Brad Pitt in a scene from 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

The actor is nominated for a Best Actor prize at this year's (09) Academy Awards for his portrayal of a man who ages backwards after being born with the physical limitations of a man in his eighties.

And aside from the prestigious Oscar nomination, the star has another reason to be grateful for the role - it forced him to confront his own mortality and ultimately changed his outlook on life.

He explains, "I walked away realising that time is short. I don't know if I have a day or 10 days or 10 years or 40 years. Am I halfway or am I close to the end?

"I don't know, so I have to make sure I don't waste those moments in any kind of pettiness or bitterness or laziness, and that I surround myself with the people who are most important to me."

Source: WENN