As he enters the homestretch of what’s been a successful awards show season, Brad Pitt was picked to grace the cover of the new issue of takes the cover of The Hollywood Reporter.

The 48-year-old, who is in the running for a Best Actor Oscar for his work in “Moneyball,” offered up an in-depth interview about everything from his knee injury to family life and getting past his depressed, pot smoking-filled days.

On his knee injury:

“I think George went down the line, making things up. I was just walking in our backyard, on a hill, carrying my daughter, and I slipped — and it was those parental instincts: me or her. And she’s fine.”

On getting through depression and heavy pot use:

“I got really sick of myself at the end of the 1990s: I was hiding out from the celebrity thing; I was smoking way too much dope; I was sitting on the couch and just turning into a doughnut; and I really got irritated with myself. I got to: ‘What’s the point? I know better than this.’ I used to deal with depression, but I don’t now, not this decade — maybe last decade. But that’s also figuring out who you are. I see it as a great education, as one of the seasons or a semester: ‘This semester I was majoring in depression.’ I was doing the same thing every night and numbing myself to sleep — the same routine: Couldn’t wait to get home and hide out. But that feeling of unease was growing and one night I just said, ‘This is a waste.’

On the possibility of getting married to partner Angelina Jolie:

“We’d actually like to, and it seems to mean more and more to our kids. We made this declaration some time ago that we weren’t going to do it till everyone can. But I don’t think we’ll be able to hold out. It means so much to my kids, and they ask a lot. And it means something to me, too, to make that kind of commitment.”

On whether family expansion is in the future:

“We haven’t closed the book on it. There’s a really nice balance in the house right now, but if we see the need and get that lightning bolt that says, ‘We can help this person; we could do something here,’ then absolutely.”