One of Hollywood's biggest stars has recently opened up about a struggle he faces (no pun intended) every single day– an inability to recognize faces.
Brad Pitt believes he suffers from an illness that causes 'face blindness', which leaves his brain unable to process faces the way most people do. Just looking at someone feels like trying to have a conversation in a language you don't speak when it comes to this condition.
In an interview with GQ, he revealed that he believes he suffers from prosopagnosia, or 'face blindness'.
Prosopagnosia is a neurological condition that creates an inability to recognize faces in those who suffer from it, sometimes not even being able to distinguish a face as something different than an object. According to the Prosopagnosia Research Center, one in 50 people have some form of face blindness.
He shared that he feels "ashamed" when he can't remember anyone's face, and desperately wish he could. It's a clear point of frustration as he declared, "Nobody believes me!" when he tries to explain it.
In a 2013 interview with Esquire, he said, "So many people hate me because they think I'm disrespecting them, 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."
Pitt has often come across as aloof, sometimes even vain, but if you couldn't recognize people you'd met before, you'd probably seem pretty distant too.
The Carnegie Mellon University has already reached out and offered Pitt to have his brain examined by a neuroscientist at their facility, an offer he'll hopefully take so he can have some peace of mind.
h/t: Insider
