Brad Pitt Talks Toxic Masculinity and Ad Astra, Plus Photos of Brad in a Tux

Brad Pitt stars and produces the sci-fi drama Ad Astra, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival today (August 29, 2019), said that the film was a personal one and to some extent dealt with the modern concept of “masculinity.”

“In retrospect, what James and I were digging at was that definition of masculinity,” Pitt said at a news conference, alongside director James Gray and co-star Liv Tyler.

“We’ve both grown up in an era where we were asked to be strong…and there is a value in that, but [also a] barrier because you’re hiding some of those things you feel ashamed of. We all hide and carry individual pain and wounds.”

The film focuses on the journey of Pitt's character, Roy McBride, to a colony in Neptune to try to save the solar system from a potentially cataclysmic event. The man behind the threat, as the trailer reveals, appears to be his highly celebrated astronaut father, played by Tommy Lee Jones.

“We were asking the question, is there a better definition for us?” he continued. “Does being more open provide you with a better relation with your loved ones and with yourself? At the end of the day, that’s certainly what we were after.”

Pitt also offered some comments about his relationship with Gray, which he describes as not a “normal male relationship.”

“James and I don't have the normal male relationship,” Pitt added. “He would send really personal emails, exposing ideas from his own life. That really would define the day's work and the scenes were honed by it, and it's something I still value. It was a unique experience.”

Enjoy more photos of Brad Pitt in a tuxedo at the Venice Film Festival premiere of Ad Astra.