- Michael Pitt
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This article is about the American actor. For the British civil servant, see Michael Pitt (civil servant).
Michael Pitt
Pitt in 2011 at the Critics Choice Awards.Born Michael Carmen Pitt
April 10, 1981
West Orange, New Jersey, U.S.Occupation Actor
MusicianYears active 1998–present Michael Carmen Pitt (born April 10, 1981) is an American actor and musician. Pitt is best known in film for his role in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers, and in television for his portrayal of James "Jimmy" Darmody in the hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire.
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Personal life
Pitt was born in West Orange, New Jersey, the youngest of four children. At age ten, he announced to his parents that he wished to become an actor. He moved to New York City when he was 16 years old, where he took a job as a bike messenger.
Career
In 1999, Pitt made his off-Broadway debut in the play The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek at the New York Theatre Workshop. A casting agent, whom Pitt mistook as a police officer attempting to arrest him, noticed him and recommended him for a guest role on the television series Dawson's Creek (he played Henry Parker in 15 episodes between 1999 and 2000). His breakout role as the lover of a transgendered rock star in Hedwig and the Angry Inch in 2001 led to supporting roles in Bully and in mainstream Hollywood fare such as Murder by Numbers and The Village, as well as the lead in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers.
He next appeared in Asia Argento's The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, and headlined Gus Van Sant's Last Days, playing a rock star based on Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. He performed all of the songs, which closely resembled Cobain's guitar and singing styles. On set, he met Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, who had been hired by Van Sant to serve as the film's music consultant. The pair formed a close bond, with Moore writing, "[Gus] wanted me to hang out with Michael and talk about his character, and let him be in character. We ended up spending a lot of time together. My daughter Coco still relates to Michael as Blake from Last Days."[1]
In 2007, he starred opposite Keira Knightley in Silk, adapted from the novel by Alessandro Baricco. He played the lead role of Hervé Joncour, a French silkworm smuggler who falls in love with a baron's concubine while in Japan. The same year, he starred in the romantic comedy Delirious as a young homeless man who befriends a celebrity photographer played by Steve Buscemi and falls in love with a pop singer (Alison Lohman). The movie appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. His more recent films include Funny Games, Michael Haneke's remake of his own 1997 film, alongside Tim Roth and Naomi Watts. Pitt also stars in the crime drama Pericle il Nero, released in 2009.[2]
Pitt sings and plays guitar in his band Pagoda, whose self-titled debut album has been released by Universal/Fontana/Ecstatic Peace. With the Twins of Evil, he performed "Hey Joe," which can be heard in The Dreamers.
He co-stars in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire with his Delirious co-star Steve Buscemi, about the rise of Atlantic City during the Prohibition era.
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes 1998 Hi-Life Boy Teen 1998 54 Dance Student (uncredited) 1999 Even Housewives in Minnesota Have Those Daydreams Petey 2000 Finding Forrester John Coleridge 2001 Bully Donny Semenec 2001 The Yellow Bird Stuff 2001 Hedwig and the Angry Inch Tommy Gnosis 2002 Murder by Numbers Justin Pendleton 2003 Wonderland Gopher (scenes deleted) 2003 Rhinoceros Eyes Chep 2003 Law and Order: SVU Harry Baker episode 3.13 "Prodigy" 2003 The Dreamers Matthew 2004 The Village Finton Coin 2004 The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things Buddy 2004 Jailbait Randy 2005 Last Days Blake 2006 Delirious Toby Grace 2006 The Hawk Is Dying Fred 2007 Silk Hervé Joncour 2008 T Takes The Guest in Room 113 Web series 2008 Pericle il Nero Frank White 2008 Funny Games Paul (aka, Jerry and Butthead) 2010-present Boardwalk Empire James 'Jimmy' Darmody Award Winning Drama Series 2011 Pinkville Lt. William Calley (pre-production) References
External links
Categories:- 1981 births
- Actors from New Jersey
- Actors from New York
- American film actors
- Living people
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- People from New York City
- People from West Orange, New Jersey
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