dimanche 5 juin 2016
Muhammad Ali
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"Cassius Clay" redirects here. For other uses, see Cassius Clay (disambiguation). For other people named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation). Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali NYWTS.jpg Ali in 1967 Statistics Nickname(s) The Greatest The People's Champion The Louisville Lip Rated at Heavyweight Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[1] Reach 78 in (198 cm) Nationality American Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. January 17, 1942 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Died June 3, 2016 (aged 74) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. Stance Orthodox Boxing record Total fights 61 Wins 56 Wins by KO 37 Losses 5 Draws 0 Website muhammadali.com Medal record [hide] Men's amateur boxing Representing the United States Summer Olympics Gold medal – first place 1960 Rome Light heavyweight Muhammad Ali (/ɑːˈliː/;[2] born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer. From early in his career, Ali was known as an inspiring, controversial and polarizing figure both inside and outside the boxing ring.[3][4] Clay was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and he began training when he was 12 years old. At 22, he won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in an upset in 1964. Shortly after that, Clay converted to Islam, changed his "slave" name to Ali, and gave a message of racial pride for African Americans and resistance to white domination.[5][6] In 1966, two years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali further antagonized the white establishment by refusing to be conscripted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War.[5] He was eventually arrested and found guilty of draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing titles, which he successfully appealed in the U.S. Supreme Court where, in 1971, his conviction was overturned. Due to this hiatus, he had not fought for nearly four years—losing a time of peak performance as an athlete. Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation.[7][8] Ali remains the only three-time lineal world heavyweight champion; he won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. Between February 25, 1964, and September 19, 1964, Ali reigned as the heavyweight boxing champion. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he was involved in several historic boxing matches.[9] Notable among these were the first Liston fight, three with rival Joe Frazier, and "The Rumble in the Jungle" with George Foreman, in which he regained titles he had been stripped of seven years earlier. Ali retired from boxing permanently in 1981. At a time when most fighters let their managers do the talking, Ali, inspired by professional wrestler "Gorgeous George" Wagner, thrived in—and indeed craved—the spotlight, where he was often provocative and outlandish.[10][11][12] Ancestry, early life, and amateur career Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky.[13] He had a sister and four brothers, including Nathaniel Clay.[14][15] He was named for his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr., who himself was named in honor of the 19th-century Republican politician and staunch abolitionist, Cassius Marcellus Clay, also from the state of Kentucky. Clay's paternal grandparents were John Clay and Sallie Anne Clay; Clay's sister Eva claimed that Sallie was a native of Madagascar.[16] He was a descendant of slaves of the antebellum South, and was predominantly of African descent, with Irish[17] and English heritage.[18][19][20] His father painted billboards and signs,[13] and his mother, Odessa O'Grady Clay, was a household domestic. Although Cassius Sr. was a Methodist, he allowed Odessa to bring up both Cassius and his younger brother Rudolph "Rudy" Clay (later renamed Rahman Ali) as Baptists.[21] He grew up in racial segregation. His mother recalled one occasion where he was denied a drink of water at a store. "They wouldn't give him one because of his color. That really affected him."[5] Ali at the 1960 Olympics He was first directed toward boxing by Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E. Martin,[22] who encountered the 12-year-old fuming over a thief taking his bicycle. He told the officer he was going to "whup" the thief. The officer told him he had better learn how to box first.[23] For the last four years of Clay's amateur career he was trained by boxing cutman Chuck Bodak.[24] Clay made his amateur boxing debut in 1954.[25] He won six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union national title, and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.[26] Clay's amateur record was 100 wins with five losses. Ali claimed in his 1975 autobiography that shortly after his return from the Rome Olympics he threw his gold medal into the Ohio River after he and a friend were refused service at a "whites-only" restaurant and fought with a white gang. The story has since been disputed and several of Ali's friends, including Bundini Brown and photographer Howard Bingham, have denied it. Brown told Sports Illustrated writer Mark Kram, "Honkies sure bought into that one!" Thomas Hauser's biography of Ali stated that Ali was refused service at the diner but that he lost his medal a year after he won it.[27] Ali received a replacement medal at a basketball intermission during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he lit the torch to start the games. Professional boxing Early career Clay made his professional debut on October 29, 1960, winning a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker. From then until the end of 1963, Clay amassed a record of 19–0 with 15 wins by knockout. He defeated boxers including Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark, Doug Jones and Henry Cooper. Clay also beat his former trainer and veteran boxer Archie Moore in a 1962 match. These early fights were not without trials. Clay was knocked down both by Sonny Banks and Cooper. In the Cooper fight, Clay was floored by a left hook at the end of round four and was saved by the bell. The fight with Doug Jones on March 13, 1963, was Clay's toughest fight during this stretch. The number-two and -three heavyweight contenders respectively, Clay and Jones fought on Jones' home turf at New York's Madison Square Garden. Jones staggered Clay in the first round, and the unanimous decision for Clay was greeted by boos and a rain of debris thrown into the ring (watching on closed-circuit TV, heavyweight champ Sonny Liston quipped that if he fought Clay he might get locked up for murder). The fight was later named "Fight of the Year". In each of these fights, Clay vocally belittled his opponents and vaunted his abilities. Jones was "an ugly little man" and Cooper was a "bum". He was embarrassed to get in the ring with Alex Miteff. Madison Square Garden was "too small for me".[28] Clay's behavior provoked the ire of many boxing fans.[29] After Clay left Moore's camp in 1960, partially due to Clay's refusing to do chores such as dish-washing and sweeping, he hired Angelo Dundee, whom he had met in February 1957 during Ali's amateur career,[30] to be his trainer. Around this time, Clay sought longtime idol Sugar Ray Robinson to be his manager, but was rebuffed.[31] Heavyweight champion Further information: Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston Ali with The Beatles in 1964 By late 1963, Clay had become the top contender for Sonny Liston's title. The fight was set for February 25, 1964, in Miami. Liston was an intimidating personality, a dominating fighter with a criminal past and ties to the mob. Based on Clay's uninspired performance against Jones and Cooper in his previous two fights, and Liston's destruction of former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson in two first-round knock outs, Clay was a 7–1 underdog. Despite this, Clay taunted Liston during the pre-fight buildup, dubbing him "the big ugly bear". "Liston even smells like a bear", Clay said. "After I beat him I'm going to donate him to the zoo."[32] Clay turned the pre-fight weigh-in into a circus, shouting at Liston that "someone is going to die at ringside tonight". Clay's pulse rate was measured at 120, more than double his normal 54.[33] Many of those in attendance thought Clay's behavior stemmed from fear, and some commentators wondered if he would show up for the bout. The outcome of the fight was a major upset. At the opening bell, Liston rushed at Clay, seemingly angry and looking for a quick knockout, but Clay's superior speed and mobility enabled him to elude Liston, making the champion miss and look awkward. At the end of the first round Clay opened up his attack and hit Liston repeatedly with jabs. Liston fought better in round two, but at the beginning of the third round Clay hit Liston with a combination that buckled his knees and opened a cut under his left eye. This was the first time Liston had ever been cut. At the end of round four, as Clay returned to his corner, he began experiencing blinding pain in his eyes and asked his trainer Angelo Dundee to cut off his gloves. Dundee refused. It has been speculated that the problem was due to ointment used to seal Liston's cuts, perhaps deliberately applied by his corner to his gloves.[33] Though unconfirmed, Bert Sugar claimed that two of Liston's opponents also complained about their eyes "burning".[34][35] Despite Liston's attempts to knock out a blinded Clay, Clay was able to survive the fifth round until sweat and tears rinsed the irritation from his eyes. In the sixth, Clay dominated, hitting Liston repeatedly. Liston did not answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by TKO. Liston stated that the reason he quit was an injured shoulder. Following the win, a triumphant Clay rushed to the edge of the ring and, pointing to the ringside press, shouted: "Eat your words!" He added, "I am the greatest! I shook up the world. I'm the prettiest thing that ever lived."[36] In winning this fight, Clay became at age 22 the youngest boxer to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion, though Floyd Patterson was the youngest to win the heavyweight championship at 21, during an elimination bout following Rocky Marciano's retirement. Mike Tyson broke both records in 1986 when he defeated Trevor Berbick to win the heavyweight title at age 20. Soon after the Liston fight, Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali upon converting to Islam and affiliating with the Nation of Islam. Ali then faced a rematch with Liston scheduled for May 1965 in Lewiston, Maine. It had been scheduled for Boston the previous November, but was postponed for six months due to Ali's emergency surgery for a hernia three days before.[37] The fight was controversial. Midway through the first round, Liston was knocked down by a difficult-to-see blow the press dubbed a "phantom punch". Ali refused to retreat to a neutral corner, and referee Jersey Joe Walcott did not begin the count. Liston rose after he had been down about 20 seconds, and the fight momentarily continued. But a few seconds later Walcott stopped the match, declaring Ali the winner by knockout. The entire fight lasted less than two minutes.[38] It has since been speculated that Liston dropped to the ground purposely. Proposed motivations include threats on his life from the Nation of Islam, that he had bet against himself and that he "took a dive" to pay off debts. Slow-motion replays show that Liston was jarred by a chopping right from Ali, although it is unclear whether the blow was a genuine knock-out punch.