I recently re-watched the Ocean’s Trilogy, something I do from time to time. It’s a well made franchise and fun to watch. This time I noticed something that had escaped my attention earlier. The character of Brad Pitt is always snacking in the movie – on chips, crackers or a hamburger. Then I searched the Internet and found that I was not the first one to make this discovery. Someone had compiled a video of Brad gorging on all kinds of foods. And there are a few articles on why he does it.
The reason is really very simple. Brad does it because he is a very good actor. In fact, I am surprised that so few actors are actually doing it. Some movies do not have even one scene of an actor eating. Such a waste!
Think about it. No matter what character you are playing, he has to eat to survive. If you can show that on screen, imagine how many variations are possible, each one acting as a defining layer of the role. Is he eating health food, junk food or a four course dinner? Is he eating with his hands or with fork and knife? Is he eating slowly, savoring the food or gulping down without chewing? Is he swallowing with a noise or eating silently? Is he hungry or just eating mechanically because he is bored? In the video above, you can see Brad Pitt using all these tricks to the greatest effect.
Consider for instance, the Ocean’s series. This is a star studded franchise, with cast that reads like a Who’s Who of Hollywood, like George Clooney, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Catherine Zeta-Jones. In such a setup, in order to stand out you need to do something different. What you need here is swag.
Another great movie where Brad uses this trick is Moneyball. He eats constantly, he spits chewing gum in his cup and he talks while chewing food. There is a great scene where he is calling various team managers and trading players. He drinks in between calls and once, when he is waiting for a call, he stuffs some food in his mouth. Then the call comes so he has to spit it out to take the call. The amount of variations that he does is simply amazing and makes a very interesting character to watch.
Sometimes the writers also help by writing powerful scenes that allow the actor to engage in some activity. A great scene is from Close Encounters of the Third Kind where the protagonist played by Richard Dreyfuss just piles on the mashed potatoes on his plate, oblivious to his family watching. Such a powerful way to depict his state of mind. And the scene in The Godfather of Clemenza cooking meatballs has become a classic.
There are also movies where this trick is not needed. For instance, in War Machine that is a great satire on the war in Afghanistan, Brad plays General Glen McMahon, a character based on General Stanley McChrystal. In this role, there is no room for snacking. A General who plans his day by the minute can hardly be shown munching on snacks. Instead, Brad changes his gait and his accent. Usually, you get a sense whether an actor fits a character or not within first few minutes of watching that actor on screen. Brad manages to capture the essence of the character immediately.
A good actor uses everything in his surroundings to make the character many layered and interesting. Why is Brad Pitt eating in his movies? Because he is an intelligent actor.
