Chuck Palahniuk time while working for Freightliner. After initially publishing it as a short story (which became chapter 6 of the novel) in the 1995 compilation, "Pursuit of Happiness", Palahniuk expanded it into a full novel, which, contrary to his expectations, the publisher was willing to publish. While the original hardcover edition of the book received positive reviews and some awards, it had a short shelf life. Initially, Palahniuk struggled to find a literary agent and went without one until after the publication of "Fight Club". After he began receiving attention from 20th Century Fox, Palahniuk was signed by actor and literary
Brad Pitt 2005's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". Pitt's next role came with the biographical comedy-drama "The Big Short", which he also produced. The film was a commercial and critical success. It went on to gross over $102 million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including "Best Picture", earning Pitt his third Academy Award nomination as producer. In 2016, Pitt starred in Robert Zemeckis's romantic thriller "Allied", in which he plays a spy assassin who falls in love with a French spy (played by Marion Cotillard) during a mission to kill a German official