[39] Ali defended his title against former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson on November 22, 1965. Before the match, Ali mocked Patterson, who was widely known to call him by his former name Cassius Clay, as an "Uncle Tom", calling him "The Rabbit". Although Ali clearly had the better of Patterson, who appeared injured during the fight, the match lasted 12 rounds before being called on a technical knockout. Patterson later said he had strained his sacroiliac. Ali was criticized in the sports media for appearing to have toyed with Patterson during the fight.[40] Muhammad Ali in 1966 Ali and then-WBA heavyweight champion boxer Ernie Terrell had agreed to meet for a bout in Chicago on March 29, 1966 (the WBA, one of two boxing associations, had stripped Ali of his title following his joining the Nation of Islam). But in February Ali was reclassified by the Louisville draft board as 1-A from 1-Y, and he indicated that he would refuse to serve, commenting to the press, "I ain't got nothing against no Viet Cong; no Viet Cong never called me nigger."[41] Amidst the media and public outcry over Ali's stance, the Illinois Athletic Commission refused to sanction the fight, citing technicalities.[42] Instead, Ali traveled to Canada and Europe and won championship bouts against George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Brian London and Karl Mildenberger. Ali returned to the United States to fight Cleveland Williams in the Houston Astrodome on November 14, 1966. The bout drew a record-breaking indoor crowd of 35,460 people. Williams had once been considered among the hardest punchers in the heavyweight division, but in 1964 he had been shot at point-blank range by a Texas policeman, resulting in the loss of one kidney and 10 feet (3.0 m) of his small intestine. Ali dominated Williams, winning a third-round technical knockout in what some consider the finest performance of his career. Ali fought Terrell in Houston on February 6, 1967. Terrell was billed as Ali's toughest opponent since Liston—unbeaten in five years and having defeated many of the boxers Ali had faced. Terrell was big, strong and had a three-inch reach advantage over Ali. During the lead up to the bout, Terrell repeatedly called Ali "Clay", much to Ali's annoyance (Ali called Cassius Clay his "slave name"). The two almost came to blows over the name issue in a pre-fight interview with Howard Cosell. Ali seemed intent on humiliating Terrell. "I want to torture him", he said. "A clean knockout is too good for him."[43] The fight was close until the seventh round when Ali bloodied Terrell and almost knocked him out. In the eighth round, Ali taunted Terrell, hitting him with jabs and shouting between punches, "What's my name, Uncle Tom... what's my name?" Ali won a unanimous 15-round decision. Terrell claimed that early in the fight Ali deliberately thumbed him in the eye—forcing Terrell to fight half-blind—and then, in a clinch, rubbed the wounded eye against the ropes. Because of Ali's apparent intent to prolong the fight to inflict maximum punishment, critics described the bout as "one of the ugliest boxing fights". Tex Maule later wrote: "It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of cruelty." Ali denied the accusations of cruelty but, for Ali's critics, the fight provided more evidence of his arrogance. After Ali's title defense against Zora Folley on March 22, he was stripped of his title due to his refusal to be drafted to army service.[13] His boxing license was also suspended by the state of New York. He was convicted of draft evasion on June 20 and sentenced to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He paid a bond and remained free while the verdict was being appealed. Exile and comeback Main articles: Fight of the Century and Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II In March 1966, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces, stating that he had "no quarrel with them Vietcong".[44] "My conscience won't let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didn't put no dogs on me, they didn't rob me of my nationality, rape or kill my mother and father.... How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail."[45] He was systematically denied a boxing license in every state and stripped of his passport. As a result, he did not fight from March 1967 to October 1970—from ages 25 to almost 29—as his case worked its way through the appeals process. In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a unanimous 8–0 ruling (Thurgood Marshall recused himself, as he had been the U.S. Solicitor General at the time of Ali's conviction). During this time of inactivity, as opposition to the Vietnam War began to grow and Ali's stance gained sympathy, he spoke at colleges across the nation, criticizing the Vietnam War and advocating African American pride and racial justice. On August 12, 1970, with his case still in appeal, Ali was granted a license to box by the City of Atlanta Athletic Commission, thanks to State Senator Leroy R. Johnson.[46] Ali's first return bout was against Jerry Quarry on October 26, resulting in a win after three rounds after Quarry was cut. A month earlier, a victory in federal court forced the New York State Boxing Commission to reinstate Ali's license.[47] He fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December, an uninspired performance that ended in a dramatic technical knockout of Bonavena in the 15th round. The win left Ali as a top contender against heavyweight champion Joe Frazier. Ali and Frazier's first fight, held at the Garden on March 8, 1971, was nicknamed the "Fight of the Century", due to the tremendous excitement surrounding a bout between two undefeated fighters, each with a legitimate claim as heavyweight champions. Veteran boxing writer John Condon called it "the greatest event I've ever worked on in my life". The bout was broadcast to 35 foreign countries; promoters granted 760 press passes.[27] Adding to the atmosphere were the considerable pre-fight theatrics and name calling. Ali portrayed Frazier as a "dumb tool of the white establishment". "Frazier is too ugly to be champ", Ali said. "Frazier is too dumb to be champ." Ali also frequently called Frazier an "Uncle Tom". Dave Wolf, who worked in Frazier's camp, recalled that, "Ali was saying 'the only people rooting for Joe Frazier are white people in suits, Alabama sheriffs, and members of the Ku Klux Klan. I'm fighting for the little man in the ghetto.' Joe was sitting there, smashing his fist into the palm of his hand, saying, 'What the fuck does he know about the ghetto?'"[27] Ali began training at a farm near Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1971 and, finding the country setting to his liking, sought to develop a real training camp in the countryside. He found a five-acre site on a Pennsylvania country road in the village of Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. On this site, Ali carved out what was to become his training camp, the camp where he lived and trained for all the many fights he had from 1972 on to the end of his career in the 1980s. The Monday night fight lived up to its billing. In a preview of their two other fights, a crouching, bobbing and weaving Frazier constantly pressured Ali, getting hit regularly by Ali jabs and combinations, but relentlessly attacking and scoring repeatedly, especially to Ali's body. The fight was even in the early rounds, but Ali was taking more punishment than ever in his career. On several occasions in the early rounds he played to the crowd and shook his head "no" after he was hit. In the later rounds—in what was the first appearance of the "rope-a-dope strategy"—Ali leaned against the ropes and absorbed punishment from Frazier, hoping to tire him. In the 11th round, Frazier connected with a left hook that wobbled Ali, but because it appeared that Ali might be clowning as he staggered backwards across the ring, Frazier hesitated to press his advantage, fearing an Ali counter-attack. In the final round, Frazier knocked Ali down with a vicious left hook, which referee Arthur Mercante said was as hard as a man can be hit. Ali was back on his feet in three seconds.[27] Nevertheless, Ali lost by unanimous decision, his first professional defeat. Ali's characterizations of Frazier during the lead-up to the fight cemented a personal animosity toward Ali by Frazier that lasted until Frazier's death.[27] Frazier and his camp always considered Ali's words cruel and unfair, far beyond what was necessary to sell tickets. Shortly after the bout, in the TV studios of ABC's Wide World of Sports during a nationally televised interview with the two boxers, Frazier rose from his chair and wrestled Ali to the floor after Ali called him ignorant. In the same year basketball star Wilt Chamberlain challenged Ali, and a fight was scheduled for July 26. Although the seven foot two inch tall Chamberlain had formidable physical advantages over Ali, weighing 60 pounds more and able to reach 14 inches further, Ali was able to intimidate Chamberlain into calling off the bout. This happened during a shared press conference with Chamberlain in which Ali repeatedly responded to reporters with the traditional lumberjack warning, "Timber", and said, "The tree will fall!" With these statements of confidence, Ali was able to unsettle his taller opponent into calling off the bout.[48] After the loss to Frazier, Ali fought Jerry Quarry, had a second bout with Floyd Patterson and faced Bob Foster in 1972, winning a total of six fights that year. In 1973, Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw while giving him the second loss of his career. After initially seeking retirement, Ali won a controversial decision against Norton in their second bout, leading to a rematch at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 1974, with Joe Frazier who had recently lost his title to George Foreman. Ali was strong in the early rounds of the fight, and staggered Frazier in the second round (referee Tony Perez mistakenly thought he heard the bell ending the round and stepped between the two fighters as Ali was pressing his attack, giving Frazier time to recover). However, Frazier came on in the middle rounds, snapping Ali's head in round seven and driving him to the ropes at the end of round eight. The last four rounds saw round-to-round shifts in momentum between the two fighters. Throughout most of the bout, however, Ali was able to circle away from Frazier's dangerous left hook and to tie Frazier up when he was cornered, the latter a tactic that Frazier's camp complained of bitterly. Judges awarded Ali a unanimous decision. Heavyweight champion (second tenure) Main articles: The Rumble in the Jungle and Thrilla in Manila The defeat of Frazier set the stage for a title fight against heavyweight champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974 — a bout nicknamed "The Rumble in the Jungle". Foreman was considered one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history. In assessing the fight, analysts pointed out that Joe Frazier and Ken Norton — who had given Ali four tough battles and won two of them—had been both devastated by Foreman in second round knockouts. Ali was 32 years old, and had clearly lost speed and reflexes since his twenties. Contrary to his later persona, Foreman was at the time a brooding and intimidating presence. Almost no one associated with the sport, not even Ali's long-time supporter Howard Cosell, gave the former champion a chance of winning. As usual, Ali was confident and colorful before the fight. He told interviewer David Frost, "If you think the world was surprised when Nixon resigned, wait 'til I whup Foreman's behind!"[49] He told the press, "I've done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick."