In this media saturated age, everyone in the world seems to know every tiny detail about
Brad Pitt's personal life.
Which makes it even more amazing that his brother, Doug Pitt, has managed to keep such
a low profile.
Well, we're about to change that.
Here's why we never hear from Brad Pitt's brother.
The quiet life
Doug, who is a couple years younger than Brad, still lives in the state of Missouri, where
he was born.
He resides there with his wife, Lisa, and their three children: son Landon and daughters
Sydney and Reagan.
A friend told the media that Doug is "not a real outgoing guy" who might be "seen as
distant, disinterested, stand-offish" to those who don't know him, but who has a really strong
moral compass and will take action when duty calls.
Busy with charity
Doug ran his own technology company for more than two decades before selling it to pursue
his philanthropic interests, such as working as the first Goodwill Ambassador to the United
Republic of Tanzania, an appointment he was given in 2010 by President Jakaya Kikwete
after years of working with the nation to provide local citizens clean water access.
And that's just the start.
In 2008, Doug founded the organization Care to Learn to help Missouri's students in need
receive tools and supplies to help them thrive, while in 2012, Doug was featured on TEDx Talks
to discuss his decades of relief work in Africa through World Serve International and Africa
6000 International.
“In the charitable nonprofit space, we’ve got to know the people we’re serving.
Culturally, what works, what doesn’t work.”
One reason Doug is so hands on with his charity work is that he's seen first hand the impact
it can have.
"I know the difference a well makes the second you dig it.
Overnight, families are transformed."
He tried acting once
In 2012, Doug was hired by Virgin Mobile Australia to star in a cheeky commercial series as the
"second most famous Pitt in his family."
“What do I like about this car?
Look at it.
It’s sporty, it’s stylish, it’s me.”
Before doing the ads, Doug sought Brad's blessing, and the work also gave him new respect for
the work his brother does.
“I was like props, man, this thing’s hard, you know?
It’s the truth, you know.
They say action and all of a sudden everyone’s staring at you, it’s like, ‘Uhhh, I don’t
do this.’
You gotta remember your lines, and oh yeah: be funny.”
Doesn't talk about his big bro
Whereas a lot of celebrity siblings might be tempted to spill some juicy tidbits about
their famous family member for the sake of money or their own shot at 15 minutes of fame,
Doug is not a fan of talking with the media, or the people he encounters every day, about
his famous brother's personal life.
“Your eyes kinda glaze over, you know it’s coming.
I appreciate the interest.
I understand why people want to ask about him, but they...you know, I’ve answered
the same question for 25 years.”
“Oh I bet you have.”
“You know and so you do go a little bit on autopilot, and you’re happy to...you
know, again, I appreciate the interest.”
That goes double for the constant barrage of questions Doug was bombarded with following
Brad's split with Angelina Jolie in 2016.
Doug told the Springfield News-Leader, "I've been hanging up on reporters all morning…I'm
sorry.
I'm just not feeling this.
I don't know if it's even still relevant tomorrow, but let me sleep on it.
Right now, I'm going to hang out on the sidelines."
Staying local
While Doug may not be a national celebrity, he's well known locally in Missouri, regularly
speaking with his hometown media about his various charitable efforts.
But he doesn't often seek out a national audience, for obvious reasons.
Case in point: when he spoke to Entertainment Tonight in 2012 about his humanitarian efforts
abroad, the focus shifted quickly to the seemingly more important matter of the then-impending
Brangelina wedding.
Paparazzi stalked his family
One reason Doug tries to stay out of the spotlight is to protect his family, especially after
an incident where he received a phone call from his daughter that a strange man was going
through their mail.
Doug rushed home to find a photographer stalking his family, and responded by punching the
guy in the face.
He told News Leader, "At that time I had nothing on my brain but my daughter.
There are some things in the heat of the moment when you don't think things through as best
you can … What the paparazzi have to realize is that Brad has to play by the rules, but
I don't.
I am not worried about bad press or good press.
I am worried about protecting my family."
These days he has a different method for dealing with paparazzi, telling St. Louis Magazine,
"I was 'no comment' for years [but] now, when I get calls from the paparazzi, I make up
my own stories just to see if they'll get into print, and I've started taking photographs
of them, and they don't like it.
I just started that recently.
Doing things more on my terms."
No sibling rivalry
Although people know Brad Pitt's name across the globe, and he makes millions of dollars
for what he does, Doug Pitt told News Leader that he's not in a competition with his brother.
"It's just that Brad makes a living as an actor.
That's all it is.
Brad casts a very big shadow.
I made some decisions early on to just do what I do on my terms.
I'm not sure you can even compete with where he is at.
I am thrilled that I have had success in the business realm, the family realm and the humanitarian
realm."
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