food. Seriously though: how does he eat like that and look like that?

Wanna be a heartthrob? Get the right pair of jeans. This is a defining moment in Pitt's early career, and all it takes is a few minutes of screen time and a southern accent. This gorgeous hitchhiker gets hot and heavy with Geena Davis and breaks parole at the same time, while also stealing her heart and her cash. Pretty easy to see why he became an overnight sensation.

#7 – Billy Beane: “Money Ball” (2011)

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Pitt takes on the role of trailblazing Oakland Athletics GM Bill Beane in this “based-on-a-true-story” flick. Pitt digs into the psyche of his real-world inspiration, and trades athletic romanticism for a maverick coaching mentality based on pure stats. His struggle between work and family life rings true and evokes his complex character – and guess what: Pitt earned an Oscar nod for his trouble.

#6 – Benjamin Button: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008)

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With help from extensive makeup and special effects, Pitt plays a man who is aging in reverse. However, the cosmetics do nothing to mask the acting talent showcased in this film: Pitt demonstrates he skill for deep dramatic roles by capturing the many complex subtleties and nuances that go with age. Not surprisingly, this heartfelt portrayal brought him a heartbeat away from Oscar gold.

Pitt went straight from Benjamin Button to this film, and what a radical departure it is. “Basterds” has the A-lister leading a squad of Nazi-hunting American Jews behind enemy lines as an exceptionally unconventional screen hero. Needless to say, he gives a rousing performance as the scarred lieutenant who demands one hundred Nazi scalps from each of his men. Pitt also visibly delights in the act of striking terror into the hearts of Nazis everywhere. Well wouldn't you?

Rookie cops can be impulsive, and Pitt's David Mills definitely is as he hunts sadistic serial killer John Doe. Morgan Freeman's partner and intended replacement oversteps boundaries, acts irritated and is passionate to a fault. But ultimately, Mills is unable to endure the unspeakable terrors that confront him. He never listens when we tell him not to look in the box.

Guy Ritchie enlists Pitt to play a boxer with an incomprehensible Irish accent in this British crime film. Even though you can never understand a damn thing he says, Pitt steals the whole shebang as a mother-loving, trailer trash gypsy who is oddly charming, humorous and blunt. Say what you will, but this is easily Pitt's most outrageous comedic performance to date.

#2 – Jeffrey Goines: “12 Monkeys” (1995)

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Pitt plays opposite Bruce Willis in his first experimental role, as a manic mental hospital patient plagued by anti-consumerism. Spewing wild tangents and existential monologues, he convinces us he's not playing with a full deck and is just unhinged enough to have caused the extinction of mankind. Though Pitt was unknown when he was cast, he was an A-lister by the time this film was released, and with performances like this there's little wonder why.

#1 – Tyler Durden: “Fight Club” (1999)

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Taking the top spot on our list is Pitt’s unforgettable personification of cool. As the fierce, smooth-talking chain-smoking Tyler Durden, Pitt transforms from a simple soap maker into a shirtless bare-knuckle brawler with a terrifying revolutionary agenda. This intoxicating mentor guides Ed Norton towards violence, and even forces him to reclaim his humanity. And damn, he has never looked better. Do you agree with our list? Which is your favorite Brad Pitt performance? For more entertaining top 10 lists, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.