Brad PItt says he was "stunned" to hear he'd won the Best Actor award for his performance in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” in the 64th Venice Film Festival.
The actor was told by phone that he'd won the award, as earlier this week he and partner Angelina Jolie had moved onto the Toronto International Film Festival, promoting the same film.
Speaking to reporters in Toronto, Brad recounted: "My first reaction was, ‘Huh?’.
“I was stunned. I did not expect it. It’s a great honour. I am honoured to be part of the list of actors who won this award. I’m still processing this.”
Brad said his win was especially meaningful as The Assassination... was a real labour of love for him: the movie, written and directed by Andrew Dominik, was plagued by production problems and delays and took three years to make. Pitt fans are now hoping the film will bring about the actor's very first Oscar nomination.
Casey Affleck, who plays Robert Ford in The Assassination..., said of his co-star’s victory, “It’s a well-deserved honour for Brad. [...] He gave another dimension to Jesse James.”
Director Dominik added: "I am thrilled for Brad. Directing him and this movie was like playing cowboys and Indians but on a more sophisticated level.”