Phoebe Tonks
For over 30 years, Brad Pitt has delighted the masses with his presence on screen and earned the title of 'Hollywood heartthrob', but it may surprise you to know that his favorite actor isn't who you might expect.
During his time on our screens, Pitt has rubbed shoulders with some of the most in demand and beautiful people to ever grace the silver screen, yet even despite this he argues the 'greatest actors' aren't always 'what you would call beautiful sex symbols'.
Although he has shared the screen with cinematic pin ups like Angelina Jolie, Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney to name but a few, Pitt has always been a big supporter of looking beyond first impressions.
Lifting the lid on his thoughts, Pitt told Tiger Beat magazine back in 1996, that there are actually 'very few men' he 'look[s] up to' when it comes to his favorite actors in the industry.
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He continued: "That’s why I appreciate the older films because they show a man standing up for his principles.
"Like [Robert] Redford. He portrayed the kind of man men wanted to be, and the kind of man women wanted men to be.”
Redford was once a titan of the independent film scene, having pioneered and founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1981, while also starring in his own raft of A-list loaded films, such as Out of Africa, The Horse Whisperer and even a supporting role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He passed away peacefully in his sleep in September 2025, aged 89.
As well as professing his admiration for strong principled stars, Pitt also revealed he believes that the greatest stars aren’t always people that would be referred to as ‘sex symbols’.
Pitt explained: "When you see a person, do you just concentrate on their looks? It’s just a first impression.
"Then there’s someone who doesn’t catch your eye immediately, but you talk to them, and they become the most beautiful thing in the world."
Pitt added: “I’ll tell you who my favorite actress is: Dianne Wiest. And you wouldn’t call her a sex symbol. Dianne Wiest is, to me, the most beautiful woman on the screen.”
The 77-year-old actor's most notable roles include Edward Scissorhands and Footloose. More recently she appeared in 2020's I Care a Lot and stars in Paramount+ crime thriller Mayor of Kingstown.
After studying theatre at the University of Maryland, Wiest made her Broadway debut in 1971 with Robert Anderson's Solitaire/Double Solitaire.
She went on to forge an incredibly successful career on stage, before also making it big in film.
She notably starred in Woody Allen flicks Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway, both of which earned her an Academy Award.
Dianne also starred in 80s vampire flick The Lost Boys.
Wiest's acting career has so far seen her receive four Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in Road to Avonlea and In Treatment, alongside two nominations.
She's received a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Award awards.