Brad Pitt calls face masks ‘considerate’ during a pre-coronavirus trip to Japan

Brad Pitt raved about the benefits of wearing face masks at pre-coronavirus trip to Japan last year: ‘I don’t know why we don’t do that’

Brad Pitt proved to be ahead of the curve in a recently resurfaced video from a 2019 Tokyo press conference, in which he talks about the benefits of face masks.  

While promoting his film Ad Astra, the two-time Oscar winner praised audience members for being ‘so considerate’ for covering their mouths and noses when sick. 

‘When I first came here and I saw all the people in the faces masks at the airport, I thought, “That’s a bit paranoid,” the actor admitted in the interview from September.

Pre-coronavirus: Brad Pitt proved to ahead of the curve in a recently resurfaced video from a 2019 Tokyo press conference, in which he talks about the benefits of face masks

He continued: ‘Then I came to understand it’s when you have a cold and protecting others and I think that’s so considerate.’ 

As he reflected on the longstanding practice in many Asian countries, even before the global coronavirus pandemic, Pitt remarked, ‘I don’t know why the rest of the world…I don’t know why we don’t do that.’ 

Wearing a face mask has proven to be ‘the most effective means to prevent inter-human transmission,’ according to Science Daily

Thinking ahead: As he reflected on the longstanding practice in many Asian countries, even before the global coronavirus pandemic, Pitt remarked, 'I don’t know why the rest of the world…I don’t know why we don’t do that'

Thinking ahead: As he reflected on the longstanding practice in many Asian countries, even before the global coronavirus pandemic, Pitt remarked, ‘I don’t know why the rest of the world…I don’t know why we don’t do that’

Earlier this week, his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston urged her more than 34.4 million Instagram followers to protect themselves and others by wearing a mask. 

‘I understand masks are inconvenient and uncomfortable,’ the 51-year-old Friends alum wrote on Tuesday. ‘But don’t you feel that it’s worse that businesses are shutting down… jobs are being lost… health care workers are hitting absolute exhaustion.’ 

‘And so many lives have been taken by this virus because we aren’t doing enough,’ she added.  

Speaking out! Jennifer Aniston, 51, has urged her fans to 'wear a damn mask' in a lengthy post on her Instagram account Tuesday

Speaking out! Jennifer Aniston, 51, has urged her fans to ‘wear a damn mask’ in a lengthy post on her Instagram account Tuesday

Jen expressed her belief that it really ‘shouldn’t be a debate’ and this is just down to ‘basic goodness’ and having respect of others to put on a face mask when outside, as advised by most health experts.

‘If you care about human life, please… just #wearadamnmask and encourage those around you to do the same,’ she concluded.

The coronavirus outbreak has prompted Americans to don surgical, cotton or even makeshift masks when they leave the home to buy groceries or exercise with the majority of the US now in various stages of lockdown due to the pandemic. 

Jen's message: The 51-year-old Friends star posted this lengthy caption to her Instagram account

Jen’s message: The 51-year-old Friends star posted this lengthy caption to her Instagram account

Despite the CDC and the World Health Organization recommending that healthy people don’t need masks, some health experts are advocating for the need to wear some form of mask out in public to reduce the risk of asymptomatic spreading.

They argue that people who have no idea they are infected are spreading the virus because they either have no symptoms or have not begun to experience symptoms.

Her post came amid pressure mounting on Donald Trump to ‘set a good example’ and wear a mask, after some Republicans have shifted their stance on the matter.