Esquire

Brad Pitt traded his signature all-black wardrobe for a white ensemble to pose for the June/July issue of Esquire, which will debut on newsstands May 31. Brad is embarking on promotional duties for his latest film, World War Z, which hits US theaters next month, but the focus of his Esquire interview fell mainly on the importance of his family. A close friend of Brad's even shared story for the article to illustrate just how loving things can get within the Jolie-Pitt household revealing, "Once I walked in and Angie was standing there and Zahara walked up and said, 'Daddy, you're not going to start making out with Mommy again, are you?' And it's like that. This is a guy who has tried not to do any sexy scenes with other women since he's met Angelina. He's crazy about her, and she's the same way about him."

The interview was conducted before the news of Angelina Jolie's preventative double mastectomy was revealed, which Brad did not allude to during the feature. In addition to praising his long-time partner, he also spoke candidly about finding happiness and addressed the interesting reason behind why he likes to stay at home. Here's more from Brad Pitt in Esquire:

• On family: "I have a handful of close friends and I have my family and I haven't known life to be any happier. I always thought that if I wanted to do a family, I wanted to do it big. I wanted there to be chaos in the house. There's constant chatter in our house, whether it's giggling or screaming or crying or banging. I love it. I love it. I love it."
• On Angelina: "Angie is the best person."
• On catching flak for his poor recollection skills: "So many people hate me because they think I'm disrespecting them. So I swear to God, I took one year where I just said, 'This year, I'm just going to cop to it and say to people, "OK, where did we meet?"' But it just got worse. People were more offended. Every now and then, someone will give me context, and I'll say, 'Thank you for helping me.' But I piss more people off. You get this thing, like, 'You're being egotistical. You're being conceited.' But it's a mystery to me, man. I can't grasp a face and yet I come from such a design/aesthetic point of view. I am going to get it tested. That's why I stay at home."

Leonardo DiCaprio looks dapper in a suit on the cover of Esquire's May issue, which will be available on newsstands April 23. He is gearing up for a big month with the debut of his latest, The Great Gatsby, at the Cannes Film Festival next month on May 19. Along with prepping for his Gatsby promotional tour, he has been busy filming The Wolf of Wall Street alongside Matthew McConaughey, which will hit big screens this Fall.

Leo, however, did not always have such a demanding schedule, which he addressed in his interview with Esquire. He also touched on the topics of handling his early success on his own as well as why a relationship could be a difficult thing to maintain at the moment. Here is more from Leonardo DiCaprio in Esquire:

• On finding fame as an underdog: "I always thought of myself as the underdog, because I didn't have nice enough clothes or maybe my hair didn't look good. And so you have to understand — getting your foot in the door is like winning the lottery. It's literally like winning the lottery if you get to have a career. And I've always felt, okay, now I've gotten this shot, and I'm lucky to have gotten this shot, and if I don't do this to the best of my ability — if I don't work my ass off and make a life of it — I've squandered this incredibly golden opportunity. And that's always been what has propelled me."
• On navigating his early success: "I really didn't understand what fame was and I didn't understand what being in a giant hit was and I didn't understand what a giant hit Titanic was compared to other giant hits. There was no rule book. There was nobody to navigate me through the experience of being watched all the time and nobody to tell me how to be normal when everybody is acting and looking at me differently."
• On relationships: "Six months of being on location or being off in Morocco or someplace like that is not the best thing for a relationship."

Megan Fox strikes a bombshell pose on the cover of Esquire's February issue, but inside the pages of the magazine, she compares her experience as a celebrity to being bullied on a "global scale." Megan gave birth to her first child in 2012 and talks about working toward moving beyond her sex-symbol status, which she says made her feel "powerless," in the interview. She also reflects on her upbringing in the Pentecostal church, where she spoke in tongues alongside the other members of the congregation, and why she's rethinking some of her many tattoos. The issue hits newsstands on Jan. 22. Here's more from Megan Fox in Esquire:

• On what it's like to be famous: "I don't think people understand. They all think we should shut the f**k up and stop complaining because you live in a big house or you drive a Bentley. So your life must be so great. What people don't realize is that fame, whatever your worst experience in high school, when you were being bullied by those ten kids in high school, fame is that, but on a global scale, where you're being bullied by millions of people constantly."
• On why she's removing her Marilyn Monroe tattoo: "I started reading about her and realized that her life was incredibly difficult. It's like when you visualize something for your future. I didn't want to visualize something so negative. . . . She was sort of like Lindsay [Lohan]. She was an actress who wasn't reliable, who almost wasn't insurable. . . . She had all the potential in the world, and it was squandered. I'm not interested in following in those footsteps."
• On speaking in tongues at church: "I have seen magical, crazy things happen. I've seen people be healed. . . . It feels like a lot of energy coming through the top of your head — I'm going to sound like such a lunatic — and then your whole body is filled with this electric current. And you just start speaking, but you're not thinking because you have no idea what you're saying. Words are coming out of your mouth, and you can't control it.

Photos courtesy Sante D'Orazio for Esquire


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The listing price of Dumbo, New York's landmark clock tower building, was just slashed from a staggering $25 million to $19 million. While the sticker shock still stings for most of us, we can't help but marvel at this peerless piece of New York real estate, formerly used as Esquire's 2011 bachelor pad show home. Perfect for the brazen billionaire battling time management issues, the clock tower home has not one, but four 14-foot clock face windows — all electronically synchronized, of course. They certainly help keep time, but more importantly, they provide picturesque views from the Hudson River and Statue of Liberty to Manhattan. Keep reading to tour this unique property!

