Brad Pitt says he's 'going to abstain' from Oscar campaigning for 'Ad Astra'

Despite some lofty critical acclaim for his latest role, Brad Pitt won't be out on the Oscar campaign trail he has said.

Pitt plays career astronaut Roy McBride in James Gray's Ad Astra, a thoughtful space movie that balances action with the human condition.

But even though a Oscar nominations are likely in some form or other, the Fight Club star has some disappointing news for the movie's producers 20th Century Fox.

Read more: James Gray - ‘Oscars are a little silly’

Asked about studio campaigning – mostly made up of movie stars making themselves more visible to Oscar voters by multiplying interviews and appearing at events – he said he's not board.

He told Entertainment Weekly: “Oh, man. I’m gonna abstain,' he replied when asked about campaigning.

“I mean, you never know, and it’s really nice when your number comes up. But the goal is for the film to land, to speak to someone whether it’s now or a decade from now.

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“I find chasing it actually a disservice to the purity of your telling a story, and a shackling thing to focus on.”

As Astra director James Gray would seem to be on the same page. however.

He recently told Yahoo Movies UK: “I always feel like it’s a little silly. At the Olympics, I can tell who the fastest runner is, but a movie? Best?”

This means he also won't be stumping for his role in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood either, another role which could potentially see him earn an Oscar nomination.

Pitt has been nominated for an Oscar three times, one support actor nod for 12 Monkeys, and two for lead performances in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Moneyball, however, he missed out on all three.

He has won via the avenue of production, however, with The Departed and 12 Years A Slave, both made by his Plan B production company, winning Best Picture.