Brad Pitt interview (1999):

“…Recently, Pitt says, he's been having comedy dreams. Sometimes he laughs in his sleep. Pitt tells me that he is happy. And then, almost as soon as he has told me this, he begins to worry about it. (It doesn't take much to get him worried.) His imagination begins rolling away with itself, scaring him as it goes. "I just saw a dreadful title," he says. "'Brad Pitt Talks About His Happiness.' Listen, man, it's all up and down. It's all up and down." I nod vaguely, wondering why he's saying this, but then he says something strange and interesting. "You're talking to a guy," Pitt begins, "who's always had this kind of congenital sadness. I don't know where it came from. I don't know what it is - the state of the world, the state of yourself. I don't know. I had a very easy childhood, deprived of nothing per se, so you know..." - and, not knowing, I wait, and he shrugs - "... I mean, turn on the news, man."

I: “So you're less sad now? “

Pitt: “I’ve got reins on it. Awww, man, listen. I see it in so many people. I just always had so many questions growing up: why this, why the state of the world, why does God want this? Congenital sadness. It always came up, for no reason. I don't know what it is. “

I: “And you've had the same as an adult? “

Pitt: “I always had periods. I always had times. “

I: “Obviously people who read about you from a distance... “

Pitt: “[Nods] "You've got it made." Listen, I also live the life of a rock star. “

I: “The only bad thing they think they know is that you might have had a couple of love affairs which didn't work out. “

Pitt: “I know. [Exasperated] Christ. I wish they'd leave it alone. Everybody's got 'em. “

I: “But they can't think of anything else bad that's happened to you. “

Pitt: “Yeah. It's a mystery to me, too. It's an enigma. “