Find Out How High Brad Pitt’s IQ Is & If It’s Considered Genius!

As one of the most influential people in Hollywood, Brad Pitt is often praised for his acting versatility and good looks. However, what doesn’t get nearly enough attention is Brad Pitt’s IQ, which, as it turns out, is higher than average, most likely placing him in the superior category.

To learn exactly what Brad Pitt’s IQ is and how it might have affected his path, we’ve consulted our experts, who examined his life, endeavors, and key accomplishments in search of answers.

In this article, we will share their findings and conclusions with you.

Key Takeaways

• Brad Pitt’s IQ level is considered to be above average, with most sources claiming he has an IQ of 126.
• Brad Pitt initially pursued a degree in journalism, but once he obtained it, he realized that acting was his true calling and moved to Los Angeles.
• He is considered one of the best and most prolific actors in the world, with numerous accolades, including one Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
• Brad Pitt has struggled with low-grade depression most of his life and has used alcohol to cope with it.

What Is Brad Pitt’s IQ?

Brad Pitt’s IQ is estimated to be around 126, although there’s some debate surrounding his intelligence level. Some sources claim it’s 119, but without official confirmation from the actor himself, there’s no way to be certain.

Regardless, no one seems to doubt that Brad Pitt is intelligent, as both scores indicate highly developed cognition. In fact, any score above 115 is a high IQ, and an IQ of 126 belongs to the superior category.

But how does Brad Pitt’s IQ score compare to the scores of his fellow Hollywood stars?

As it turns out, Brad Pitt is on par with Tom Cruise, whose IQ is estimated to be 125, and somewhat more intelligent than his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, who has an IQ of 119.

However, these stars’ intelligence is nowhere near Leonardo DiCaprio’s IQ, which experts estimated to be at mind-blowing 177. This IQ level places the actor squarely in the genius category.

Considering the worldwide success and the numerous accolades these actors received, it’s hardly surprising to learn that their intelligence is above average. This is true for Leonardo DiCaprio as much as it is for Brad Pitt, whose life and accomplishments we’ll go over in the following sections.

Brad Pitt’s Early Life & Education

Brad Pitt’s Early Life & Education

Brad Pitt was born on December 18, 1963, in Oklahoma to William Alvin Pitt, a truck company proprietor, and Jane Etta, a school counselor. When his two younger siblings were born, the family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where the actor spent most of his formative years.

Born into a conservative Christian family, Brad Pitt was initially raised as a Southern Baptist, but that didn’t stick with him throughout adulthood. In fact, he often described himself as agnostic, atheist, or just spiritual without particular affiliation.

After high school, during which he participated in numerous club activities, he went to the University of Missouri in 1982 and obtained a degree in journalism with a focus on advertising.

However, instead of pursuing a career in that field, he moved to Los Angeles to chase his dreams of becoming an actor. Before he could realize this, he worked a series of odd jobs to earn his livelihood and took acting lessons.

Brad Pitt’s Career & Accomplishments

Brad Pitt’s acting career officially started in 1987, but the road ahead wasn’t easy. His first three parts were so small that his name wasn’t included in the credits. Then, he landed minor roles in sitcoms aired on NBC, CBS, and ABC, appearing only for a few episodes.

His first leading role was in the movie The Dark Side of the Sun, jointly produced by the US and Yugoslavia. However, due to the Yugoslavian war that soon ensued, the film wasn’t released until 1997, when Brad Pitt was already an established actor.

Following this series of minor roles and unfortunate circumstances, Brad Pitt played a side role in the horror film Cutting Class, his first film to actually reach theaters.

Gaining Recognition

Ridley Scott’s 1991 road film Thelma & Louise was the first film to draw significant attention to Brad Pitt. Although he had a fairly minor role, audiences and critics alike noticed him for his acting talent and good looks.

Thanks to this role, he appeared in Robert Redford’s A River Runs Through It in a part often cited as his career-making performance. However, Brad Pitt wasn’t particularly impressed by his own acting at the time, especially as he contrasted himself against a far more experienced Redford.

The next two roles he landed, in Interview with the Vampire and Legends of the Fall, were crucial for his future career.

In the first film, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Tom Cruise and Antonio Banderas, while the second one paired him up with Anthony Hopkins and got him his first Golden Globe nomination.

Wanting to move away from the sex symbol image Hollywood had imposed on him, Brad Pitt took on two darker roles in 1995—a detective chasing a serial killer in Seven and a psychotic anarchist in 12 Monkeys. The latter brought him his first Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination.

Established Actor

By 1999, Brad Pitt had proven his versatility and ability to switch from one genre to another seamlessly. As a result, it’s hardly surprising that he was getting increasingly more interesting roles, starting with Fight Club, a beloved cult classic.

Next came Snatch, where he played a barely intelligible Irish boxer, and Ocean’s Eleven, which teamed him up with George Clooney, highlighting their incredible on-screen dynamics.

At this point, well-established as a worldwide superstar, Brad Pitt founded a production company with his then-wife, Jennifer Aniston, and produced Troy, in which he starred as Achilles. The film received mixed reviews, but despite that, it became one of the highest-grossing films of 2004.

From then on, Brad Pitt starred in numerous commercially successful and critically acclaimed films, including Babel, Burn After Reading, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.

While his first collaboration with Tarantino was impressive, the second one is regarded as one of Brad Pitt’s best performances. Namely, he played a stunt double in the 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a role that finally brought him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Brad Pitt’s Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Brad Pitt IQ, Mental Health & Substance Abuse

Although he hasn’t been officially diagnosed with anything, Brad Pitt has opened up about his mental health and claimed he has struggled with low-grade depression.

As he describes it, it’s more of a weariness or melancholy that occasionally takes hold of him, especially when he’s thinking about the state of the world. Considering Brad Pitt’s IQ, this isn’t particularly surprising, as many highly intelligent people report feeling something similar.

Furthermore, the actor may have a condition called prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness. Due to this condition, he finds it difficult to recognize people’s faces, which makes him want to withdraw and avoid contact with other people.

As a result of these issues and the pressure of constantly being in the public eye, Brad Pitt has resorted to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism in the past.

His drug use allegedly started and ended in the 90s, when he smoked marijuana almost daily, but his alcohol abuse was more severe—so much so that he sought help in 2016 and started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

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Final Thoughts

Without an official confirmation, we may never be sure what Brad Pitt’s IQ actually is. The actor's difficult path and his level of success, however, are proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is highly intelligent.

His willingness to improve himself and take on a variety of roles instead of settling into those he’s comfortable with is yet another proof of his high IQ. After all, highly intelligent people tend to struggle with monotony and strive for exciting, mentally stimulating careers.