Brad Pitt was in attendance at the Festival to receive the "Maltin Modern Master Award" from film critic and Festival moderator Leonard Maltin. Pitt has received praise and several accolades already this awards season for his role as stuntman "Cliff Booth" in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood from director Quentin Tarantino. The Maltin Award was the latest in a string of several that have required Pitt to deliver a speech onstage, and he once again did not disappoint in Santa Barbara.
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Pitt enjoying the recognition for long career
The actor kicked off the speech by acknowledging that lifetime achievement awards remind him that: "I'm old! I've been around a while." He followed this up with jokes that poke fun at his age and films, including Fight Club. Despite the jokes, Pitt's resounding message was one of gratitude. See this clip from the speech for yourself! (Or watch the full five-minute version here.)
Excerpt of Brad Pitt's "Maltin Modern Master Award" speech
Brad Pitt as "Cliff Booth" in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Pitt has earned much critical attention and awards season buzz for his portrayal of "Cliff Booth" in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. He has thus far claimed the Best Supporting Actor award at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Critics' Choice Awards. He's certainly considered to be a favourite for the Oscar as well!
Fans may hope that Pitt sweeps the remaining awards shows to hear what else he'll include for a speech! Tinder references and forgetting the "Rules of Fight Club" are already off the table. Time will tell what might come next.