Brad Pitt tells C-P: Angelina Jolie helps me pick roles

Ever since "Legends of the Fall" turned him into a household name, Brad Pitt has been Hollywood's reigning matinee idol. With appearances in movies like "Seven," "Fight Club," "Twelve Monkeys," "Snatch," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Babel," the actor has figured out a way to mix popcorn pictures with edgier fare.

But how does he pick those winners? He recently let the Courier-Post in on one of his secrets, saying he turns primarily to companion Angelina Jolie for advice.

"I rely on her opinions," he says. "She's the best sounding board that I have and I value her opinion immensely. She (ticks) me off sometimes, but she's smart and she loves film as much as I do."

Now that Pitt is the father to Maddox, 6, Pax, 4, Zahara, 2 and Shiloh, 1, he's toyed with the idea of doing more family-friendly films. But after showing his kids "Sinbad," Pitt says he's decided to stay away from animated movies.

"It was actually confusing for the kids because they were, like, `That sounds like you but it doesn't look like you.' So, I think I'll keep it separate. I'd rather have them be able to enjoy their cartoons without any more confusion from me."

That shouldn't be a problem in his next film, with co-star George Clooney.

Clooney, who also worked with Pitt in all of the "Ocean's" films, is co-starring with him in the upcoming Coen Brothers' CIA thriller "Burn After Reading."

Clooney believes Pitt is one of Hollywood's most underrated performers.

"I'll tell you that Brad's a really brave actor, which is an interesting thing," says Clooney. "People don't say that enough about him. What he did in `Snatch' is just phenomenal. Phenomenal. He should have been nominated."

Pitt already has his next two projects picked out. He'll play a man who is aging backwards in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008), which co-stars Cate Blanchett. For "State of Play" (2008), he'll reteam with "Fight Club" co-star Edward Norton as a reporter digging into the suspicious death of a congressman's mistress.