The Golden Globes are only days away -- and MTV News will be here all week long to get you geared up for the big night with profiles, previews and fashion galore. It all comes to a head Sunday night, when we'll have more coverage than you can throw a shiny statuette at. Mark your calendars: Sunday, January 11, is the night, and this is the place to be!

[movieperson id="50260"]Brad Pitt[/movieperson] had one curious year. The actor continued his charity work in New Orleans, added to his already-large brood of children and, thanks to his roles in "Burn After Reading" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," once again proved that he's a lot more than just a pretty face -- not that anyone ever complains about that last part.

Pitt fought for many causes this year, including his work in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. "Our goal was two-pronged: to get people back in homes and to advance the idea of sustainability," he told MTV News when we visited [article id="1578622"]Pitt's Make It Right project[/article] in the hurricane-ravaged city last December.

(Don't miss our look back at what 2008 meant to Golden Globe nominees [article id="1602069"]Beyoncé[/article] and [article id="1601974"]Miley Cyrus[/article] too.)

In addition to his efforts in New Orleans, Pitt is also a longtime supporter of gay marriage. This fall, he donated $100,000 to fight [article id="1598657"]California's Proposition 8[/article]. "No one has the right to deny another their life even though they disagree with it," he said in a statement about his decision to donate.

And when he wasn't making headlines with his philanthropy or his ever-expanding family, Pitt's film roles also had people talking in 2008. He hooked up with several of his frequent collaborators, like George Clooney and Tilda Swinton (who both appeared with him in "Burn After Reading"). And after reteaming with director David Fincher, [article id="1601116"]he's up for a Golden Globe[/article] in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama category for his role in [article id="1601676"]"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."[/article]

The film gave Pitt the chance to reflect on his very public personal life. "It's a tragedy in the sense that any love involves loss, and that's the risk you take," he said of the flick about a backward-aging man. "And the greater the love, the greater the loss. I certainly feel that now with the woman I'm with and the children that I have. But whatever the course may be, this time together is extraordinary."

Somewhere along the way, he's found time to line up a slew of projects for 2009, including Quentin Tarantino's WWII flick "Inglourious Basterds," as well as the 1950s drama "The Tree of Life." For "Inglourious," he's had to sport some interesting facial hair -- a choice he's jokingly defended. "It's fashion. Who am I without creative facial hair?" he told People. "I consider it very brave."

We're all over the Golden Globes! MTV News will be rolling out profiles, previews, fashion and much more in the days leading up to the awards -- and this is the place to be on Sunday night, when we'll have live blogs, photos, interviews and more!

Check out everything we've got on "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

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