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It was the first acting Oscar for Pitt, 56,
after three decades in the movie industry. He previously won an
Academy Award as a producer in 2014 for best picture "12 Years a
Slave."
In "Once Upon a Time," Pitt played the laid-back stunt double
and fixit man Cliff Booth to Leonardo DiCaprio's fading TV
Western star.
"I'm a bit gobsmacked," Pitt said on stage as he accepted the
award. "I'm not one to look back, but this has made me do so. I
think of my folks taking me to the drive-in to see Butch
(Cassidy) and (the) Sundance (Kid), loading up my car and moving
out here ... to all the wonderful people I've met along the way.
"To stand here now, once upon a time in Hollywood. Ain't that
the truth?" he added.
His performance, which has won numerous other accolades, was
hailed by critics as the best of Pitt's career and included an
extended shirtless scene that sent fans and celebrity media
buzzing.
The Academy Award capped a comeback for the actor after a
three-year film absence following flops "Allied" in 2016 and
"War Machine" in 2017, and an extended period where he was
portrayed as the bad guy in divorces from actresses Angelina
Jolie and Jennifer Aniston.
Pitt had adopted a low profile as he and Jolie spent more than
two years in a bitter custody dispute over their six children
that involved accusations against the actor of child abuse,
heavy drinking and drug use.
He was cleared by investigators in Los Angeles of abuse
allegations, which stemmed from an angry altercation in front of
his children toward the end of his marriage to Jolie.
In a 2017 interview, Pitt admitted a heavy marijuana habit and
said his drinking had gotten out of control, but said that since
the split with Jolie he had quit alcohol and was undergoing
therapy.
Pitt first grabbed audiences' attention with a small part as in
1991's "Thelma & Louise," playing a seductive criminal who
conned the character played by Geena Davis.
He went on to lauded performances in films such as "A River Runs
Through It" and "Fight Club" and earned Oscar acting nominations
for "Twelve Monkeys," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and
"Moneyball."
Pitt founded a film and TV production company with credits that
include Oscar-winning movie "Moonlight," "The Big Short" and
"Selma."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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