Michael Pitt

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This article is about the American actor. For the British civil servant, see Michael Pitt (British civil servant).
Michael Pitt
Born April 10, 1981 (1981-04-10) (age 27)
West Orange, New Jersey
Years active 1998–present

Michael Carmen Pitt (born April 10, 1981) is an American actor and musician.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Personal life

Pitt was born in West Orange, New Jersey, the youngest of four children. At age ten, he announced to his parents that he wished to become an actor. He moved to New York City from New Jersey when he was 16 years old, where he took a job as a bike messenger. Currently dating model Jamie Borchert from New York.

[edit] Career

In 1999, Pitt made his off-Broadway debut in the play The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek at the New York Theatre Workshop. A casting agent, whom Pitt mistook as a police officer attempting to arrest him, noticed him and recommended him for a guest role on the television series Dawson's Creek (he played Henry Parker in 15 episodes between 1999 and 2000). His breakout role as the lover of a transgendered rock star in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 2001 led to supporting roles in Bully and in mainstream Hollywood fare such as Murder by Numbers and The Village, as well as the lead in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers. His role in The Dreamers was notable in that he had several full frontal nude scenes.

He next appeared in Asia Argento's The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, and headlined Gus Van Sant's Last Days, playing a rock-star character based on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. He performed all of the songs, which closely resembled Cobain's guitar and singing styles. On set, he met Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, who had been hired by Van Sant to serve as the film's music consultant. The pair formed a close bond, with Moore writing, "[Gus] wanted me to hang out with Michael and talk about his character, and let him be in character. We ended up spending a lot of time together. My daughter Coco still relates to Michael as Blake from Last Days."[1]

In 2007, he starred opposite Keira Knightley in Silk, adapted from the novel by Alessandro Baricco. He played the lead role of Hervé Joncour, a French silkworm smuggler who falls in love with a baron's concubine while in Japan. The same year, he starred in the romantic comedy Delirious as a young homeless man who befriends celeb photographer Steve Buscemi and falls in love with a pop singer (Alison Lohman). The movie appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. His more recent films include Funny Games, Michael Haneke's remake of his own 1997 film, alongside Tim Roth and Naomi Watts; and Oliver Stone's Pinkville, opposite Bruce Willis.

Pitt sings and plays guitar in his band Pagoda, whose self-titled debut album has been released by Universal/Fontana/Ecstatic Peace. With the Twins of Evil, he performed "Hey Joe," which can be heard in The Dreamers.

[edit] Filmography

Year Film Role
2008 Pericle il Nero Frank White
Funny Games Paul
2007 Silk Hervé Joncour
2006 Delirious Toby Grace
The Hawk Is Dying Fred
2005 Last Days Blake
2004 The Village Finton Coin
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things Buddy
Jailbait Randy
2003 Wonderland Gopher (scenes deleted)
Rhinoceros Eyes Chep
The Dreamers Matthew
2002 Murder by Numbers Justin Pendleton
2001 Bully Donny Semenec
The Yellow Bird Stuff
Hedwig and the Angry Inch Tommy Gnosis
2000 Finding Forrester John Coleridge
1999 Even Housewives in Minnesota Have Those Daydreams Petey
1998 Hi-Life Boy Teen
54 Dance Student (uncredited)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Interview at UKULA by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.

[edit] External links

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Persondata
NAME Pitt, Michael
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION
DATE OF BIRTH 1981-04-10
PLACE OF BIRTH West Orange, New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH