Hollywood star Brad Pitt was born to William Alvin Pitt and Jane Etta (née Hillhouse), a couple who kept a relatively low profile despite their son’s fame.
Sadly, the actor’s mom, Jane Etta — a former school counselor — has passed away at the age of 84. The news was shared by Brad’s niece, Sydney Pitt, who posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram on Wednesday alongside a series of photos of her grandmother.
“My sweet Grammy, Jane Etta, we were not ready for you to go yet, but knowing you are finally free to sing, dance, and paint again makes it a tad easier,” Sydney wrote.
She continued, “If you knew Grammy, you knew she had the biggest heart. She cared deeply for everyone and everything, no questions asked.”
Reflecting on her energy and presence within the family, Sydney added, “She could keep up with all 14 of us grandkids without missing a beat. There was no limit to the love she gave, and everyone who met her felt it.”
She ended the tribute by writing, “We were truly blessed to have her to love on growing up, and I know she lives on through each of us.”
View this post on Instagram
So, who exactly were Brad Pitt’s parents, Jane Etta and William Pitt? Is his father still alive today?
Jane and William Got Married in 1962 and Raised Their Family in Missouri
William Alvin Pitt and Jane Etta Hillhouse first met while they were both attending Oklahoma Baptist University. The two married in 1962, and their first child, Brad, was born a year later on December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Not long after, the family moved — first to Tulsa, and eventually to Springfield, Missouri, where Brad grew up with his younger siblings, Doug and Julie.
In a 2017 interview with GQ, the Fight Club star described the area as a quiet and beautiful part of the country: “Ten minutes outside of town, you start getting into forests and rivers and the Ozark mountains, stunning country.”
He attended Kickapoo High School, where he played golf, swam, and was part of the tennis team. Later, he enrolled at the University of Missouri, but left just before graduating to head for Los Angeles.
His parents, however, continued to live in Springfield.
They Raised Their Kids in a Strict Christian Home
William Alvin and Jane Etta raised their children in a conservative Southern Baptist environment where religion shaped much of everyday life. Both were devoted evangelical Christians, and Brad grew up attending church regularly. As a child, he even sang in the choir.
Over time, though, his beliefs began to shift. He’s spoken openly about moving away from the beliefs he was raised with, saying he bounced between agnosticism and atheism before eventually reconnecting with a broader sense of spirituality.
Film played a big role in his early life. It gave him a window into other kinds of families, cultures, and ways of living that were far removed from what he knew
“Saturday Night Fever was a big influence on me,” he told The Sydney Morning Herald in 2008. “I snuck in to see it when I was underage. It wasn’t the dancing and the music I’m referring to — it was this culture of families who argued at the dinner table and popped each other in the face. It was this whole other way of people relating to each other that I found really interesting.”
Who Is Brad Pitt’s Father, William? And Is He Still Alive?
Brad’s full name, William Bradley Pitt, is a tribute to his father, William Alvin Pitt, who worked in the trucking industry and ran his own company.
In a 2011 interview with Parade, Brad shared how much he respected his dad’s work ethic. One moment stuck with him from a childhood tennis tournament, when he was having a tough time.
He said, “[My dad] got right up to me and said, ‘Are you having fun?’ I said, ‘No.’ And he said, ‘Then don’t do it.’”
The Academy Award-winning actor further described his pop as someone who worked hard all week, then still made time for his kids.
“My dad worked five and a half, six days a week, and then he would take us fishing,” he added. “He’d do that all weekend, then start work again.”
Now that Brad’s a parent himself, he said he understands what that took: “I have immense appreciation for that now… knowing what you have to do to carve out time for your kids. I know how taxing that was on him.”
As of now, his dad, William, is still alive and continues to live in Missouri.
William and Jane Had Two More Kids
Along with their oldest son, Brad, William and Jane Pitt had two more children: Doug and Julie.
Doug Pitt was born in 1966. He’s a businessman and philanthropist, currently serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Republic of Tanzania. He also founded Care to Learn, a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on health, hunger, and hygiene needs for children.
Like Brad, Doug graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield and later earned his degree from Southwest Missouri State University.
Their daughter, Julie Pitt Neal, was born in 1969. She’s involved in humanitarian work as well and serves as a water ambassador for WorldServe International, an organization focused on clean water access, where Doug also sits on the board.
They Had 14 Grandchildren
Between their three children, William and his late wife, Jane, became grandparents to 14 kids.
Brad and his former wife, Angelina Jolie, share six children: Maddox Chivan, Zahara Marley, Shiloh Nouvel, Pax Thien, and twins Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline.
Doug and his wife Lisa have three children — Landon, Sydney, and Reagan.
Julie, the youngest of the Pitt siblings, has five children of her own, bringing the total to 14 grandchildren in the Pitt family.
