'I did too many drugs... I was a drifter': Brad Pitt reveals he was 'wasting' his life away while married to Jennifer Aniston

PUBLISHED: 10:44 EST, 21 May 2013 | UPDATED: 13:17 EST, 21 May 2013

Brad Pitt has revealed he felt he was wasting his life on drugs during his marriage to Jennifer Aniston.

In yet another blow to his ex, he makes it clear that before he met Angelina Jolie on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004, his life had little meaning.

The 49-year-old actor was married to the Friends star for seven years until 2005.

'I was a bit of a drifter': Brad, who is currently promoting his latest movie World War Z, believed his recreational drug use did some ¿damage¿

'I was a bit of a drifter': Brad Pitt revealed he felt his life had little meaning during his marriage to Jennifer Aniston in the new issue of Esquire magazine

In an interview with the new US issue of Esquire magazine, he says: 'For a long time I thought I did too much damage - drug damage. I was a bit of a drifter. A guy who felt he grew up in something of a vacuum and wanted to see things, wanted to be inspired. I followed that other thing. I spent years f***ing off.

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Revealed: Brad Pitt's ban on sex scenes with other women... and how Zahara cringes at his steamy kisses with Angelina

'But then I got burnt out and felt that I was wasting my opportunity. It was a conscious change.

'This was about a decade ago. It was an epiphany.'

The magazine also quotes Jean Black, Brad's make up artist since 1990, who says Angelina was able to 'unleash' the star's full potential.

Black told the magazine: ‘I think Brad was ready to soar when he met Angie.

Blue steel: The unshaven 49-year-old can be seen looking hunky as ever in a black top and wrinkled jeans, with aviator sunglasses covering his face

HOLLYWOOD'S MOST FAMOUS LOVE TRIANGLE... IN THEIR OWN WORDS

March 2005: Just two months after announcing his separation from Jennifer, Brad posed with Angelina as a 1960s married couple surrounded by children for W magazine. Jennifer later reacted to the steamy shoot by saying her ex is missing a 'sensitivity chip'.

September 2005: Jennifer tells Vanity Fair she was furious about reports the couple had split because she did not want children. 'That really p*ssed me off,' she said. She also took a dig at Brad's then platinum hairdo. 'Billy Idol called – he wants his look back.'

December 2006: Angelina tells Vogue that while filming Mr & Mrs Smith, she couldn't 'wait to get to work' to see Brad. Two years later, Jennifer brands the comments 'uncool.'

2008: In separate interviews, Brad and Angelina both admit the 'fell in love' while filming the action movie in 2004.

September 2011: Brad tells Parade magazine that before Angelina he 'wasn't living an interesting life.' He added: 'I think that my marriage had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't.' He said he's finally a 'satisfied man' with Angelina. He later insisted the comments were misunderstood, adding: 'Jen is an incredibly giving, loving, and hilarious woman who remains my friend.'

‘This is not to say anything negative about Jennifer. I was part of that and I know that he and Jen are very good friends and he cared deeply for her.

'But in Angie he saw a very adventurous person who was grabbing onto life and taking it to it's nth degree. It was intriguing as I felt Brad had that in him and wanted to unleash it.’

It's not the first time Brad has described life before Angelina as a drug-fueled haze.

In 2011, he told Parade magazine he spent the 1990s 'sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out'. He said he felt 'pathetic' and that he 'wasn't living an interesting life.' He added: 'I think that my marriage had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't.'

Brad dated Gwyneth Paltrow from 1994 to 1997 and met Aniston, 42, in 1998. They married in 2000 and divorced five years later.

His other famous exes include Juliette Lewis and Robin Givens.

Brad also spoke to Esquire about his decision to shrink his circle of friends he could spend as much time as possible with Angelina and their six children - Maddox, 11, Pax, nine, Zahara, eight, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne - and he has never been happier.

He admitted: 'I have very few friends. I have a handful of close friends and I have my family and I haven't known life to be any happier.

'I'm making things. I just haven't known life to be any happier.'

The 49-year-old actor fully supported Angelina's decision to have a double mastectomy in February after learning she had an 87 per cent chance of developing breast cancer because she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation.

The 37-year-old actress went ahead with the operation so she can be around for her kids and Brad insists they can be no better motivation as the couple love the 'chaos' of their big household and the bond they all share.

He explained: '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. I hate it when they're gone. I hate it. Maybe it's nice to be in a hotel room for a day - 'Oh, nice, I can finally read a paper.' But then, by the next day, I miss that cacophony, all that life.'

