UPDATED with video: Over the past few months on the awards circuit, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’s Brad Pitt has been an MVP in more ways than one, routinely figuring in with one of the most memorable acceptance speeches of the night.
Pitt’s speeches have been so polished that they’ve led some to wonder whether the actor hired a speechwriter to work with him throughout the season. But backstage at the Oscars tonight, Pitt willingly shed some light on the matter. “Historically, I’ve always been really tentative about speeches. They make me nervous, so this round I figured if we’re going to do this, [I’d better] put some real work into it, to try to get comfortable, and this is the result of that,” the Oscar winner said. “I definitely write them. I have some very, very funny friends that have helped me with some laughs, but it’s got to come from the heart.”
Before picking up his first acting Oscar tonight for his supporting turn in Quentin Tarantino’s latest, Pitt had long been the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor.
Besting the likes of Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes), Al Pacino (The Irishman) and Joe Pesci (The Irishman), the esteemed thesp has cleaned up this season with wins at the Golden Globes, the BAFTA Awards, the Critics’ Choice Awards and beyond.
For a look at Pitt’s backstage comments, click on the video below.
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