Worst To Best: Brad Pitt
From the pits to perfect
No Way Out (1987)
The Film: Kevin Costner stars as Tom Farrell, who attempts to track down the person responsible for killing his lover, Susan Atwell (Sean Young).
Rad Brad: In an uncredited role, Pitt plays ‘Airport Cop’. Well, you’ve got to start somewhere, haven’t you?
Less Than Zero (1987)
The Film: Pitt teams up with ‘80s Brat Pack Robert Downey Jr and Andrew McCarthy for this crime drama about a guy who comes home from college only to find his friend’s got a nasty drug habit.
Rad Brad: Alright, ‘teams up’ might be a bit of a stretch – Pitt appears briefly dancing in a vest and shades. He looks awesome, mind (and was paid just $38 for his appearance).
Happy Together (1989)
The Film: College comedy based on the musical Cabaret. Struggling writer Christopher (Patrick Demsey) moves in with party animal Alex (Helen Slater) on campus thanks to a computer glitch.
Rad Brad: Though he only makes a tiny appearance as Brian, there’s no doubting Pitt’s cool creds – just check out those shades.
Cutting Class (1989)
The Film: Way before Scream made it cool to be a serial killer in high school, Brad Pitt starred in this crime thriller, in which a murderer stalks the halls of an American school. It’s been described as “good campy fun”.
Rad Brad: With his puppy eyes and floppy hair, Pitt’s playing a bad boy – but the prettiest bad boy you’ll ever lay eyes on.
Cool World (1992)
The Film: Capitalising on the popularity of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? , this animated comedy sees Jack Deebs’ (Gabriel Byrne) cartoon world come to life. There, a seductively-drawn vamp attempts to seduce him.
Rad Brad: With his own firearm and a killer suit, Brad takes it all with a pinch of salt, fully knowing he’s in a one-joke movie.
The Dark Side Of The Sun (1988)
The Film: American-Yugoslavian co-production, with Brad Pitt playing Rick, who’s searching for a cure for his rare skin disease, which means he’s unable to handle sunlight.
Rad Brad: Pitt makes the most of a character who’s given about as much depth as a pancake, sharing some decent chemistry with his leading lady.
The Favour (1994)
The Film: Romantic comedy that follows the love lives of Kathy (Harley Jane Kozak) and Emily (Elizabeth McGovern). The latter is dating Elliot (Pitt), but when she falls pregnant, she’s unsure if the baby’s his or not.
Rad Brad: Donning specs and a jacket, Pitt is likeable and sensitive, often the butt of everybody’s jokes – but he takes it on the chin.
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Across The Tracks (1991)
The Film: Two brothers, Billy (Ricky Schroder) and Joe (Pitt), go head to head when they join the same track team and find themselves in a heated competition. Pitt served as a producer.
Rad Brad: Sharing rough-and-tumble chemistry with Schroder, Pitt’s on affable form – and proves he’s not bad in a pair of trainers, either.
Johnny Suede (1991)
The Film: Writer-director Tom DiCillo’s debut, with Pitt playing Johnny Suede, a wannabe rock star who idolises Ricky Nelson.
Rad Brad: It’s all about the ‘do in this ‘90s curio, with Pitt donning a giant pompadour and moon-gazing like only a dreamer can. Iconic to the max.
A Stoning In Fulham County (1988)
The Film: TV drama directed by Larry Elikann. When an Amish child is killed, it causes an uproar in a rural community, where religion and the law come to loggerheads.
Rad Brad: Another small role at the dawn of Pitt’s career, this one at least gives him a pivotal role to play.
Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.