[50] Ali was wildly popular in Zaire, with crowds chanting "Ali, Bomaye" ("Ali, kill him") wherever he went. Ali opened the fight moving and scoring with right crosses to Foreman's head. Then, beginning in the second round—and to the consternation of his corner—Ali retreated to the ropes and invited Foreman to hit him while covering up, clinching and counter-punching, all while verbally taunting Foreman. ("Is that all you got, George? They told me you could hit.") The move, which would later become known as the "Rope-A-Dope", so violated conventional boxing wisdom—letting one of the hardest hitters in boxing strike at will—that at ringside writer George Plimpton thought the fight had to be fixed.[27] Foreman, increasingly angered, threw punches that were deflected and did not land squarely. Midway through the fight, as Foreman began tiring, Ali countered more frequently and effectively with punches and flurries, which electrified the pro-Ali crowd. In the eighth round, Ali dropped an exhausted Foreman with a combination at center ring; Foreman failed to make the count. Against the odds, and amidst pandemonium in the ring, Ali had regained the title by knockout. President Jimmy Carter greets Muhammad Ali at a White House dinner, 1977 In reflecting on the fight, George Foreman later said: "I'll admit it. Muhammad outthought me and outfought me."[27] Ali's next opponents included Chuck Wepner, Ron Lyle, and Joe Bugner. Wepner, a journeyman known as "The Bayonne Bleeder", stunned Ali with a knockdown in the ninth round; Ali would later say he tripped on Wepner's foot. It was a bout that would inspire Sylvester Stallone to create the acclaimed film, Rocky. Ali then agreed to a third match with Joe Frazier in Manila. The bout, known as the "Thrilla in Manila", was held on October 1, 1975,[13] in temperatures approaching 100 °F (38 °C). In the first rounds, Ali was aggressive, moving and exchanging blows with Frazier. However, Ali soon appeared to tire and adopted the "rope-a-dope" strategy, frequently resorting to clinches. During this part of the bout Ali did some effective counter-punching, but for the most part absorbed punishment from a relentlessly attacking Frazier. In the 12th round, Frazier began to tire, and Ali scored several sharp blows that closed Frazier's left eye and opened a cut over his right eye. With Frazier's vision now diminished, Ali dominated the 13th and 14th rounds, at times conducting what boxing historian Mike Silver called "target practice" on Frazier's head. The fight was stopped when Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, refused to allow Frazier to answer the bell for the 15th and final round, despite Frazier's protests. Frazier's eyes were both swollen shut. Ali, in his corner, winner by TKO, slumped on his stool, clearly spent. An ailing Ali said afterwards that the fight "was the closest thing to dying that I know", and, when later asked if he had viewed the fight on videotape, reportedly said, "Why would I want to go back and see Hell?" After the fight he cited Frazier as "the greatest fighter of all times next to me". Decline Ali being interviewed by WBAL-TV's Curt Anderson, 1978, Baltimore, Maryland Following the Manila bout, Ali fought Jean-Pierre Coopman, Jimmy Young, and Richard Dunn, winning the last by knockout. Later in 1976, he participated in an exhibition bout in Tokyo against Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist Antonio Inoki (Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki).[51] Though the fight was a publicity stunt, Inoki's kicks caused bruises, two blood clots and an infection in Ali's legs.[51] The fight was ultimately declared a draw.[51] He fought Ken Norton for the third time at the Yankee Stadium in September 1976, where Ali won by a heavily contested decision, which was loudly booed by the audience. Afterwards, he announced he was retiring from boxing to practice his faith, having converted to Sunni Islam after falling out with the Nation of Islam the previous year.[52] After winning against Alfredo Evangelista in May 1977, Ali struggled in his next fight against Earnie Shavers that September, who pummeled him a few times with punches to the head. Ali won the fight by another unanimous decision, but the bout caused his longtime doctor Ferdie Pacheco to quit after he was rebuffed for telling Ali he should retire. Pacheco was quoted as saying, "the New York State Athletic Commission gave me a report that showed Ali's kidneys were falling apart. I wrote to Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer, his wife and Ali himself. I got nothing back in response. That's when I decided enough is enough."[27] In February 1978, Ali faced Leon Spinks at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. At the time, Spinks had only seven professional fights to his credit, and had recently fought a draw with journeyman Scott LeDoux. Ali sparred less than two dozen rounds in preparation for the fight, and was seriously out of shape by the opening bell. He lost the title by split decision. A rematch followed shortly thereafter in New Orleans, which broke attendance records. Ali won a unanimous decision in an uninspiring fight, making him the first heavyweight champion to win the belt three times.[53] Following this win, on July 27, 1979, Ali announced his retirement from boxing. His retirement was short-lived, however; Ali announced his comeback to face Larry Holmes for the WBC belt in an attempt to win the heavyweight championship an unprecedented fourth time. The fight was largely motivated by Ali's need for money. Boxing writer Richie Giachetti said, "Larry didn't want to fight Ali. He knew Ali had nothing left; he knew it would be a horror." It was around this time that Ali started struggling with vocal stutters and trembling hands.[54] The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) ordered that he undergo a complete physical in Las Vegas before being allowed to fight again. Ali chose instead to check into the Mayo Clinic, who declared him fit to fight. Their opinion was accepted by the NAC on July 31, 1980, paving the way for Ali's return to the ring.[55] The fight took place on October 2, 1980, in Las Vegas Valley, with Holmes easily dominating Ali, who was weakened from thyroid medication he had taken to lose weight. Giachetti called the fight "awful... the worst sports event I ever had to cover". Actor Sylvester Stallone at ringside said it was like watching an autopsy on a man who is still alive.[27] Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee finally stopped the fight in the eleventh round, the only fight Ali lost by knockout. The Holmes fight is said to have contributed to Ali's Parkinson's syndrome.[56] Despite pleas to definitively retire, Ali fought one last time on December 11, 1981 in Nassau, Bahamas against Trevor Berbick, losing a ten-round decision.[57][58][59] Later years On January 19, 1981, in Los Angeles, Ali talked a man down from jumping off a ninth-floor ledge, an event that made national news.[60][61] Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome in 1984, a disease that sometimes results from head trauma from activities such as boxing.[62][63][64] Ali still remained active during this time, however, later participating as a guest referee at WrestleMania I.[65][66] President Ronald Reagan with Ali in the Oval Office in 1983 In 1984, Ali announced his support for the re-election, 1984 of United States President Ronald Reagan, when asked to elaborate on his endorsement of Reagan, Ali told reporters, "He's keeping God in schools and that's enough."[67] Around 1987, the California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution selected Ali to personify the vitality of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Ali rode on a float at the following year's Tournament of Roses Parade, launching the U.S. Constitution's 200th birthday commemoration. Ali published an oral history, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times by Thomas Hauser, in 1991. That same year, Ali traveled to Iraq during the Gulf War, and met with Saddam Hussein in an attempt to negotiate the release of American hostages.[68] In 1996, he had the honor of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Ali's bout with Parkinson's led to a gradual decline in Ali's health though he was still active into the early years of the millennium, even promoting his own biopic, Ali, in 2001. Ali also contributed an on-camera segment to the America: A Tribute to Heroes benefit concert. Muhammad Ali On November 17, 2002, Muhammad Ali went to Afghanistan as the "U.N. Messenger of Peace".[69] He was in Kabul for a three-day goodwill mission as a special guest of the UN.[70] On September 1, 2009, Ali visited Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, the home of his great-grandfather, Abe Grady, who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1860s, eventually settling in Kentucky.[71] A crowd of 10,000 turned out for a civic reception, where Ali was made the first Honorary Freeman of Ennis.[72] On July 27, 2012, Ali was a titular bearer of the Olympic Flag during the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was helped to his feet by his wife Lonnie to stand before the flag due to his Parkinson's rendering him unable to carry it into the stadium.[73] Health issues and death In February 2013, Ali's brother, Rahman Ali, said Muhammad could no longer speak and could be dead within days.[74] Ali's daughter, May May Ali, responded to the rumors, stating that she had talked to him on the phone the morning of February 3 and he was fine.[75] On December 20, 2014, Ali was hospitalized for a mild case of pneumonia.[76] Ali was once again hospitalized on January 15, 2015, for a urinary tract infection after being found unresponsive at a guest house in Scottsdale, Arizona.[77][78] He was released the next day.[79] Ali was hospitalized in Scottsdale in June 2016, with a respiratory illness. Though his condition was initially described as "fair", his condition worsened and he died the following day aged 74. His death was attributed to septic shock.[80][81][82][83] Personal life Marriages and children Ali was married four times and had seven daughters and two sons. Ali met his first wife, cocktail waitress Sonji Roi, approximately one month before they married on August 14, 1964.[84] Roi's objections to certain Muslim customs in regard to dress for women contributed to the breakup of their marriage. They divorced on January 10, 1966. On August 17, 1967, Ali married Belinda Boyd. After the wedding, she, like Ali, converted to Islam. She changed her name to Khalilah Ali, though she was still called Belinda by old friends and family. They had four children: Maryum (born 1968), twins Jamillah and Rasheda (born 1970), and Muhammad Ali, Jr. (born 1972).[85] Maryum has a career as an author and rapper.[86] In 1975, Ali began an affair with Veronica Porsche, an actress and model. By the summer of 1977, his second marriage was over and he had married Porsche.[citation needed] At the time of their marriage, they had a baby girl, Hana, and Veronica was pregnant with their second child. Their second daughter, Laila Ali, was born in December 1977. By 1986, Ali and Porsche were divorced.[citation needed] Laila became a boxer in 1999,[87] despite her father's earlier comments against female boxing in 1978: "Women are not made to be hit in the breast, and face like that... the body's not made to be punched right here [patting his chest]. Get hit in the breast... hard... and all that."[88] On November 19, 1986, Ali married Yolanda ("Lonnie") Williams. They had been friends since 1964 in Louisville. They have one son, Asaad Amin, whom they adopted when Amin was five months old.