Jon Hamm and Kate Upton share the cover of Esquire's March issue. Kate, who was unveiled as Sports Illustrated's 2012 Swimsuit Issue cover girl Monday, posed in skimpy lingerie for photographer Yu Tsai. Jon was also shot by Yu, but he kept covered up in stylish menswear. Jon's gearing up for the fifth season of Mad Men, which premieres with a two-hour episode on March 25. Kate got candid with the publication about the popular YouTube video of her dancing at a Clippers game, but Jon wouldn't share much about his show. Make sure to check out more from Jon in Esquire and additional Kate Upton pictures.

• Jon on season five of Mad Men: "I can't tell you anything. I can't tell anyone. None of us can. Those are my only real secrets."
• Kate on video of her doing the Dougie: "People want to see personality. Otherwise they make assumptions, like, 'Yeah, she's pretty, but she's probably a bitch.' That's why everyone likes the video. It's me. It wasn't planned for Twitter or YouTube. It's, like, real."

Rihanna is Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive for 2011! The distinction comes during a busy year for Rihanna that's been full of touring and launching new music. She spoke with a writer from the magazine about touring, eating, and her personal life, even touching on her feelings for her ex, Chris Brown. Rihanna's dating Dudley O'Shaughnessy now, according to reports, but this interview took place before they met. Rihanna said:

• On sleeping in her bus while on tour: "I hate going to hotels when I'm on tour. I like to stay on the bus. I can sleep, I can shower, I can just pull up right to the venue everyday. I work out. I have a trainer. So, she trains me wherever, whenever. Touring messes with my metabolism, so I have to get tight."
• On not liking new foods: "I'm very stubborn when it comes to food. I don't like to try new things. When I came to America, there were so many different cultures and tastes. I haven't acquired a taste for a lot of things. Like, calamari? Jay-Z had to make me eat it. We have this thing called Taste Test Tuesdays or New Flavor Fridays or Substitute Saturdays."
• On wishing Chris Brown well: "It's incredible to see how he pulled out of it the way he did. Even when the world seemed like it was against him, you know? I really like the music he's putting out. I'm a fan of his stuff. I've always been a fan. Obviously, I had some resentment toward him for a while, for obvious reasons. But I've put that behind me. It was taking up too much of my time. It was too much anger. I'm really excited to see the breakthrough he's had in his career. I would never wish anything horrible for him. Never. I never have."

There's a double dose of Ryan Gosling on the September cover of Esquire. Before Ryan dyed his hair blond for The Place Beyond the Pines, he worked with photographer Perou on the Ryan-meets-Ryan concept. The results of their collaboration depict Drive star Ryan's Hollywood persona and his skeleton-obsessed private side. Ryan and one of the magazine's writers ventured to Coney Island to do the accompanying interview. Ryan touched on his obsession with bones, love for sweets, and growing up in a theme park. He said:

• Ryan on living two lives: "I think I was always bound to become two selves, if I wasn't already. Now there's this me, this public me, and I know that I have become two people. This is what I told the photographer before he took those photographs. Even my own name sounds like just someone I know."
• Ryan on his love for candy: "This is the stuff . . . I like to call this the next level of candy . . . Hi-Chews! Look at these! It's the candy that never quits on you. This candy is always worth the price. There used to be a candy called Bonkers, which I believe to be the greatest candy of all time. For some reason, they discontinued Bonkers . . . Sometimes I think that the one thing I love most about being an adult is the right to buy candy whenever and wherever I want."
• Ryan on growing up in Disney World: "I went through puberty in a theme park . . . I'm grateful. That place was a landscape to me. I had adventures every day. Backstage at Disney World, there are stories. Mickey Mouse with his head off, drinking coffee on break. Pirates on the phone. Ghosts in line for food. It just made me see things."

Matthew McConaughey makes a fully clothed appearance on the latest cover of Esquire. He was photographed by Perou for the suited up desert spread, joining the ranks of other celebrities who have posed with animals. MM's latest magazine appearance comes as he's winding down promotions for The Lincoln Lawyer. The movie is holding strong at the box office after its second weekend, but Matthew's attention turned away from film for the interview. He touched on not marrying Camila Alves, the public's perception of him, and the way he lives his life. Here's more:

• On making a life with Camila: "I found the woman I wanna do it with, the woman I wanna make a family with, hopefully live our life out together. She needs to have 50 percent of that. I mean, it's a lot easier for me to be at 100 percent. I'd always been 100 percent. It's braver for me at 50 percent."
• On the public's perception of him: "Would I like the perception of me to be a true mirror of who I am? Sure. Absolutely. Are there still things that I've got that are mine? That are nobody's business? Sure. Speculate all you want. Why didn't Camila and I get married? Nobody's business."
• On enjoying his life: "Am I a fun-loving guy, man? Who likes running around in the summer with his shirt off, man? Am I a guy who likes to hang out with his friends, and party and go to concerts and football games with his friends? Well, yeah! Yes, I am. Always have been. Always hopefully will be. You know?"