Brad Pitt had some kind words of encouragement for a suicidal fan during a question-and-answer session to promote his sports drama Moneyball on Sunday (27Nov11) after the unnamed journalist revealed the inspiring film had helped him deal with a very difficult time in his life.
Ever-the-professional, the movie star responded to the choked-up reporter from the stage at the Sony Studios event in Culver City, California after he recalled "contemplating suicide" in his car last year (10).
The movie star didn't dwell on the man's story, but agreed inspiration was "a big part of this film," adding stories like Moneyball "don't come along very often."
He added the philosophical note about the film, related to the fan's story: "You can be down, but then you come back up again, and every failure can lead to success."
Following the Q&A session, staged to mark the international launch of the film in which Pitt portrays real-life former Oakland A's manager Billy Beane, the actor took a moment to shake the reporter's hand as he left the auditorium.
A guest at the event tells WENN, "It was a strange but touching moment that rarely happens at a screening session for members of the media. Brad dealt with an awkward situation perfectly."
Pitt was joined by Moneyball co-star Jonah Hill at the screening.