Brad Pitt smiles on Cliff Booth sets weeks after mother’s death 

Brad Pitt has returned to work following the loss of his mother, Jane Pitt, who passed away at age 84 on August 5.

The 61-year-old actor was photographed on the Los Angeles set of The Adventures of Cliff Booth, a Netflix sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

Pitt, reprising his role as stuntman-turned-Hollywood fixer Cliff Booth, was spotted in full 1970s costume: a brown suede jacket, grey jeans, a necklace of white Pooka shells, and a blonde wig paired with a moustache. Security teams kept crowds at bay while the actor filmed scenes in a public location.

Despite his recent loss, Pitt appeared calm and professional. “He was being his usual self despite this personal tragedy,” a source told People.

Though Pitt has not publicly commented on his mother’s passing, he paid tribute to her in June during a Today show interview promoting F1: The Movie. Smiling at the camera, he said: “I gotta say hi to my mom because she watches you every morning. To Jane Pitt. Love you, Mom.”

Unlike the 2019 film, The Adventures of Cliff Booth is not directed by Tarantino. Instead, David Fincher, 62, has taken the helm. Tarantino, who wrote the script, explained on the Church of Tarantino podcast why he stepped aside: “This last movie, I’ve got to not know what I’m doing again. I’ve got to be in uncharted territory.”

Calling Fincher one of the “two best directors” alongside himself, Tarantino added: “The idea that David Fincher actually wants to adapt my work shows a level of seriousness towards my work that needs to be taken into account.”

While Leonardo DiCaprio, who co-starred in the original film as TV star Rick Dalton, is not currently listed on IMDb as part of the new project, the sequel will expand on Cliff Booth’s backstory in his new role as a Hollywood fixer.

Actor Timothy Olyphant has been rumoured to join the cast after hinting on Conan O’Brien’s podcast: “I’m hoping I’m in it. You never know.”