Brad Pitt Helped Pick Angelina’s ‘Salt’ Husband

First Published: July 27, 2010 5:48 PM EDT Credit: Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption August Diehl attends the photocall for “Inglourious Basterds” at the Adlon Hotel in Berlin, Germany on July 28, 2009In order to play Angelina Jolie’s on-screen husband, it helps to have Brad Pitt in your corner.

“Salt” director Phillip Noyce recently told NBC Local Media’s PopCornBiz blog that Angelina’s longtime partner helped actor August Diehl land the role alongside Brad’s real-life ladylove.

“Brad had said what a strong actor he was,” Phillip recently told PopCornBiz. “And we were looking for someone with no baggage. We wanted a fresh face – to keep the audience off guard.”

Moviegoers with a keen eye will remember August for his tense beer hall scene from “Inglorious Basterds,” in which he played a Nazi.

“Yes he was quite ruthless in ‘Basterds,’” the director said of the German actor. “But if you’re wearing a swastika emblem that gave you a lot of power… He’s just a great actor.”

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