Brad Pitt has a new lease on life.

In a conversation with Anthony Hopkins for Interview magazine published on Monday, Pitt, 55, reflected on his past mistakes — and why his struggles may have been necessary to get him to the place he is in today.

“I’m realizing,” he said, “as a real act of forgiveness for myself for all the choices that I’ve made that I’m not proud of, that I value those missteps, because they led to some wisdom, which led to something else.”

The Ad Astra star continued: “You can’t have one without the other. I see it as something I’m just now getting my arms around at this time in my life.”

Hopkins, 81, related his journey to sobriety to Pitt’s own. The Oscar winner (who costarred with Pitt in 1994’s Legends of the Fall and 1998’s Meet Joe Black) said he’s been sober for about 45 years.

“I look at it, and I think, ‘What a great blessing that was, because it was painful,’ ” Hopkins said. “I did some bad things, but it was all for a reason, in a way. … It’s like there’s an inner voice that says, ‘It’s over. Done. Move on.'”

Pitt — who first revealed his sobriety and treatment back in 2017 — said the decision to quit alcohol altogether came when he recognized the detriment it had on his life.

“I just saw it as a disservice to myself, as an escape,” he said.

Now, the father of six children who he shares with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, finds himself becoming more emotional than ever, which means a lot for someone who counted himself a “not-crier.”

“I am quite famously a ‘not-crier.’ Is that a term?” the Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood star joked. “I hadn’t cried in, like, 20 years, and now I find myself, at this latter stage, much more moved — moved by my kids, moved by friends, moved by the news. Just moved.”

Pitt added: “I think it’s a good sign. I don’t know where it’s going, but I think it’s a good sign.”

The Two Popes actor assured the penchant for shedding tears is just something that comes with age.

“You’ll find, as you get older, that you just want to weep,” Hopkins said. “… It’s not even about grief — it’s about the glory of life.”

Filling his time with producing and acting gigs, as well as with his new passion for sculpting, Pitt said he’s looking forward rather than dwelling on the past.

“We’ve always placed great importance on the mistake. But the next move, what you do after the mistake, is what really defines a person,” he said. “We’re all going to make mistakes. But what is that next step?”

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. 

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