Have Steven Spielberg and Brad Pitt ever worked together?

Steven Spielberg and Brad Pitt. There’s actually a lot the two men have in common. Not only are they a pair of the most famous names on the planet, they’re also among the most celebrated creatives working in Hollywood today, and have been for multiple decades now. Oh, and they also share a birthday.

As of Dec. 18, 2023, Pitt is 60 years old while Spielberg is 17 years his senior at 77. Both are just as busy as ever, even if the Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood star’s private life is more discussed than his acting lately, but the fact that the pair share the same special day brings a curious question to mind: Hold on, have Spielberg and Pitt ever actually worked together?

Steven Spielberg and Brad Pitt’s career connections, explained

From Fight Club to Se7en to Ocean’s Eleven, Pitt has more iconic movies under his belt than most actors can dream of. Likewise, across his 34 feature films to date, Spielberg has worked with many of Tinseltown’s most legendary leading men. Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise… the list goes on and on. And yet it is the case that Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg have never worked together.

Naturally, with the kind of careers these two have, there have been a couple of close calls, where the star and the starmaker became linked to each other. Spielberg was once attached to direct The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for instance, which was ultimately helmed by David Fincher. However, it should be noted that Spielberg actually wanted — surprise surprise — old pal Cruise for the role. It was Pitt’s frequent collaborator Fincher who brought Brad aboard.

What’s more, back in the late 1990s, GQ announced that Spielberg was teaming up with Pitt for a movie that would be about God coming to Earth. Elisabeth Shue was to play his love interest, with Tom Hanks as his mortal enemy, probably the devil. If you’re wondering how you missed this, don’t worry, it was just a big ol’ prank. Although we kind of wish it had happened. It would make for an interesting double bill with Meet Joe Black…

Despite never working together, though, Spielberg and Pitt are at least friendly acquaintances. In 2002, Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw were photographed (see above) attending a Lakers game with Pitt and actress Catherine Keener. The next time they were snapped together came 10 years later, when Pitt and Spielberg were both invited to a PGA nominees breakfast in 2012.

There’s still plenty of time for Hollywood to fix this bizarre oversight, but even if this perfect union of actor and director never happens, at least they’ll always be birthday brothers.