[85][89][90][91][92] Ali was a resident of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in the early 1970s.[93] He had two other daughters, Miya and Khaliah, from extramarital relationships.[85][94] Ali most recently lived in Scottsdale, Arizona with Lonnie.[95] In January 2007 it was reported that they had put their home in Berrien Springs, up for sale and had purchased a home in eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky for $1,875,000.[96] Lonnie converted to Islam from Catholicism in her late twenties.[97] Through Hana, Ali's son-in-law is mixed martial artist Kevin Casey.[98] Religion and beliefs Affiliation with the Nation of Islam Ali said that he first heard of the Nation of Islam when he was fighting in the Golden Gloves tournament in Chicago in 1959, and attended his first Nation of Islam meeting in 1961. He continued to attend meetings, although keeping his involvement hidden from the public. In 1962, Clay met Malcolm X, who soon became his spiritual and political mentor, and by the time of the first Liston fight Nation of Islam members, including Malcolm X, were visible in his entourage. This led to a story in The Miami Herald just before the fight disclosing that Clay had joined the Nation of Islam, which nearly caused the bout to be canceled. Ali at an address by Elijah Muhammad In fact, Clay was initially refused entry to the Nation of Islam (often called the Black Muslims at the time) due to his boxing career.[99] However, after he won the championship from Liston in 1964, the Nation of Islam was more receptive and agreed to recruit him as a member.[99] Shortly afterwards, Elijah Muhammad recorded a statement that Clay would be renamed Muhammad (one who is worthy of praise) Ali (Ali is the most important figure after Muhammad in Shia view and fourth rightly guided caliph in Sunni view). Around that time Ali moved to the South Side of Chicago and lived in a series of houses, always near the Nation of Islam's Mosque Maryam or Elijah Muhammad's residence. He stayed in Chicago for about 12 years.[100] Only a few journalists (most notably Howard Cosell) accepted the new name at that time. Ali later announced: "Cassius Clay is my slave name."[101] Not afraid to antagonize the white establishment, Ali stated, "I am America. I am the part you won't recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me."[102] Ali's friendship with Malcolm X ended as Malcolm split with the Nation of Islam a couple of weeks after Ali joined, and Ali remained with the Nation of Islam.[99][103] Ali later said that turning his back on Malcolm was one of the mistakes he regretted most in his life.[104] Malcolm X is holding a camera and taking a picture of Ali, who is sitting at a luncheonette counter Malcolm X photographs Ali in February 1964, after his first defeat of Sonny Liston to become world heavyweight champion. Aligning himself with the Nation of Islam, its leader Elijah Muhammad, and a narrative that labeled the white race as the perpetrator of genocide against African Americans made Ali a target of public condemnation. The Nation of Islam was widely viewed by whites and even some African Americans as a black separatist "hate religion" with a propensity toward violence; Ali had few qualms about using his influential voice to speak Nation of Islam doctrine.[105] In a press conference articulating his opposition to the Vietnam War, Ali stated, "My enemy is the white people, not the Vietcong".[105] In relation to integration, he said: "We who follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad don't want to be forced to integrate. Integration is wrong. We don't want to live with the white man; that's all."[106] And in relation to inter-racial marriage: "No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants white boys and white girls coming to their homes to marry their black sons and daughters."[106] Indeed, Ali's religious beliefs at the time included the notion that the white man was "the devil" and that white people were not "righteous". Writer Jerry Izenberg once noted that, "the Nation became Ali's family and Elijah Muhammad became his father. But there is an irony to the fact that while the Nation branded white people as devils, Ali had more white colleagues than most African American people did at that time in America, and continued to have them throughout his career."[27] Later beliefs Ali converted from the Nation of Islam sect to mainstream Sunni Islam in 1975. In a 2004 autobiography, written with daughter Hana Yasmeen Ali, he attributes his conversion to the shift toward Islam made by Warith Deen Muhammad after he gained control of the Nation of Islam upon the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975. Later in his life, he embraced the spiritual teachings of Universal Sufism founder Inayat Khan.[107] Vietnam War and resistance to the draft Ali registered for conscription in the United States military on his 18th birthday and was listed as 1-A in 1962.[108] In 1964, he was reclassified as Class 1-Y (fit for service only in times of national emergency) after two mental tests found his IQ was 78[109] (16th percentile), well below the armed force's 30th-percentile threshold.[108] (He was quoted as saying, "I said I was the greatest, not the smartest!")[108][109] By early 1966, the army lowered its standards to permit soldiers above the 15th percentile and Ali was again classified as 1-A.[13][108][109] This classification meant he was now eligible for the draft and induction into the United States Army during a time when the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War. When notified of this status, Ali declared that he would refuse to serve in the army and publicly considered himself a conscientious objector.[13] Ali stated: "War is against the teachings of the Qur'an. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers." Appearing for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967 in Houston, Ali refused three times to step forward at the call of his name. An officer warned him he was committing a felony punishable by five years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Once more, Ali refused to budge when his name was called. As a result, he was arrested. On the same day the New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and stripped him of his title. Other boxing commissions followed suit. Ali would not be able to obtain a license to box in any state for over three years.[110] At the trial on June 20, 1967, after only 21 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Ali guilty.[13] After a Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the years between the Appellate Court decision and the Supreme Court verdict, Ali remained free. As public opinion began turning against the war and the civil rights movement continued to gather momentum, Ali became a popular speaker at colleges and universities across the country, rare if not unprecedented for a boxer. At Howard University, for example, he gave his popular "Black Is Best" speech to 4,000 cheering students and community intellectuals, after he was invited to speak by sociology professor Nathan Hare on behalf of the Black Power Committee, a student protest group.[111][112] On June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court of the United States in Clay v. United States overturned Ali's conviction by a unanimous 8–0 decision (Justice Thurgood Marshall did not participate).[113] The decision was not based on, nor did it address, the merits of Ali's claims per se; rather, the Court held that since the Appeal Board gave no reason for the denial of a conscientious objector exemption to Ali, and that it was therefore impossible to determine which of the three basic tests for conscientious objector status offered in the Justice Department's brief that the Appeals Board relied on, Ali's conviction must be reversed.[114] Impact of Ali's stance Ali's example inspired countless black Americans and others. The New York Times columnist William Rhoden wrote, "Ali's actions changed my standard of what constituted an athlete's greatness. Possessing a killer jump shot or the ability to stop on a dime was no longer enough. What were you doing for the liberation of your people? What were you doing to help your country live up to the covenant of its founding principles?"[8] Recalling Ali's anti-war position, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said: "I remember the teachers at my high school didn't like Ali because he was so anti-establishment and he kind of thumbed his nose at authority and got away with it. The fact that he was proud to be a black man and that he had so much talent ... made some people think that he was dangerous. But for those very reasons I enjoyed him."[115] Ali inspired Martin Luther King, Jr., who had been reluctant to address the Vietnam War for fear of alienating the Johnson Administration and its support of the civil rights agenda. Now, King began to voice his own opposition to the war for the first time.[116] In speaking of the cost on Ali's career of his refusal to be drafted, his trainer Angelo Dundee said, "One thing must be taken into account when talking about Ali: He was robbed of his best years, his prime years."[117] Ali's resistance to the draft was covered in the 2013 documentary The Trials of Muhammad Ali. (See In the media and popular culture below.) NSA monitoring of Ali's communications In a secret operation code-named "Minaret", the National Security Agency (NSA) monitored the communications of leading Americans, including Ali, Senators Frank Church and Howard Baker, Dr. Martin Luther King, prominent U.S. journalists, and others who criticized the U.S. war in Vietnam.[118] A review by the NSA of the Minaret program concluded that it was "disreputable if not outright illegal".[118] Boxing style Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves are preserved in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History. Ali had a highly unorthodox boxing style for a heavyweight, epitomized by his catchphrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee". Never an overpowering puncher, Ali relied early in his career on his superior hand speed, superb reflexes and constant movement, dancing and circling opponents for most of the fight, holding his hands low and lashing out with a quick, cutting left jab that he threw from unpredictable angles. His footwork was so strong that it was extremely difficult for opponents to cut down the ring and corner Ali against the ropes. One of Ali's greatest tricks was to make opponents overcommit by pulling straight backward from punches. Disciplined, world-class boxers chased Ali and threw themselves off balance attempting to hit him because he seemed to be an open target, only missing and leaving themselves exposed to Ali's counter punches, usually a chopping right.[119] Slow motion replays show that this was precisely the way Sonny Liston was hit and apparently knocked out by Ali in their second fight.[120] Ali often flaunted his movement and dancing with the "Ali Shuffle", a sort of center-ring jig.[121] Ali's early style was so unusual that he was initially discounted because he reminded boxing writers of a lightweight, and it was assumed he would be vulnerable to big hitters like Sonny Liston. Using a synchronizer, Jimmy Jacobs, who co-managed Mike Tyson, measured young Ali's punching speed versus Sugar Ray Robinson, a welter/middleweight, often considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in history. Ali was 25% faster than Robinson, even though Ali was 45–50 pounds heavier.[122] Ali's punches produced approximately 1,000 pounds of force.[123] "No matter what his opponents heard about him, they didn't realize how fast he was until they got in the ring with him", Jacobs said.