50 reasons to love Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt is 50 today but can still turn up the heat faster than actors half his age. The actor has had a very successful year both personally and professionally. His wedding to actress Angelina Jolie is reportedly just around the corner. His movie, World War Z, which released this year made millions at the box office.

Here's a pictorial look at his journey as he turns a year older.

William Bradley Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His mother was a school counsellor while his father ran a trucking company. Brad spent a large part of his childhood in Springfield, Missouri. After high school, he went to the University of Missouri in 1982 where he studied journalism and advertising.

Weeks before graduating, Brad set out for Los Angeles to try his luck in the movies. Between acting lessons from coach Roy London, he worked as a chauffeur and even dressed up as a chicken for fast food chain El Pollo Loco.

He landed uncredited parts in the 1987 movies 'No Way Out, No Man's Land and Less Than Zero. He also appeared on TV as a guest on the sitcom Growing Pains.

The Dark Side Of The Sun, made in 1988, was Brad's first major role but ended up being released nine years later. Many supporting roles and TV guest appearances later, came his scene-stealing turn as a small time criminal in cult film Thelma And Louise (1991) opposite Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. From there, it was a straight road to stardom.

In 1994, Brad won his first Golden Globe Award nomination in the Best Actor category for his performance as the disturbed son of an army officer in the movie Legends Of The Fall. He then played a mentally disturbed activist in the movie 12 Monkeys (1995). The role fetched him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and also earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1999, Brad won rave reviews for his performance as the confident, supremely handsome soap maker Tyler Durden in the movie Fight Club. The next year he played an Irish Gypsy boxer in the gangster film Snatch.

In 2001, Brad starred in the romantic comedy The Mexican opposite Julia Roberts. He also featured as Rusty Ryan in the hit movie Ocean's Eleven the same year - a role he repeated in the sequel Ocean's Twelve in 2004.

In 2005, he starred in the action comedy Mr & Mrs Smith with Angelina Jolie. The movie, which cashed in on the chemistry between Brangelina, turned out to be the biggest Hollywood hit of 2005.

In 2006, Brad Pitt starred in Babel opposite Cate Blanchett. The film fetched him a nomination for the Best Supporting Actor aqt the Golden Globe Awards. The next year, he reprised his role as Rusty Ryan for the third time in Ocean's Thirteen. The movie did well at the box office.

In 2008, Brad was up for Best Actor at the Oscars for his performance as a man ageing in reverse who falls in love with a dancer, played Cate Blanchett, in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.

Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009), in which Brad played a Nazi-hunting lieutenant, was also a box office hit and made big money worldwide.

In 2011, Brad played the general manager of Oakland Athletics Billy Beane in Moneyball, which was based on the 2003 book of the same name. The movie earned him another Oscar nomination.

He next played a mob hitman in the 2012 movie Killing Them Softly. This year, his zombie action movie World War Z became his highest-grossing movie of all time and made over USD 500 million at the box office.

Off-screen, Brad has had a string of high profile romances with actresses like Mike Tyson's ex-wife Robin Givens, his Kalifornia co-star Juliette Lewis and his Seven co-star Gwyneth Paltrow, whom he dated and was engaged to from 1995 to 1997.

Brad proposed to F.R.I.E.N.D.S star Jennifer Aniston after dating for two years and the couple had a private Malibu wedding in 2000.

Five years later, the marriage ended after love blossomed between Brad and Angelina Jolie on the sets of Mr & Mrs Smith. Brad and Jennifer divorced on October 2, 2005. Brad and Angelina, who have been together ever since and have six children, were finally engaged on April 14 this year. Wedding bells are reportedly just around the corner.

Brad will next be seen in David Aye's Fury which is based on World War II. The movie is set to release next year.

Here's wishing Brad a very happy birthday and many more movies to come.