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Bad Bunny says working with Brad Pitt 'felt like a fantasy'

"What am I doing here with Brad Pitt, doing a movie and beating each other up?’” the Latin music superstar told TODAY of filming the movie "Bullet Train."
Bad Bunny goes up against Brad Pitt in the new action movie "Bullet Train."
Bad Bunny goes up against Brad Pitt in the new action movie "Bullet Train."Scott Garfield (C) 2022 CTMG.

Bad Bunny has cemented himself in music history with his chart-topping hits, making him one of the biggest Latin stars in the industry. And come August, the 28-year-old singer can add movie star to his extensive resume.

Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Bad Bunny will make his feature film debut in the action-thriller “Bullet Train.”

Co-starring alongside an ensemble cast that includes Hollywood heavyweight Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock, the “Tití Me Preguntó” singer told TODAY that being on set was “brutal” — but in a good way. (In Puerto Rican slang, "brutal" loosely translates to "really awesome.")

"It was a very beautiful experience working with him. It felt like a fantasy," Bad Bunny said in Spanish over the phone, adding that Pitt gave him some advice while working together.

Brad Pitt and Bad Bunny in a scene from "Bullet Train."
Brad Pitt and Bad Bunny in a scene from "Bullet Train."Scott Garfield (C) 2022 CTMG/Sony

From the director of “Deadpool 2,” David Leitch, “Bullet Train” is based on the novel “Maria Beetle” by Kōtarō Isaka. It follows Pitt as Ladybug, an assassin who boards a train and encounters a number of angry professional killers wanting to take him down. They soon discover that they’re all connected in one way or another.

The singer makes a startling appearance in the official trailer dressed in a snazzy white suit, drawing a knife and attacking Pitt.

“You stabbed me?” yelps Pitt as a bloodied Bad Bunny replies, “I will never stop coming for you.”

Intense action sequences ensue.

Bad Bunny recalled being amazed at his involvement in the big-budget production.

“At moments I was like, ‘What am I doing here with Brad Pitt, doing a movie and beating each other up?!’” he said. “I trained a lot, but it was a great experience.”

“At moments I was like, ‘What am I doing here with Brad Pitt, doing a movie and beating each other up?’”

Bad Bunny on making 'bullet train'

Since the release of his first hit single "Soy Peor" in 2016, Bad Bunny has been breaking barriers with dynamic, multi-genre music, gender norms-defying style, and the attitude: “Yo hago lo que me da la gana” — Spanish for “I do whatever I want,” and the title of his second album.

His latest album, “Un Verano Sin Ti” has spent, at the time of this story's publication, five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, a major feat for a Spanish-language album. Earlier this year, he also surprised WWE fans when he won the 24/7 Championship Belt during “WWE Raw.”

Once a grocery store clerk in Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny's humble beginnings helped shape the artist he is today — and he said wouldn’t have it any other way. Always laser-focused on his musical aspirations, he’s now delving into his acting and pro wrestling career, as well as his continued philanthropic endeavors.

“I’m in a new stage in my life where I want to do other types of things and take advantage of every new opportunity that comes my way,” he said. “I’m 28 and I feel like I’m still young and I can do everything that I’ve ever wanted to do, and now I have the opportunity to do so.”

The Grammy winner told TODAY, while talking about his latest Deja tu Huella (Leave Your Mark) campaign with Cheetos, that giving back comes naturally to him — and it comes from the heart.

Bad Bunny and Cheetos have partnered together for three years. This year's campaign will see a total of $500,000 distributed among gifts of $25,000 to 20 people using their “magic touch” to support Hispanic communities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, per the press release.

“Why not do it? Opening the doors for the community, especially the Latin community, is a (great way to support) young people,” he said, adding that there's no reason why it shouldn’t be done.

The Latin Grammy winner shared that even before having the resources he has now, he “always had the desire to help others ... It has always been in me to be a person who gives back.”

“Then after my career was established, little by little, it just came naturally. It wasn’t like there was one specific moment when I decided (I needed to do something),” Bad Bunny continued, noting that he gave back even before he established his Good Bunny Foundation. “We did it spontaneously and in a natural way, de corazón.”

He joked that the large sum would have helped him a lot at the start of his own career. But at the same time, he said things worked out perfectly for him. 

“I think life offers everyone certain opportunities,” he said. “I don’t regret the process I went through or the way I got to where I am. So if you ask me what I would have liked to have had at the beginning of my career, I don’t have an answer because I think things are perfect the way they are.”

As for how he intends to leave his own mark, he said “siendo yo," or "being myself."

“Giving my all, doing things from the heart, with compassion and following my heart,” he said. “That’s how I leave my mark every day.”

Watch Bad Bunny when “Bullet Train” arrives in theaters on Aug. 5. He’s also set to be the first Latino actor to headline a live-action Marvel movie, starring in the upcoming Marvel movie “El Muerto,” a Spider-Man spinoff.