[124] The effect of Ali's punches was cumulative. Charlie Powell, who fought Ali early in Ali's career and was knocked out in the third round, said: "When he first hit me I said to myself, 'I can take two of these to get one in myself.' But in a little while I found myself getting dizzier and dizzier every time he hit me. He throws punches so easily that you don't realize how much they hurt you until it's too late."[28] Commenting on fighting the young Ali, George Chuvalo said: "He was just so damn fast. When he was young, he moved his legs and hands at the same time. He threw his punches when he was in motion. He'd be out of punching range, and as he moved into range he'd already begun to throw the punch. So if you waited until he got into range to punch back, he beat you every time."[27] Floyd Patterson said, "It's very hard to hit a moving target, and (Ali) moved all the time, with such grace, three minutes of every round for fifteen rounds. He never stopped. It was extraordinary."[27] Darrell Foster, who trained Will Smith for the movie Ali, said: "Ali's signature punches were the left jab and the overhand right. But there were at least six different ways Ali used to jab. One was a jab that Ali called the 'snake lick', like cobra striking that comes from the floor almost, really low down. Then there was Ali's rapid-fire jab—three to five jabs in succession rapidly fired at his opponents' eyes to create a blur in his face so he wouldn't be able to see the right hand coming behind it."[125] In the opinion of many, Ali became a different fighter after the 3½-year layoff. Ferdie Pacheco, Ali's corner physician, noted that he had lost his ability to move and dance as before.[27] This forced Ali to become more stationary and exchange punches more frequently, exposing him to more punishment while indirectly revealing his tremendous ability to take a punch. This physical change led in part to the "rope-a-dope" strategy, where Ali would lie back on the ropes, cover up to protect himself and conserve energy, and tempt opponents to punch themselves out. Ali often taunted opponents in the process and lashed back with sudden, unexpected combinations. The strategy was dramatically successful in the George Foreman fight, but less so in the first Joe Frazier bout when it was introduced. Of his later career, Arthur Mercante said: "Ali knew all the tricks. He was the best fighter I ever saw in terms of clinching. Not only did he use it to rest, but he was big and strong and knew how to lean on opponents and push and shove and pull to tire them out. Ali was so smart. Most guys are just in there fighting, but Ali had a sense of everything that was happening, almost as though he was sitting at ringside analyzing the fight while he fought it."[27] "Talking trash" Ali regularly taunted and baited his opponents—including Liston, Frazier, and Foreman—before the fight and often during the bout itself. Ali's pre-fight theatrics were almost always highly entertaining, and his words were sometimes cutting, and were largely designed to promote the fight. His antics often targeted a particular psychological trigger or vulnerability in his opponent that would provoke a reaction and cause the opponent to lose focus. He said Frazier was "too dumb to be champion", that he would whip Liston "like his Daddy did", that Terrell was an "Uncle Tom" and that Patterson was a "rabbit." In speaking of how Ali stoked Liston's anger and overconfidence before their first fight, one writer commented that "the most brilliant fight strategy in boxing history was devised by a teenager who had graduated 376 in a class of 391."[122] Ali typically portrayed himself as the "people's champion" and his opponent as a tool of the (white) establishment (despite the fact that his entourage often had more white faces than his opponents'). During the early part of Ali's career, he built a reputation for predicting rounds in which he would finish opponents, often vowing to crawl across the ring or to leave the country if he lost the bout.[13] Ali admitted he adopted the latter practice from "Gorgeous" George Wagner, a popular professional wrestling champion in the Greater Los Angeles Area who drew thousands of fans to his matches as "the man you love to hate."[13] ESPN columnist Ralph Wiley called Ali "The King of Trash Talk."[126] In 2013, The Guardian said Ali exemplified boxing's "golden age of trash talking."[127] The Bleacher Report called Clay's description of Sonny Liston smelling like a bear and his vow to donate him to a zoo after he beat him the greatest trash talk line in sports history.[128] Legacy As Mrs. Lonnie Ali looks on, President George W. Bush embraces Muhammad Ali after presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 9, 2005, during ceremonies at the White House. Muhammad Ali defeated every top heavyweight in his era, which has been called the golden age of heavyweight boxing. Ali was named "Fighter of the Year" by The Ring (magazine)|Ring Magazine more times than any other fighter, and was involved in more Ring Magazine "Fight of the Year" bouts than any other fighter. He was an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and held wins over seven other Hall of Fame inductees. He was one of only three boxers to be named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. In 1978, three years before Ali's permanent retirement, the Louisville Board of Aldermen in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, voted 6–5 to rename Walnut Street to Muhammad Ali Boulevard. This was controversial at the time, as within a week 12 of the 70 street signs were stolen. Earlier that year, a committee of the Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky) considered renaming Central High School (Louisville, Kentucky) in his honor, but the motion failed to pass. At any rate, in time, Muhammad Ali Boulevard—and Ali himself—came to be well accepted in his hometown.[129] In 1993, the Associated Press reported that Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athlete, out of over 800 dead or alive athletes, in America. The study found that over 97% of Americans over 12 years of age identified both Ali and Ruth.[130] He was the recipient of the 1997 Arthur Ashe Courage Award. In 1999, Time magazine named Ali one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.[131] He was crowned Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated.[132] Named Sports Personality of the Century in a BBC poll, he received more votes than the other contenders (which included Pelé, Jesse Owens and Jack Nicklaus) combined.[133] On September 13, 1999, Ali was named "Kentucky Athlete of the Century" by the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies at the Galt House East.[134] On January 8, 2001, Muhammad Ali was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton.[135] In November 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.[136][137] followed by the Otto Hahn Peace Medal in Gold of the UN Association of Germany (DGVN) in Berlin for his work with the U.S. civil rights movement and the United Nations (December 17, 2005).[138] The Muhammad Ali Center, alongside Interstate 64 on Louisville, Kentucky's riverfront On November 19, 2005 (Ali's 19th wedding anniversary), the $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown Louisville. In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the center focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth. On June 5, 2007, he received an honorary doctorate of humanities at Princeton University's 260th graduation ceremony.[139] Ali Mall, located in Araneta Center, Quezon City, Philippines, is named after him. Construction of the mall, the first of its kind in the Philippines, began shortly after Ali's victory in a match with Joe Frazier in nearby Araneta Coliseum in 1975. The mall opened in 1976 with Ali attending its opening.[140] Ali also influenced several elements of hip - hop music, as a "rhyming trickster" in the 1960s with "funky delivery, the boasts, the comical trash talk, the endless quotables".[141] Ranking in heavyweight history Ali is generally considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time by boxing commentators and historians. Ring Magazine, a prominent boxing magazine, named him number 1 in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras.[142] Ali was named the second greatest fighter in boxing history by ESPN.com behind only welterweight and middleweight great Sugar Ray Robinson.[143] In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis.[144] The Associated Press voted Ali the No. 1 heavyweight of the 20th century in 1999.[145] In the media and popular culture Main article: Muhammad Ali in media and popular culture As a world champion boxer and social activist, Ali has been the subject of numerous books, films and other creative works. Muhammad Ali pop art painting by John Stango Ali has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on 37 different occasions, second only to Michael Jordan.[146] Ali had a cameo role in the 1962 film version of Requiem for a Heavyweight, and during his exile, he starred in the short-lived Broadway musical, Buck White (1969). In 1963, Ali released an album of spoken word on Columbia Records titled I Am the Greatest, and in 1964, he recorded the song "Stand by Me".[147][148] Ali appeared in the documentary film Black Rodeo (1972) riding both a horse and a bull. His autobiography The Greatest: My Own Story, written with Richard Durham, was published in 1975.[149] In 1977 the book was adapted into a film called The Greatest, in which Ali played himself and Ernest Borgnine played Angelo Dundee. Ali and Michel, 1979 The film Freedom Road, made in 1978, features Muhammad Ali in a rare acting role as Gideon Jackson, a former slave and Union (American Civil War) soldier in 1870s Virginia, who gets elected to the U.S. Senate and battles other former slaves and white sharecroppers to keep the land they have tended all their lives. On the set of Freedom Road Ali met Canadian singer-songwriter Michel, and subsequently helped create Michel's album entitled The First Flight of the Gizzelda Dragon and the hour-long television show With Love From Muhammad Ali. Ali was the subject of This Is Your Life (UK TV series) in 1978 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.[150] Ali was featured in Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, a 1978 DC Comics comic book pitting the champ against Superman. In 1979, Ali guest-starred as himself in an episode of the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes. He also wrote several best-selling books about his career, including The Greatest: My Own Story and The Soul of a Butterfly. The Muhammad Ali Effect, named after Ali, is a term that came into use in psychology in the 1980s, as he stated in his autobiography The Greatest: My Own Story: "I only said I was the greatest, not the smartest."[149] According to this effect, when people are asked to rate their intelligence and moral behavior in comparison to others, people will rate themselves as more moral, but not more intelligent than others.[151][152] When We Were Kings, a 1996 documentary about the Rumble in the Jungle, won an Academy Award,[153] and the 2001 biopic Ali garnered an Oscar nomination for Will Smith's portrayal of the lead role.[154] The latter film was directed by Michael Mann, with mixed reviews, the positives given to Smith's portrayal of Ali. Prior to making the film, Smith rejected the role until Ali requested that he accept it. Smith said the first thing Ali told him was: "Man you're almost pretty enough to play me."[155] In 2002, for his contributions to the entertainment industry, Ali was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.