TORONTO, Canada—“I was stunned.”That was his reaction, Brad Pitt told this reporter, when he received the news that he had won the Best Actor award in the 64th Venice Film Festival for his performance in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”
Pitt is here for the Toronto International Film Festival, where the same film is an entry.The actor got the call from his producing partners who were in Venice for the awards night ceremonies just before his scheduled interview with this reporter’s group, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Pitt, who won for his portrayal of America’s most famous outlaw, said he was with his partner, Angelina Jolie, when the call came through.
Pitt expressed elation at Cate Blanchett’s Best Actress prize for portraying Bob Dylan in the bold, experimental “I’m Not There,” which shared the Special Jury Prize with “La Graine et le Mulet.”
He said his triumph was especially rewarding since “The Assassination,” written and directed by Andrew Dominik, was plagued by production problems and delays and took three years to make. meanwhile Ang Lee duplicated his Venice triumph two years ago for “Brokeback Mountain.” The Chinese director’s “Lust, Caution” won the Golden Lion top prize awar.

By Ruben V. Nepales of  Inquirer