Brad Pitt appears on the February 2009 cover of W magazine, which hits newsstands on January 20.  The actor follows closely in the footsteps of his partner Angelina Jolie, who caused a media stir when she appears on the cover of the November 2008 issue, and shared intimate breastfeeding photos for an article.

Pitt was photographed for the new W cover by photographic artist Chuck Close, who is known for his super detailed photos that show every furrow and flaw.  According to W, Brad insisted upon using Close.

In his sit down interview with W, Pitt was asked about a comment that his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston made during a recent Vogue magazine interview.   In an uncharacteristically candid moment, the actress called Angelina “uncool” for sharing details about her early romance with the still married Pitt.  He was surprisingly quick to jump to Jen’s defense:

“Listen man, Jen is a sweetheart.  I think she got dragged into that one.  And then there’s a second round to all of that Angie versus Jen.  It’s so created.  We still check in with each other.  She is a big part of my life and me hers.  I don’t see how there cannot be that.  That’s life man, that’s life.”

The article accompanying Pitt’s photo shoot touts his critically acclaimed new film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and insinuates that his personal life has almost singlehandedly kept the tabloids in business.  They follow that up by proclaiming that Brad Pitt has clearly mastered the art of superstardom.

Check out the entire interview here.

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Filed under: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Celebrities, Jennifer Aniston