[156] His star is the only one to be mounted on a vertical surface, out of deference to his request that his name not be walked upon.[157][158] The Trials of Muhammad Ali, a documentary directed by Bill Siegel that focuses on Ali's refusal of the draft during the Vietnam War, opened in Manhattan on August 23, 2013.[159][160] A made-for-TV movie called Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight, also in 2013, dramatized the same aspect of Ali's life. Professional boxing record 56 wins (37 knockouts, 19 decisions), 5 losses (4 decisions, 1 KO)[161][162] No. Res. Record Opponent Type Rd., Time Date Age Location Notes 61 Loss 56–5 Canada Trevor Berbick UD 10 1981-12-11 39 years, 328 days The Bahamas Nassau, Bahamas "Drama in the Bahamas"[163] 60 Loss 56–4 United States Larry Holmes TKO 10 (15) 1980-10-02 38 years, 259 days United States Las Vegas, NV Lost The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. For WBC World Heavyweight title. 59 Win 56–3 United States Leon Spinks UD 15 1978-09-15 36 years, 241 days United States New Orleans, LA Won WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles; Vacated WBA title on 1979-09-06. 58 Loss 55–3 United States Leon Spinks SD 15 1978-02-15 36 years, 29 days United States Las Vegas, NV Lost WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 57 Win 55–2 United States Earnie Shavers UD 15 1977-09-29 35 years, 255 days United States New York, N.Y. Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 56 Win 54–2 Uruguay Alfredo Evangelista UD 15 1977-05-16 35 years, 119 days United States Landover, MD Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 55 Win 53–2 United States Ken Norton UD 15 1976-09-28 34 years, 255 days United States The Bronx, N.Y. Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 54 Win 52–2 United Kingdom Richard Dunn TKO 5 (15) 1976-05-24 34 years, 128 days West Germany Munich, West Germany Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 53 Win 51–2 United States Jimmy Young UD 15 1976-04-30 34 years, 104 days United States Landover, MD Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 52 Win 50–2 Belgium Jean-Pierre Coopman KO 5 (15) 1976-02-20 34 years, 34 days Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 51 Win 49–2 United States Joe Frazier TKO 14 (15), 0:59 1975-10-01 33 years, 257 days Philippines Quezon City, Philippines "Thrilla in Manila"; Retained WBC, WBA The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 50 Win 48–2 United Kingdom Joe Bugner UD 15 1975-06-30 33 years, 164 days Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 49 Win 47–2 United States Ron Lyle TKO 11 (15) 1975-05-16 33 years, 119 days United States Las Vegas, NV Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 48 Win 46–2 United States Chuck Wepner TKO 15 (15), 2:41 1975-03-24 33 years, 66 days United States Richfield, OH Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 47 Win 45–2 United States George Foreman KO 8 (15), 2:58 1974-10-30 32 years, 286 days Zaire Kinshasa, Zaire "The Rumble in the Jungle"; Won WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 46 Win 44–2 United States Joe Frazier UD 12 1974-01-28 32 years, 11 days United States New York, N.Y. "Ali-Frazier II". Retained NABF Heavyweight title, vacated later in 1974. 45 Win 43–2 Netherlands Rudie Lubbers UD 12 1973-10-20 31 years, 276 days Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia 44 Win 42–2 United States Ken Norton SD 12 1973-09-10 31 years, 236 days United States Inglewood, CA Won NABF Heavyweight title. 43 Loss 41–2 United States Ken Norton SD 12 1973-03-31 31 years, 73 days United States San Diego, CA Lost NABF Heavyweight title. 42 Win 41–1 United Kingdom Joe Bugner UD 12 1973-02-14 31 years, 28 days United States Las Vegas, NV 41 Win 40–1 United States Bob Foster KO 8 (12), 0:40 1972-11-21 30 years, 309 days United States Stateline, NV Retained NABF Heavyweight title. 40 Win 39–1 United States Floyd Patterson TKO 7 (12) 1972-09-20 30 years, 247 days United States New York, N.Y. Retained NABF Heavyweight title. 39 Win 38–1 United States Alvin Lewis TKO 11 (12), 1:15 1972-07-19 30 years, 184 days Republic of Ireland Dublin, Ireland 38 Win 37–1 United States Jerry Quarry TKO 7 (12), 0:19 1972-06-27 30 years, 162 days United States Las Vegas, NV Retained NABF Heavyweight title. 37 Win 36–1 Canada George Chuvalo UD 12 1972-05-01 30 years, 105 days Canada Vancouver, Canada Retained NABF Heavyweight title. 36 Win 35–1 United States Mac Foster UD 15 1972-04-01 30 years, 75 days Japan Tokyo, Japan 35 Win 34–1 West Germany Jürgen Blin KO 7 (12), 2:12 1971-12-26 29 years, 343 days Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland 34 Win 33–1 United States Buster Mathis UD 12 1971-11-17 29 years, 304 days United States Houston, TX Retained NABF Heavyweight title. 33 Win 32–1 United States Jimmy Ellis TKO 12 (12), 2:10 1971-07-26 29 years, 190 days United States Houston, TX Won vacant NABF Heavyweight title. 32 Loss 31–1 United States Joe Frazier UD 15 1971-03-08 29 years, 50 days United States New York, N.Y. "The Fight of the Century"; Lost The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. For WBA & WBC World Heavyweight titles. 31 Win 31–0 Argentina Oscar Bonavena TKO 15 (15), 2:03 1970-12-07 28 years, 324 days United States New York, N.Y. Retained The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 30 Win 30–0 United States Jerry Quarry TKO 3 (15) 1970-10-26 28 years, 282 days United States Atlanta, GA Retained The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. Suspension 29 Win 29–0 United States Zora Folley KO 7 (15), 1:48 1967-03-22 25 years, 64 days United States New York, N.Y. Retained WBC, WBA, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles; Stripped of titles on April 28, 1967. 28 Win 28–0 United States Ernie Terrell UD 15 (15) 1967-02-06 25 years, 20 days United States Houston, TX Retained WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. Won WBA title. 27 Win 27–0 United States Cleveland Williams TKO 3 (15) 1966-11-14 24 years, 301 days United States Houston, TX Retained WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 26 Win 26–0 West Germany Karl Mildenberger TKO 12 (15) 1966-09-10 24 years, 236 days West Germany Frankfurt, West Germany Retained WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 25 Win 25–0 United Kingdom Brian London KO 3 (15) 1966-08-06 24 years, 201 days United Kingdom London, U.K. Retained WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 24 Win 24–0 United Kingdom Henry Cooper TKO 6 (15), 1:38 1966-05-21 24 years, 124 days United Kingdom London, U.K. Retained WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 23 Win 23–0 Canada George Chuvalo UD 15 1966-03-29 24 years, 71 days Canada Toronto, Canada Retained WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 22 Win 22–0 United States Floyd Patterson TKO 12 (15), 2:18 1965-11-22 23 years, 309 days United States Las Vegas, NV Retained WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 21 Win 21–0 United States Sonny Liston KO 1 (15), 2:12 1965-05-25 23 years, 128 days United States Lewiston, ME "Ali vs. Liston (II)" Retained WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles. 20 Win 20–0 United States Sonny Liston TKO 7 (15) 1964-02-25 22 years, 39 days United States Miami Beach, FL "Clay Liston I", Won WBA, WBC, The Ring & Lineal Heavyweight titles; Stripped of WBA title on June 19, 1964. 19 Win 19–0 United Kingdom Henry Cooper TKO 5 (10), 2:15 1963-06-18 21 years, 152 days United Kingdom London, U.K. 18 Win 18–0 United States Doug Jones UD 10 1963-03-13 21 years, 55 days United States New York, N.Y. 17 Win 17–0 United States Charlie Powell KO 3 (10), 2:04 1963-01-24 21 years, 7 days United States Pittsburgh, PA 16 Win 16–0 United States Archie Moore TKO 4 (10), 1:35 1962-11-15 20 years, 302 days United States Los Angeles, CA 15 Win 15–0 Argentina Alejandro Lavorante KO 5 (10), 1:48 1962-07-20 20 years, 184 days United States Los Angeles, CA 14 Win 14–0 United States Billy Daniels TKO 7 (10), 2:21 1962-05-19 20 years, 122 days United States New York, N.Y. 13 Win 13–0 United States George Logan TKO 4 (10), 1:34 1962-04-23 20 years, 96 days United States New York, N.Y. 12 Win 12–0 United States Don Warner TKO 4 (10), 0:34 1962-03-28 20 years, 70 days United States Miami Beach, FL 11 Win 11–0 United States Sonny Banks TKO 4 (10), 0:26 1962-02-10 20 years, 24 days United States New York, N.Y. 10 Win 10–0 West Germany Willi Besmanoff TKO 7 (10), 1:55 1961-11-29 19 years, 316 days United States Louisville, KY 9 Win 9–0 Argentina Alex Miteff TKO 6 (10), 1:45 1961-10-07 19 years, 263 days United States Louisville, KY 8 Win 8–0 United States Alonzo Johnson UD (10) 1961-07-22 19 years, 186 days United States Louisville, KY 7 Win 7–0 United States Duke Sabedong UD 10 1961-06-26 19 years, 160 days United States Las Vegas, NV 6 Win 6–0 United States LaMar Clark KO 2 (10), 1:27 1961-04-19 19 years, 92 days United States Louisville, KY 5 Win 5–0 United States Donnie Fleeman TKO 7 (8) 1961-02-21 19 years, 35 days United States Miami Beach, FL 4 Win 4–0 United States Jim Robinson KO 1 (8), 1:34 1961-02-07 19 years, 21 days United States Miami Beach, FL 3 Win 3–0 United States Tony Esperti TKO 3 (8), 1:30 1961-01-17 19 years, 0 days United States Miami Beach, FL 2 Win 2–0 United States Herb Siler KO 4 (8) 1960-12-27 18 years, 345 days United States Miami Beach, FL 1 Win 1–0 United States Tunney Hunsaker UD 6 (6) 1960-10-29 18 years, 286 days United States Louisville, KY
vendredi 22 avril 2016
Brad Pitt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the American actor. For the Australian boxer, see Brad Pitt (boxer).
| Brad Pitt | |
|---|---|
Pitt at the premiere of Fury in Washington, D.C., October 2014
|
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| Born | William Bradley Pitt December 18, 1963 Shawnee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, producer |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse(s) | Jennifer Aniston (m. 2000; div. 2005) Angelina Jolie (m. 2014) |
| Children | 6 |
| Relatives |
|
Pitt first gained recognition as a cowboy hitchhiker in the road movie Thelma & Louise (1991). His first leading roles in big-budget productions came with the dramas A River Runs Through It (1992) and Legends of the Fall (1994), and Interview with the Vampire (1994). He gave critically acclaimed performances in the crime thriller Seven and the science fiction film 12 Monkeys (both 1995), the latter earning him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. Pitt starred in the cult film Fight Club (1999) and the major international hit Ocean's Eleven (2001) and its sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). His greatest commercial successes have been Troy (2004), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), and World War Z (2013). Pitt received his second and third Academy Award nominations for his leading performances in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Moneyball (2011). He produced The Departed (2006) and 12 Years a Slave (2013), both of which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and also The Tree of Life, Moneyball, and The Big Short (2015), all of which garnered Best Picture nominations.
As a public figure, Pitt has been cited as one of the most influential and powerful people in the American entertainment industry, as well as the world's most attractive man, by various media outlets. His personal life is also the subject of wide publicity. Divorced from actress Jennifer Aniston, to whom he was married for five years, he has been married to actress Angelina Jolie since 2014. They have six children together, three of whom were adopted internationally.