Family guy: The actor says he has never been happier

But the pair still find time for romance amid the mayhem - even though it makes their children cringe.

In the interview, Brad recalls: '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.'

These days, his affection is reserved only for his fiancé thanks to a self-imposed ban on sex scenes. (He was married to Jennifer when the chemistry with Jolie on Mr and Mrs Smith set started to bubble over into real life. Angelina has admitted 'they fell in love' on the film.)

His close friend Frank Pollaro told the magazine: '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.'

Big brood: The stars have six children and Brad says he loves the constant noise in their home

Brad graces the cover of the publication, and can be seen looking as hunky as ever in a black top and wrinkled jeans, with aviator sunglasses covering his face.

The star’s trademark long golden hair flops around his shoulder as he casually grips a camera in one hand.

Brad praised Angelina as ‘heroic’ after she published a piece in the New York Times revealing she had undergone the double mastectomy last week.

'We set up our own little post-op recovery that became pretty fun. You make an adventure out of it,' he later told USA Today.

'I'm quite emotional about it, of course,' Brad said. 'She could have stayed absolutely private about it and I don't think anyone would have been none the wiser with such good results.

'But it was really important to her to share the story and that others would understand it doesn't have to be a scary thing. In fact, it can be an empowering thing, and something that makes you stronger and us stronger.'

'Heroic': Brad praised his brave fiancee for opening up about her surgery in the hope of helping other women

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Ugly man. Inside and out.

- Eddie , London, United Kingdom, 21/5/2013 22:30

Click to rate Rating 27

I've just realised: it's not Angelina I don't like, it's Brad Pitt. I can't bare the fact that he blames his ex wife for his owen infidelity, and that is precisely what he is subtly doing. If I was Jennifer Aniston i would be thankful every day that this loser moved on. I'm pretty sure, one day soon Angelina might start to question if he's really worth it. People talk about these women passing their 'sell by date'. I actually think he's reached his.

- havetocomment , birmingham, 21/5/2013 22:28

Click to rate Rating 274

The Jen 'thing' will never go away. The way you and Angelina hooked up was uncool.

- littlemo24 , Windsor, 21/5/2013 22:23

Click to rate Rating 241

no one knows what goes on in private with a relationship. they weren't happy. attack all people who get divorced. he's happy now. who cares. (and she's got a brad dark haired replacement who does absolutely NOTHING). cool.

- crazyamerican , tampa, United States, 21/5/2013 22:22

Click to rate Rating 38

Mighty nice of him to give Jennifer his waster side for ages and then when it's just about out his system to flounce off with someone else and give the new woman all the rewards of his (slightly) more grown up self without the hassle poor Jen had to go through before his conscience played catch up and the benefits fell into Angelinas lap.

- Stuart , Edinburgh Scotland, United Kingdom, 21/5/2013 22:22

Click to rate Rating 155

I recall him saying that at one point that Jen was his soul mate....?! What happened to that??

- larni , uk, 21/5/2013 22:21

Click to rate Rating 160

Jennifer Aniston probably made him bathe.

- Lynn , Springfield VA, 21/5/2013 22:20

Click to rate Rating 179

Brad Pitt has a classic sense of low self-esteem (despite his younger 'pretty-boy' looks), and tends to have a very weak submissive personality (hence his reliance on drugs). He simply isn't a confident strong dynamic leader, and he needs a strong dominant 'mother figure' woman to take control over him. Jennifer Aniston is very much a girly and was looking for a strong 'take charge' kind of man that she could respect, and quickly discovered that Brad didn't fit the bill. Angelina is a typical 'strong dominant' woman who quickly & easily seduced Brad and took control over him. Brad's appearence has gone quickly downhill since being with Angelina, and these days he just looks like a hobo and is content to live very much in Angelinas shadow, always following 2 steps behind her and happy for her to make all the decisions for him. Jennifer is better off without him.

- George , London-England, 21/5/2013 22:19

Click to rate Rating 183

I don't see where she mentioned her... Leave the man and his family in peace!

- Zainab , Little Rock, 21/5/2013 22:17

Click to rate Rating 50

What do you have to probe brad.. I havent heard jennifer say anything about you yet you bring her up time and time again leave the subject alone just when people stop talking about the sick love triangle you bring it up again... you and amgeluna glorify yourselfs so much ..id be happy to if i had 10 nannys and was able to honey moon 3 times a year.. You guys are sick.

- angel , los angeles, United States, 21/5/2013 22:17

Click to rate Rating 107

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