Actor, producer, humanitarian, and philanthropist. Brad Pitt is all of those things, as well as the life partner of Angeline Jolie and the father of their six children. A quarter century ago, when Pitt started his professional acting career, most people assumed he was just going to be another handsome Hollywood hunk. But Pitt bucked perceptions and has built a career of character roles and leading men in films as diverse as Johnny Suede and The Tree of Life. As Brad blows out 48 candles this year, Snakkle celebrates the man, his career, and his passions.

From Kirk Douglas to Jason Momoa, Hollywood has a long history of handing its most fit leading men a sword, some leather cuffs and not much else to vanquish legendary monsters and epic armies for the side of good. With the release of Momoa’s fresh spin on Conan the Barbarian on August 19, Snakkle looks back at some of the silver screen’s most impressive warriors.