Brad Pitt makes surprise appearance on the Golden Globes stage

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Brad Pitt was a surprise presenter at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

The actor, who is embroiled in a divorce and child-custody battle with his second wife Angelina Jolie, has been keeping a low profile in recent months. However, he took the stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to introduce Moonlight, a film he executive produced, as a Best Drama nominee.

He received enthusiastic applause and cheers as the television cameras panned to some of his supporters, including his good friend -- and Ocean's 11 co-star -- Matt Damon; Vince Vaughn, a fellow cast member from 2005's Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the movie where Pitt first worked with Jolie; and Mahershala Ali, one of the celebrated stars of Moonlight.

"Moonlight was born of [writer-director] Barry Jenkins' and [playwright] Tarell McCraney's courage to look back, to embrace their past and insist that their now is not separate from their then," Pitt read the Teleprompter before a clip from the film played. "It is born of the courage of a group of actors willing to strip to their souls and express the humanism inside mistake and mis-step and mis-deed. It is Barry Jenkins' profound belief that we all stand at the threshold of change and forgiveness. Would we only grant acceptance and love to ourselves? Nominated for six Golden Globes, this is Moonlight."

The film went on to win Best Drama.

Pitt was dressed in a traditional black tuxedo with bow tie, and wore his blonde hair and beard short for the occasion.