Brad Pitt has won 53 awards over his 30+ year career. His accolades include two Oscars, two BAFTAs, two SAG awards, two Golden Globes and an Emmy.
Having won so many, the A-list actor has given plenty of acceptance speeches in front of thousands in attendance and millions watching at home.
After accepting his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor at the 92nd Academy Awards for his performance as the professional stunt double Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Pitt made a striking admission backstage in the press room.
A reporter asked the star about a rumor suggesting he’d hired a speechwriter for that awards season. “Historically, I’ve always been really tentative about speeches,” Pitt responded. “They make me nervous.”
That being said, Pitt had a solution. “So this round I figured we’re going to put some real work into it—try to get comfortable, and this is a result of that,” he said. “No, I definitely write. I have some funny friends; I have some very, very funny friends that help me with some laughs, but, no, it’s got to come from the heart.”
Pitt also revealed that the 2020 awards season had been especially memorable because “for me, it was about getting cozy in front of a mass of people. I know this sounds antithetical given the profession I’ve chosen, but it’s not necessarily my thing.”
Brad Pitt is not the only movie star with Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. Like millions of others, plenty of actors become anxious —if not terrified— when faced with large crowds despite pursuing a career in the spotlight.
Here are three actors who’ve also expressed their trepidation with public speaking.
Harrison Ford
When the American Film Institute was honoring Harrison Ford with a Life Achievement Award in 2000, he struggled with his acceptance speech before the vast audience. The Los Angeles Times reported that he admitted, “The greatest fear in my life is public speaking.” The Star Wars actor went on to say giving speeches is “a mixed bag of terror and anxiety.”
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl revealed during a tribute to Shirley MacLaine at the American Film Institute how nervous she feels speaking in front of a crowd. But her deep admiration for her role-model MacLaine inspired Heigl to step up in front of the mic. “I’m kind of petrified of speaking in public,” she admitted. “I know it seems ridiculous. But when they first asked me [to speak] my first thought was fear, and my second thought was, ‘But it’s Shirley MacLaine!’”
Julia Roberts
In the film Larry Crowne, Pretty Woman actress Julia Roberts plays a college professor of public speaking.
However, when it was time to shoot the teaching scenes, Roberts confessed she felt petrified. “All these faces looking up at me, thinking, ‘What is she going to teach us?’ I needed to find my composure. It was very hard—it was terrible, in fact,” she said. The scenes reminded her of her personal struggles with stuttering as a child.
Glossophobia shouldn’t stop anyone, let alone actors, from achieving their career goals. Fortunately, practice, preparation, relaxation techniques and being genuine can help when facing a crowd.
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