Oscar nominated Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has admitted he made the decision to give up smoking marijuana after fearing he had become a "doughnut". The Moneyball star - who is set to go head to head with George Clooney at the Academy Awards - revealed that his fame in the late 1990s led to a brief bout of depression.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Pitt, 48, explained, "I got really sick of myself at the end of the 1990s.I was hiding out from the celebrity thing, I was smoking way too much dope, I was sitting on the couch and just turning into a doughnut and I really got irritated with myself". The Hollywood Reporter's executive features editor Stephen Galloway revealed further snippets of his interview with Pitt, explaining, "'He said it's like he had a semester of depression.He hasn't had that in this decade, but he definitely wrestled with it in the past". In her new book The Obamas, the New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor described Pitt as being "awkward" during a meeting with President Obama - something the actor doesn't disagree with, saying, "I probably was - you don't want to impose on a busy man". Brad says he was glued to the recent Republican nominations, of which Mitt Romney looks like to emerge as victor, saying, "I'm an Obama supporter, no question.But it doesn't mean there's nothing to learn from the other side".
Pitt and Clooney also face competition from Gary Oldman, Demian Bichir and 'The Artist' star Jean Dujardin at the Oscars on February 26, 2012. On his chances of winning, Pitt said he'd rather Clooney take the award, saying, "He does so much behind and in front of the camera, I should give him all the trophies".