Contents
Early life
William Bradley Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, to Jane Etta (née Hillhouse), a school counsellor, and William Alvin Pitt, who ran a trucking company.[1][2] The family soon moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he lived together with his younger siblings, Doug (born 1966) and Julie Neal (born 1969).[3] Born into a conservative household,[4] he was raised as Southern Baptist, but has since stated that he does not "have a great relationship with religion" and that he "oscillate[s] between agnosticism and atheism."[5] Pitt has described Springfield as "Mark Twain country, Jesse James country", having grown up with "a lot of hills, a lot of lakes".[6]Pitt attended Kickapoo High School, where he was a member of the golf, swimming and tennis teams.[7] He participated in the school's Key and Forensics clubs, in school debates, and in musicals.[8] Following his graduation from high school, Pitt enrolled in the University of Missouri in 1982, majoring in journalism with a focus on advertising.[8] As graduation approached, Pitt did not feel ready to settle down. He loved films—"a portal into different worlds for me"—and, since films were not made in Missouri, he decided to go to where they were made.[9][10] Two weeks before earning his degree, Pitt left the university and moved to Los Angeles, where he took acting lessons and worked odd jobs.[9]
Career
1987–1993: Early work
While struggling to establish himself in Los Angeles, Pitt took lessons from acting coach Roy London.[8][11] Pitt's acting career began in 1987, with uncredited parts in the films No Way Out, No Man's Land and Less Than Zero.[8][12] His television debut came in May 1987 with a two-episode role on the NBC soap opera Another World.[13] In November of the same year Pitt had a guest appearance on the ABC sitcom Growing Pains.[14] He appeared in four episodes of the CBS primetime series Dallas between December 1987 and February 1988 as Randy, the boyfriend of Charlie Wade (played by Shalane McCall).[15] Later in 1988, Pitt made a guest appearance on the Fox police drama 21 Jump Street.[16]In the same year, the Yugoslavian–U.S. co-production The Dark Side of the Sun (1988) gave Pitt his first leading film role, as a young American taken by his family to the Adriatic to find a remedy for a skin condition. The film was shelved at the outbreak of the Croatian War of Independence, and was not released until 1997.[8] Pitt made two motion picture appearances in 1989: the first in a supporting role in the comedy Happy Together; the second a featured role in the horror film Cutting Class, the first of Pitt's films to reach theaters.[14] He made guest appearances on television series Head of the Class, Freddy's Nightmares, Thirtysomething, and (for a second time) Growing Pains.[17]
Pitt was cast as Billy Canton, a drug addict who takes advantage of a young runaway (played by Juliette Lewis) in the 1990 NBC television movie Too Young to Die?, the story of an abused teenager sentenced to death for a murder.[18] Ken Tucker, television reviewer for Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Pitt is a magnificent slimeball as her hoody boyfriend; looking and sounding like a malevolent John Cougar Mellencamp, he's really scary."[18] The same year, Pitt co-starred in six episodes of the short-lived Fox drama Glory Days and took a supporting role in the HBO television film The Image.[19] His next appearance came in the 1991 film Across the Tracks; Pitt portrayed Joe Maloney, a high school runner with a criminal brother, played by Rick Schroder.[20]
After years of supporting roles in film and frequent television guest appearances, Pitt attracted wider recognition in his supporting role in Ridley Scott's 1991 road film Thelma & Louise.[19] He played J.D., a small-time criminal who befriends Thelma (Geena Davis). His love scene with Davis has been cited as the event that defined Pitt as a sex symbol.[14][21] After Thelma & Louise, Pitt starred in the 1991 film Johnny Suede, a low-budget picture about an aspiring rock star,[22] and the 1992 live-action/animated fantasy film Cool World,[14] although neither furthered his career, having poor reviews and box office performance.[23][24]
Pitt took the role of Paul Maclean in the 1992 biographical film A River Runs Through It, directed by Robert Redford.[25] His portrayal of the character was described by People's Janet Mock as a career-making performance,[26] proving that Pitt could be more than a "cowboy-hatted hunk."[27] He has admitted to feeling under pressure when making the film[3] and thought it one of his "weakest performances ... It's so weird that it ended up being the one that I got the most attention for."[3] Pitt believed that he benefited from working with such a talented cast and crew. He compared working with Redford to playing tennis with a superior player, saying "when you play with somebody better than you, your game gets better."[26][27]
In 1993, Pitt reunited with Juliette Lewis for the road film Kalifornia. He played Early Grayce, a serial killer and the boyfriend of Lewis's character in a performance described by Peter Travers of Rolling Stone as "outstanding, all boyish charm and then a snort that exudes pure menace."[28] Pitt also garnered attention for a brief appearance in the cult hit True Romance as a stoner named Floyd, providing much needed comic relief to the action film.[29] He capped the year by winning a ShoWest Award for Male Star of Tomorrow.[30]
1994–98: Critical success
1994 marked a significant turning point in Pitt's career. Starring as the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac in the romantic horror film Interview with the Vampire, based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel of the same name,[31] he was part of an ensemble cast that included Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater, and Antonio Banderas.[31] Despite his winning two MTV Movie Awards at the 1995 ceremony,[32] his performance was poorly received. According to the Dallas Observer, "Brad Pitt ... is a large part of the problem [in the film]. When directors play up his cocky, hunkish, folksy side ... he's a joy to watch. But there's nothing about him that suggests inner torment or even self-awareness, which makes him a boring Louis."[33]
Pitt at the 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival
In 1995, Pitt starred alongside Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow in the crime thriller Seven, playing a detective on the trail of a serial killer.[40] Pitt called it a great movie and declared the part would expand his acting horizons.[41] He expressed his intent to move on from "this 'pretty boy' thing ... and play someone with flaws."[42] His performance was critically well received, with Variety saying that it was screen acting at its best, further remarking on Pitt's ability to turn in a "determined, energetic, creditable job" as the detective.[43] Seven earned $327 million at the international box office.[23]
Following the success of Seven, Pitt took a supporting role as Jeffrey Goines in Terry Gilliam's 1995 science-fiction film 12 Monkeys. The movie received predominantly positive reviews, with Pitt praised in particular. Janet Maslin of the New York Times called Twelve Monkeys "fierce and disturbing" and remarked on Pitt's "startlingly frenzied performance", concluding that he "electrifies Jeffrey with a weird magnetism that becomes important later in the film."[44] He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film[36] and received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.[45]
The following year he had a role in the legal drama Sleepers (1996), based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's novel of the same name.[46] The film received mixed reviews.[47] In the 1997 film The Devil's Own Pitt starred, opposite Harrison Ford, as the Irish Republican Army terrorist Rory Devany,[48] a role for which he was required to learn an Irish accent.[49] Critical opinion was divided on his accent; "Pitt finds the right tone of moral ambiguity, but at times his Irish brogue is too convincing – it's hard to understand what he's saying", wrote the San Francisco Chronicle.[50] The Charleston Gazette opined that it had favored Pitt's accent over the movie.[51] The Devil's Own grossed $140 million worldwide,[23] but was a critical failure. Later that year he led as Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer in the Jean-Jacques Annaud film Seven Years in Tibet.[52] Pitt trained for months for the role, which demanded significant mountain climbing and trekking practice, including rock climbing in California and the European Alps with his co-star David Thewlis.[53] The film received mostly negative reviews, and was generally considered a disappointment.[54]
Pitt had the lead role in 1998's fantasy romance film Meet Joe Black. He portrayed a personification of death inhabiting the body of a young man to learn what it is like to be human.[55] The film received mixed reviews, and many were critical of Pitt's performance. According to Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle, Pitt was unable to "make an audience believe that he knows all the mysteries of death and eternity."[56] Roger Ebert stated "Pitt is a fine actor, but this performance is a miscalculation."[57]
1999–2003
In 1999, Pitt portrayed Tyler Durden in Fight Club,[58][59] a film adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel of the same name, directed by David Fincher.[60] Pitt prepared for the part with lessons in boxing, taekwondo, and grappling.[61] To look the part, Pitt consented to the removal of pieces of his front teeth which were restored when filming ended.[62] While promoting Fight Club, Pitt said that the film explored not taking one's aggressions out on someone else but to "have an experience, take a punch more and see how you come out on the other end."[63] Fight Club premiered at the 1999 Venice International Film Festival.[64] Despite divided critical opinion on the film as a whole,[65][66] Pitt's performance was widely praised. Paul Clinton of CNN noted the risky yet successful nature of the film,[67] while Variety remarked upon Pitt's ability to be "cool, charismatic and more dynamically physical, perhaps than ... his breakthrough role in Thelma and Louise".[68] In spite of a worse-than-expected box office performance, Fight Club became a cult classic after its DVD release in 2000.[69]
Pitt in December 2001
The following year Pitt starred opposite Julia Roberts in the romantic comedy The Mexican,[74] a film that garnered a range of reviews[75] but enjoyed box office success.[23] Pitt's next role, in 2001's $143 million-grossing Cold War thriller Spy Game,[23] was as Tom Bishop, an operative of the CIA's Special Activities Division, mentored by Robert Redford's character.[76] Mark Holcomb of Salon.com enjoyed the film, although he noted that neither Pitt nor Redford provided "much of an emotional connection for the audience".[77] On November 22, 2001, Pitt made a guest appearance in the eighth season of the television series Friends, playing a man with a grudge against Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston, to whom Pitt was married at the time.[78] For this performance he was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.[79] In December 2001, Pitt had the role of Rusty Ryan in the heist film Ocean's Eleven, a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack original. He joined an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, and Julia Roberts.[80] Well received by critics, Ocean's Eleven was highly successful at the box office, earning $450 million worldwide.[23]
Pitt appeared in two episodes of MTV's reality series Jackass in February 2002, first running through the streets of Los Angeles with several cast members in gorilla suits,[81] and participating in his own staged abduction in another episode.[82] In the same year, Pitt had a cameo role in George Clooney's directorial debut Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.[83] He took on his first voice-acting roles in 2003, speaking as the titular character of the DreamWorks animated film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas[84] and playing Boomhauer's brother, Patch, in an episode of the animated television series King of the Hill.[85]
2004–present
Pitt had two major film roles in 2004, starring as Achilles in Troy, and making a second appearance as Rusty Ryan, in the sequel Ocean's Twelve. He spent six months sword training before the filming of Troy, based on the Iliad.[86] An on-set injury to his Achilles tendon delayed production on the picture for several weeks.[87] Stephen Hunter of The Washington Times stated that Pitt excelled at such a demanding role.[88] Troy was the first film produced by Plan B Entertainment, a film production company he had founded two years earlier with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Grey, CEO of Paramount Pictures.[89] Ocean's Twelve earned $362 million worldwide,[23] and Pitt and Clooney's dynamic was described by CNN's Paul Clinton as "the best male chemistry since Paul Newman and Robert Redford."[90]In 2005, Pitt starred in the Doug Liman-directed action comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith, in which a bored married couple discover that each is an assassin sent to kill the other. The feature received reasonable reviews but was generally lauded for the chemistry between Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who played his character's wife Jane Smith. The Star Tribune noted that "while the story feels haphazard, the movie gets by on gregarious charm, galloping energy and the stars' thermonuclear screen chemistry."[91] Mr. & Mrs. Smith earned $478 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest hits of 2005.[92]
Pitt at the Burn After Reading premiere in August 2008
