'F1' star Brad Pitt's image is bulletproof despite scandal, thanks to strategic image control: expert

Brad Pitt has been a staple of the silver screen since he stole the show (and Louise's life savings) in 1991’s "Thelma & Louise" and has stayed a reliable box office draw over the last 30 years. 

The 61-year-old movie star now leads "F1: The Movie," which has overtaken "Napoleon" as Apple’s highest-grossing film to date, generating $293 million at the box office after 10 days of release as of Sunday, according to Variety. Ridley Scott’s "Napoleon" made $221 million. 

"Over the last 35 years, Brad Pitt has appeared in more than 60 films and roughly 20 television series, but it’s not the quantity or volume of his creative projects that have made him a Hollywood icon—it’s the quality," Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, tells Fox News Digital of Pitt’s staying power. 

Eldridge adds: "Pitt’s early career was largely defined by ‘hunky heartthrob’ roles, where his piercing eyes and rippling abs hypnotized half of the viewing audience. But the mid-to-late ‘90s proved to be a pivotal time for Pitt, as he headlined an all-star cast in two cult favorites: ’Seven' and ‘Fight Club.’ From that point forward, he commanded the attention and adoration of both male and female fans alike."

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Brad Pitt at the European Premiere of "F1: The Movie" on June 23.  (Dave Benett/WireImage)

Eldridge compared Pitt to Robert Redford, saying he has managed to age with "grace and elegance, due in large part to genetics, sobriety, and most of all, staying true to the roles with which he identified."

In the 2000s, Pitt turned to blockbuster action films like "Troy," "World War Z" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" as well as the "Ocean’s 11" trilogy. 

He also made two Quentin Tarantino films: "Inglourious Basterds" in 2009 and won the Academy Award in 2020 for best supporting actor for his role as Leonardo DiCaprio’s stuntman Cliff Booth in "Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood." 

"Brad Pitt has remained a highly successful actor with a strong box office presence, despite the controversies he has faced, by building a reputation that has left him with a net-positive sentiment among most of the public."

Pitt also won an Oscar in 2014 for his producing role in "12 Years a Slave," which won best picture. 

PR expert Matt Wolf tells Fox News Digital that Pitt has a talent for finding smart projects. 

"Brad is still a household name whose charm hasn't faded," Wolf says. "His penchant for identifying good material and delivering authentic performances is why he continues to have success at the box office." 

Jared Meade, MPS, APR, founder and principal, Rayne Strategy Group, says that Pitt "plays the long game when it comes to his reputation." 

Meade says that despite his controversies, like his high-profile split from wife Jennifer Aniston and his drawn-out divorce with Angelina Jolie, Pitt has created a "net-positive sentiment among most of the public."

"Brad Pitt has remained a highly successful actor with a strong box office presence, despite the controversies he has faced, by building a reputation that has left him with a net-positive sentiment among most of the public," Meade stated.

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Brad Pitt shooting "F1" with co-star Damson Idris in 2023.  (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

He says Pitt built out his reputation "by cultivating a layered public persona, starting as the romantic lead, then transitioning to more serious roles, becoming a producer, a style icon and a philanthropist."

He adds that "The Lost City" actor doesn’t "rush in with overcorrection or attention-seeking antics during difficult times. He lets time, his high-quality work and restraint rehabilitate his image."

Meade says Pitt has also been open about the struggles he’s faced, "such as with alcohol, that he is perceived as owning his personal failings without sensationalizing them. This causes audiences to be more forgiving than if he were defensive. While some of the accusations against him have been serious, and we don't want to minimize those, his public persona has never come across as predatory, manipulative, or intentionally harmful. So far, the public seems to have been forgiving to him. They still like him, despite his flaws."

Brad Pitt in 1991's "Thelma and Louise."  (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images)

Last month, Pitt opened up on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast about his sobriety journey, saying he "needed rebooting" amid his split from then-wife Angelina Jolie following an alleged 2016 incident when an inebriated Pitt had an altercation with Jolie and their six children. 

Jolie claimed in legal documents that Pitt "choked one of the children and struck another in the face" and "grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her." He then poured "beer and red wine" on her and their six children. Jolie quickly filed for divorce after the alleged incident. 

While Pitt has denied the physical abuse claims, he admitted he needed to get sober. 

"I was pretty much on my back, you know, or on my knees," Pitt told Shepard. "I was trying anything and everyone. Anything anyone threw at me. It was a particularly difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the f--- up in some areas. And it just meant a lot to me."

He added, "I am a stubborn f---, but I am also, when I've stepped in s---, I'm pretty good at taking responsibility for it and owning up to it. And now it's a quest to, you know, ‘What do I do with this? How can I right this and make sure it doesn’t happen again?'"

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Meade says that the actor has "mastered the ability to know when to be visible and when not to," explaining that he knows that "silence can be just as, if not more beneficial, than exposure when it comes to maintaining a good reputation."

Pitt has "curated his visibility" in a way that has kept him "mysterious, respected and still media-relevant without becoming overly familiar," Meade says.

"This is part of the reason the public hasn't immediately jumped in during controversial moments to villainize him," he tells Fox News Digital. "The public's opinion is shaped mainly by the memories of him from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Couple that with Pitt's selectively chosen event appearances, interviews and profiles and it's easier to see why his reputation and box office draw remain."

Wolf also believes that Pitt stands out from other actors because of his "range."

Brad Pitt with Angelina Jolie in 2011.  (Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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"He also has his own production company and is a respected producer, so he has a knack for finding good material and aligning with top-notch directors," he adds. 

Brad Pitt at the U.K. Premiere of "Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood" in 2019.  ( Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Sony)

Pitt’s films have grossed nearly $5 billion at the global box office, according to Eldridge, "and his Hollywood star has yet to tarnish—literally, or figuratively. To that end, it’s no surprise that ‘F1’ has become a runaway hit for Apple. When you take a closer look at the numbers ‘on the other side of the baseball card’ it starts to make more sense." 

Formula 1 is "widely considered to be the fastest-growing sport in the world," he says, adding that its audience has expanded by 5% since 2021, with an estimated 750 million viewers annually, including in the United States. 

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"That said, when you combine an iconic, multi-billion-dollar box office behemoth with a wildly popular global motor sport, the result is explosive. No pun intended. Pitt and crew should take a well-deserved victory lap, following the film’s success!"