Brad Pitt with his brother Doug Pitt at the “Ocean’s Twelve” film premiere in Los Angeles, California on December 8, 2004.Photo:Alex Berliner/BEI/Shutterstock
Alex Berliner/BEI/Shutterstock
Brad Pittgrew up with two siblings, brother Doug Pitt and sister Julie Neal.
TheAcademy-Award-winning actorand his younger siblings were born to William Pitt, a former owner of a trucking company, and Jane Pitt, a retired school counselor. Brad was born first in 1963, when the family still lived in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Doug has occasionally spoken about his brother in interviews and even parodied what it’s like being Brad’s brother in a commercial, while Julie has remained mostly out of the spotlight.
While Brad’s star was rising, Doug built a career as an entrepreneur, and Julie grew her family. Despite their different life experiences, one thing the Pitt siblings all share is their love of giving back. Their mother, Jane, has expressed admiration for her kids' philanthropic efforts.
“I’m very proud of all my children. They see a need and try to step in, and [they] fill it,” Jane said toWorldServe Internationalin 2018. “Whether it’s a disaster in New Orleans [which Brad helped with], or all the things in Tanzania that Doug will do, or Julie’s wonderful, wonderful work in Ethiopia. It’s an amazing thing.”
Here is everything to know about Brad Pitt’s siblings — Doug Pitt and Julie Neal — and their relationship with the actor.
They grew up in Springfield, Missouri
Brad Pitt poses for a portrait circa 1988 in Los Angeles, California.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
After growing up in Springfield, Missouri, Brad went to the local Missouri University but dropped out just a few credits shy of obtaining his journalism degree to move to Hollywood and become an actor. Over the years, though, Brad has reminisced about his hometown.
Brad isn’t the only Pitt who gets nostalgic about their time growing up. In 2017,Murney Associates, a realtor group in Missouri, interviewed Doug inside the Pitt childhood home where he, Brad and Julie were raised.
During the conversation, Doug shared that his brother came home with a small tree in the fifth grade, and their dad planted it in the backyard, where it stands tall today.
Doug also revealed why he chose to stay in the area. “The greatest compliment I can give it [the town] is that I chose to raise my kids here. I had the luxury of being able to do that anywhere in the world, and I chose Springfield,” he said. “I’m very fortunate to have all my family here, except my brother … all [my wife’s] family are here … I’m sentimental to it.”
Brad and his siblings are involved in philanthropy
Brad Pitt’s brother Doug Pitt on the ‘Today’ show.Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal/Getty
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal/Getty
Like their famous brother, Brad and Jane are also dedicated to giving back.
Doug foundedCare to Learnin 2008 to meet the health, hunger and hygiene needs of students in the Missouri area. “Helping people is fun, and I get a lot of enjoyment out of it,” he said onThe Mystery Showin 2015.
All three siblings are also passionate about the importance of clean water. Doug was named the Goodwill Ambassador of Tanzania in 2010, having been involved in many projects to increase access to clean water in the country, while Julie is a water ambassador forWorldServe International, where Doug is on the board.
Brad and his siblings also teamed up in 2009 to donate $1 million to a Missouri hospital to open a new wing named after their mother. The facility is called the Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center and was created to hire the first pediatric oncologist and hematologist in the southwest Missouri region, according toCBS.
Doug has starred in commercials
Brad Pitt’s brother Doug Pitt in a 2012 Virgin Mobile commercial.Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile
Doug may be best known amongst Brad’s fans for his commercials poking fun at the realities of being the brother of a megastar.
One of these ads, for Virgin Mobile in 2012, joked that Doug was “the second-most famous Pitt” who lived an ordinary life. Before committing to the project, he consulted with his older brother.
“He’s been in [acting] 25 years, and I’ve never stepped in [front of the camera]. You know, that was his gig, and I chose a different path,” Doug said onNova FM.
He continued, “When this came along, we kind of talked for about a month. When I finally thought, ‘Okay, I think we’re going to do this,’ I did call him and … [Brad was] like, ‘Hey, sounds fun. Go do it.' ”
In 2019, Dougstarred in another commercialtitled “6ix” for Mother’s Brewing Company, based in Missouri, which recreated the end of the crime thriller filmSe7en, one of Brad’s famous early roles.
Doug owns a computer company
Brad Pitt’s brother Doug Pitt walks the red carpet at the 2014 Starkey Hearing Foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota on July 20, 2014.Adam Bettcher/Getty
Adam Bettcher/Getty
As Brad’s acting career began taking off, Doug took a different path and started his own computer company, ServiceWorld Computer Center, in 1991.
According toits website, the award-winning business merged with St. Charles-based information technology firm TSI in 2013 before Doug reacquired operations to launch Pitt Technology Group in 2017.
Doug also started the real estate business Pitt Development Group in 2014, focusing on developing medical offices. Brad’s younger brother has discussed how important his business experience and philanthropic endeavors are to who he is.
“I’m a businessman first, although I probably get more recognition in the philanthropic space,” Doug said during a 2021 interview forA World On Purpose. “I’m wired as a business person, so everything I do, everything I touch, the way I try to lead, the things I choose to be involved in, there’s definitely going to be some business acumen in the process and how we do it.”
The Pitt siblings have a combined total of 14 children
Doug Pitt and his family attend the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s “So The World May Hear Awards Gala” on July 24, 2011 in St. Paul, Minnesota.Adam Bettcher/Getty
Brad and his ex-wifeAngelina Jolieare parents to six children: Maddox Chivan, Zahara Marley,Shiloh Nouvel, Pax Thien and twinsKnox LéonandVivienne Marcheline. For their part, Doug has three children, and Julie has five, bringing the family total to 14.
Julie has been married to her husband Rob for over 30 years as well, and they have five kids together. After welcoming their sonCalebandtwin daughtersJosie and Rylie, Julie and Rob adopted their sonsCadenandCruzfrom Ethiopia.
“Honestly, I lived in a bubble here in our town with my three older kids, and I really didn’t think about much beyond here, and God just called my family to adopt,” Julie said in an interview with WorldServe International. “We have the space, the love … all of our kids were on board."
Julie’s Instagram account features many posts of her, her children and their milestones. “These people are my world. My greatest title is ‘mom’ to these beautiful souls and daughter to one of the greatest humans ever! I thank God for blessing me with the best,” she wrote onInstagramin 2021.
source: people.com