Reprising his role as Rusty Ryan in a third picture, Pitt starred in 2007's Ocean's Thirteen.[99] While less lucrative than the first two films, this sequel earned $311 million at the international box office.[23] Pitt's next film role was as American outlaw Jesse James in the 2007 Western drama The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, adapted from Ron Hansen's 1983 novel of the same name.[100] Directed by Andrew Dominik and produced by Pitt's company Plan B Entertainment, the film premiered at the 2007 Venice Film Festival,[101] with Pitt playing a "scary and charismatic" role, according to Lewis Beale of Film Journal International,[102] and earning Pitt the Volpi Cup award for Best Actor at the 64th Venice International Film Festival.[103] He eventually collected the award one year later at the 2008 festival.[104]
Pitt's next appearance was in the 2008 black comedy Burn After Reading, his first collaboration with the Coen brothers. The film received a positive reception from critics, with The Guardian calling it "a tightly wound, slickly plotted spy comedy",[105] noting that Pitt's performance was one of the funniest.[105] He was later cast as Benjamin Button, the lead in David Fincher's 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a loosely adapted version of a 1921 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The story follows a man who is born an octogenarian and ages in reverse,[106] with Pitt's "sensitive" performance making Benjamin Button a "timeless masterpiece," according to Michael Sragow of The Baltimore Sun.[107] The performance earned Pitt his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination,[108] as well as a fourth Golden Globe and second Academy Award nomination,[36][109] all in the category for Best Actor. The film received thirteen Academy Award nominations in total, and grossed $329 million at the box office worldwide.[23]
Pitt at the German premiere of Inglourious Basterds in July 2009
Pitt appeared in Terrence Malick's experimental drama The Tree of Life, co-starring Sean Penn, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.[116] In a performance that attracted strong praise, he portrayed the Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane in the drama Moneyball, which is based on the 2003 book of the same name written by Michael Lewis.[117] Moneyball received six Academy Award nominations including Best Actor for Pitt.[118]
His next role was as mob hitman Jackie Cogan in Andrew Dominik's 2012 Killing Them Softly, based on the novel Cogan's Trade by George V. Higgins.[119] In 2013, Pitt starred in World War Z, a thriller about a zombie apocalypse, based on Max Brooks' novel of the same name. Pitt also produced the film.[120] World War Z grossed $540 million at the box office worldwide,[23] becoming Pitt's highest grossing picture.[121] Next in 2013, he produced, and played a small role in, 12 Years a Slave, a historical drama based on the autobiography of Solomon Northup.[122] The film received critical acclaim[123] and was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning three, including Best Picture.[124] Also in 2013, Pitt had a supporting role in Ridley Scott's The Counselor.[125]
Plan B productions landed its first television series on the 2013–2014 schedule, as their joint venture with ABC Studios, the sci-fi/fantasy drama Resurrection, was picked up by ABC.[126]
Pitt starred in Fury, a World War II film directed and written by David Ayer, and co-starring Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal and Michael Pena.[127][128][129] The film was released on October 17, 2014.[127] By the end of its run, Fury proved to be a commercial and critical success; it grossed more than $211 million worldwide[23] and received highly positive reviews from critics.[130]
In 2015, Pitt starred opposite his wife, Jolie, in her third directorial effort, By the Sea, a romantic drama about a marriage in crisis, based on her screenplay. The film was their first collaboration since 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Pitt's next role came with the biographical comedy-drama The Big Short, which he also produced. The film was a commercial and critical success. It went on to gross over 102 million worldwide[131] and received positive reviews from critics.[132][133] The film is nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, earning Pitt his third Academy Award nomination as producer. In 2016, Pitt will star in the Netflix satirical comedy War Machine.[134]
On February 5, 2016, Jesse James, a chopper creator made a pistol for Brad Pitt which is a .45 and it has the printing "Big Papa.[135]" Pitt himself is a backer of gun rights, saying I don’t feel safe, I don’t feel the house is completely safe, if I don’t have one hidden somewhere.[135]”
Humanitarian and political causes
Pitt visited the University of Missouri campus in October 2004 to encourage students to vote in the 2004 U.S. presidential election,[136] in which he supported John Kerry.[136][137] Later in October he publicly supported the principle of public funding for embryonic stem-cell research. "We have to make sure that we open up these avenues so that our best and our brightest can go find these cures that they believe they will find," he said.[138] In support of this he endorsed Proposition 71, a California ballot initiative intended to provide state government funding for stem-cell research.[139]
Pitt at the "Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict", June 2014
Pitt has a sustained interest in architecture,[146] even taking time away from film to study computer-aided design at the Los Angeles offices of renowned architect Frank Gehry.[147] He narrated Design e2, a PBS television series focused on worldwide efforts to build environmentally friendly structures through sustainable architecture and design.[148] He founded the Make It Right Foundation in 2006, organizing housing professionals in New Orleans to finance and construct 150 sustainable, affordable new houses in New Orleans's Ninth Ward following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.[149][150] The project involves 13 architectural firms and the environmental organization Global Green USA, with several of the firms donating their services.[151][152] Pitt and philanthropist Steve Bing have each committed $5 million in donations.[153] The first six homes were completed in October 2008,[154] and in September 2009 Pitt received an award in recognition of the project from the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built and operated.[155][156] Pitt met with U.S. President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi in March 2009 to promote his concept of green housing as a national model and to discuss federal funding possibilities.[157]
In September 2006, Pitt and Jolie established a charitable organization, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, to aid humanitarian causes around the world.[158] The foundation made initial donations of $1 million each to Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders,[159] followed by an October 2006 donation of $100,000 to the Daniel Pearl Foundation, an organization created in memory of the late American journalist Daniel Pearl.[160] According to federal filings, Pitt and Jolie invested $8.5 million into the foundation in 2006; it gave away $2.4 million in 2006[161] and $3.4 million in 2007.[162] In June 2009 the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $1 million to a U.N. refugee agency to help Pakistanis displaced by fighting between troops and Taliban militants.[163] In January 2010 the foundation donated $1 million to Doctors Without Borders for emergency medical assistance to help victims of the Haiti earthquake.[164][165]
Pitt is a supporter of same-sex marriage.[166] In an October 2006 interview with Esquire, Pitt said that he would marry Jolie when everyone in America is legally able to marry.[167] In September 2008, he donated $100,000 to the campaign against California's 2008 ballot proposition Proposition 8, an initiative to overturn the state Supreme Court decision that had legalized same-sex marriage.[168] In March 2012, Pitt was featured in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play, '8' — a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage — as Judge Vaughn Walker.[169]
In September 2012, Pitt reaffirmed his support of President Obama, saying, "I am an Obama supporter and I'm backing his US election campaign."[170]
Personal life
Relationships
Angelina Jolie and Pitt at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
Pitt met Friends actress Jennifer Aniston in 1998 and married her in a private wedding ceremony in Malibu on July 29, 2000. For years their marriage was considered a rare Hollywood success;[172] however, in January 2005, Pitt and Aniston announced they had decided to separate. Two months later, Aniston filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[173] Pitt and Aniston's divorce was finalized by the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 2, 2005.[173] Despite media reports that Pitt and Aniston had an acrimonious relationship, Pitt said in a February 2009 interview that he and Aniston "check in with each other", adding that they were both big parts of each other's lives.[174]
During Pitt's divorce proceedings, his involvement with his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star Angelina Jolie attracted media attention. While Pitt stated that there was no infidelity, he also stated that he "fell in love" with Jolie on the set.[175] In April 2005, one month after Aniston filed for divorce, a set of paparazzi photographs emerged showing Pitt, Jolie and her son Maddox at a beach in Kenya; the press interpreted the pictures as evidence of a relationship between Pitt and Jolie. During 2005, the two were seen together with increasing frequency, and the entertainment media dubbed the couple "Brangelina".[176] On January 11, 2006, Jolie confirmed to People that she was pregnant with Pitt's child, thereby publicly acknowledging their relationship for the first time. Pitt and Jolie announced their engagement in April 2012 after seven years together.[177] They were married on August 23, 2014, in a private ceremony in Château Miraval, France.[178]
Children
In July 2005, Pitt accompanied Jolie to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she adopted her second child, Zahara Marley.[179][180] On December 3, 2005, Pitt was in the process of becoming the adoptive father of both children;[181] on January 19, 2006, a California judge granted Jolie's request to change the children's surnames from "Jolie" to "Jolie-Pitt".[182] The adoptions were finalized soon after.[183]Jolie gave birth to daughter Shiloh Nouvel in Swakopmund, Namibia, on May 27, 2006. Pitt confirmed that their newborn daughter would have a Namibian passport.[184] The couple sold the first pictures of Shiloh through the distributor Getty Images; the North American rights were purchased by People for over $4.1 million, while Hello! obtained the British rights for approximately $3.5 million. The proceeds from the sale were donated to charities serving African children.[185] Madame Tussauds in New York unveiled a wax figure of two-month-old Shiloh; it marked the first time an infant was recreated in wax by Madame Tussauds.[186]
On March 15, 2007, Jolie adopted three-year-old Pax Thien from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.[187] Pitt adopted Pax in the United States on February 21, 2008.[188]
At the Cannes Film Festival in May 2008, Jolie confirmed that she was expecting twins.[189] She gave birth to son Knox Léon and daughter Vivienne Marcheline on July 12, 2008 in Nice, France.[190] The rights for the first images of Knox and Vivienne were jointly sold to People and Hello! for $14 million—the most expensive celebrity pictures ever taken.[191][192] The couple donated the proceeds to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.[191][193]
In the media
Pitt interviewed by the news media at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2007
Starting in 2005, Pitt's relationship with Angelina Jolie became one of the most reported celebrity stories worldwide. After confirming that Jolie was pregnant in early 2006, the significant media hype surrounding the couple reached what Reuters, in a story titled "The Brangelina fever," called "the point of insanity".[202] To avoid media attention, the couple flew to Namibia for the birth of their daughter Shiloh, which was described by the media as "the most anticipated baby since Jesus Christ."[203] Similarly, intense media interest greeted the announcement two years later of Jolie's second pregnancy; for the two weeks Jolie spent in a seaside hospital in Nice, reporters and photographers camped outside on the promenade to report on the birth.[204]
In a 2006 global industry survey by ACNielsen in 42 international markets, Pitt, together with Jolie, was found to be the favorite celebrity endorser for brands and products worldwide.[205] Pitt has appeared in several television commercials. For the U.S. market, he starred in a Heineken commercial aired during the 2005 Super Bowl; it was directed by David Fincher, who had directed Pitt in Seven, Fight Club, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.[206] Other commercial appearances came in television spots including Acura Integra, in which he was featured opposite Russian model Tatiana Sorokko,[207] as well as SoftBank, and Edwin Jeans.[208] On June 2, 2015, the minor planet 29132 Bradpitt was named in his honor.[209]
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt
Filmography (selected)
Main article: Brad Pitt filmography
- Thelma & Louise (1991)
- A River Runs Through It (1992)
- Kalifornia (1993)
- True Romance (1993)
- Interview with the Vampire (1994)
- Legends of the Fall (1994)
- Seven (1994)
- 12 Monkeys (1995)
- Sleepers (1996)
- Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
- Meet Joe Black (1998)
- Fight Club (1999)
- Snatch (2000)
- The Mexican (2001)
- Spy Game (2001)
- Ocean's Eleven (2001)
- Troy (2004)
- Ocean's Twelve (2004)
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
- Babel (2006)
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
- Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
- Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- Tree of Life (2011)
- Moneyball (2011)
- World War Z (2013)
- 12 Years a Slave (2013)
- Fury (2014)
- The Big Short (2015)
- Allied (2016)
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