For those who may need a refresher, “12 Monkeys” centers on Cole (Willis), who is sent back in time to save humanity from a deadly virus. Along the way, he encounters a psychiatrist (Madeleine Stowe) and a mental patient (Pitt) who holds the key to a mysterious group known as the Army of the 12 Monkeys, which is believed to be responsible for unleashing the virus.

Context is key here. Pitt was coming off of both “Interview with the Vampire” and “Legends of the Fall” in 1994, which catapulted him to superstardom. “People didn’t necessarily recognize him,” Gilliam explained in the same interview. “Then ‘Legend of the Fall’ opened on the first weekend of the shoot. And bang! The world had changed. We had to have so many security people around because he had become the hottest thing on the planet.” Stowe also likened the experience to being around The Beatles at the height of their fame in the ’60s:

“You would have thought the Beatles had arrived (on set in Philadelphia). The hysteria over him. I thought, ‘Oh my god, this poor man. Look what’s about to happen.’ There were radio reports, people trying to track him. Then he came and gave that incredible performance, that took Terry by surprise. He had no idea what was coming.”

Despite the pitfalls of fame, Pitt helped to make this movie a big success, with “12 Monkeys” becoming a box office smash that spawned a beloved TV show as well. The actor took creative risks rather than playing it safe, and this movie is a fine example. Coupled with other works that would follow such as “Se7ven” and “Fight Club,” he avoided the perils of typecasting to become not just a dreamboat, but one of the best actors of his generation.