AUSTIN – Brad Pitt can thank a hard negotiator of a hairstylist for getting him into a hairy situation.
The actor has a role in “The Lost City” in which Sandra Bullock, as author of romantic novels Loretta Sage, and Channing Tatum, as Alan her cover model, face-off against the villainous Fairfax (played by Daniel Radcliffe) who’s desperate to locate a treasure.
Pitt’s character helps free Loretta, as seen in the trailer, as she takes note of his good looks. “Why are you so handsome?” she asks. “My dad was a weatherman,” replies Pitt, who sports long locks for the film.
“She’s a hard negotiator,” Bullock says of Janine Thompson, the actress’ hair stylist for the film, at its premiere Saturday night during Austin’s SXSW festival. Thompson also worked on “Bullet Train” with Pitt and convinced Bullock to take a role in that feature.
Thompson “basically told each one of us that we had to do it,” Bullock explains. “If she messes up your hair, your entire career’s ruined. So you basically do what the hairdresser says.”
When asked what Pitt brings to his role, Bullock, a producer on the film, jokes: “Not much. Not really much. I mean what does he bring to any film he does?”
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Kidding aside, she appreciates her fellow Oscar winner’s commitment to the project.
“The thing about Brad is he was supposed to be there for three days,” she says. “He’d just finished shooting. He was dead tired. He bulked up for the role to do a three-day role. I had to ask him for a fourth day for free. He did it.
“You just realize he’s a movie star and a great actor for a reason: Because he works really, really hard,” she adds. “He brought a work ethic that was pretty astounding.”
Bullock says conditions were less than ideal. “We had monsoon rains. It was hot. We were in the jungle,” she says. “He brought his professionalism, and he is Brad Pitt because he’s just freaking awesome.”
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