In the five years since Hurricane Katrina laid waste to many stretches of the gulf region, Brad Pitt has channeled energy into helping rebuild New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward. This week, the Oscar nominee and avid architecture buff visited a neighborhood of new Big Easy homes that his Make it Right foundation helped construct in the once-deluged city. He was reportedly greeted by smiling fans and Louisiana residents grateful for his venture's efforts. He also paused to speak with NBC News anchor Brian Williams about his emotional reaction when he first witnessed the impact of the 2005 disaster and the government's response: "I got really angry."

More than thirty (of a planned 150) green homes have reportedly been built for local families displaced by the hurricane. But when Williams referred to the affordably priced domiciles as Pitt's "empire," the movie star promptly corrected him. "It's not mine, it's theirs." Still, he conceded, "I can take credit for sitting down with the community first [before the government], and I can take credit for bringing in some really smart people and hooking them up with the families here." Watch more of Brad Pitt's discussion with Brian Williams here.