Movie goers were shocked and ecstatic when Brad Pitt unexpectedly made an appearance at a preview screening of the F1 movie in Austin. Before the film began at the Bob Bullock’s IMAX theater, host Madeline Hollern of Austin Monthly kicked off the evening event. After a few house keeping announcements, she asked the crowd how much they love Brad Pitt before exclaiming that he was actually in the house!
The A-list star bounced down the steps as the crowd screamed and swooned. He then took part in a Q&A, posed for photo and even launched t‑shirts into the crowd using a cannon (something he noted that he has never done before).
Here’s Everything Brad Pitt Said During His F1 Surprise Appearance in Austin
As mentioned, the actor took part in a Q&A with Hollern before the screening began. Rather than highlight brief moments of their discussion, we’ve transcribed the entire chat below. Enjoy!
Pitt: “Thanks for being here, this is so cool. And thanks for that, sorry about the forced intro but, you know, I’ll take it.”
Hollern: “Look, we all like a forced love intro. Ladies and gentleman, Brad Pitt is in the house.”
Pitt: “Thank you all. We’re really excited to share this movie with you now. It’s three years in the making. Our director Joseph Kosinski, coming off Top Gun (Maverick), I think he thought what am I gonna do next? I know, F1! And so we embarked on this journey, which actually started here in Austin at the COTA track. We’re really excited. We’re really pleased with the movie. It’s fun, you’ll see. It’s got adrenalin and Damson (Idris) and I got to drive so we had the time of our lives.”
Reflecting on Spending Time at Circuit of the Americas
Hollern: “Welcome back to Austin, Texas, I should say. So yes, you went to Circuit Of The Americas. Can you tell us about your favorite memories there?”
Pitt: “It’s an adventure. It’s one of the drivers’ favorite tracks, first of all. And we came out in 2022 at the race here and it was kind of our first entry into sitting down with all the teams and all the drivers. Letting them know what we wanted to do, that we had this crazy idea. We’re going to put actors in cars on real tracks, embed ourselves into the racing season. So, you’ll see all your favorite drivers, for those that are fans here. They’re all in the movie. Team Principals, everything, It’s really good fun… something I don’t think has been done before.”
Working With Lewis Hamilton
Hollern: “Lewis Hamilton is a producer on this movie, correct? Did he give you any advice on driving?”
Pitt: “Yeah, don’t cock up. But he’s such a gentleman and he’s so kind and so giving. And he was nothing but, you know, pretty gracious with us. But it was really smart, I think, of Joe to do this. He first knew we needed an ambassador from the sport so how ’bout seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton? Who gladly came on, he’s a big part of our script. We sat down with him over and over again. He’s a big part of even putting the film together. He was our intro in the the F1 world. We couldn’t have done it without him really.”
Hollern: “Tell us about actually driving on the track with other drivers. Were you excited? Were you terrified, were you like what the hell am I doing? All of the above?”
Pitt: “Yes, yes, yes. And yes. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. To experience down force at these kinds of speeds, what these cars can do is startling.”
Where To Go For Barbecue
Hollern: “Well, you’re in Austin, Texas, one of the greatest cities in the world… people come here for barbecue, right? Where are you going?”
Pitt: “I had a pulled pork sandwich today at the track, BUT… my niece lives here and she said Slab BBQ.”
Hollern: “What an endorsement. We love to see it.”
After engaging with the crowd regarding barbecue, Pitt closed out the Q&A by saying, “I need to say, I love Austin.” He and Hollern then shot t-shirts into the audience before Pitt made his escape and the film began.
You can read my full review of the F1 movie here. You can also see a variety of videos from the evening with Brad Pitt on our Instagram and TikTok.
Thanks to Warner Brothers and Fons PR for a truly exhilarating evening.
Featured image by Jagan Cortez for Fons PR.
