After decades living in his superstar brother’s shadow, Doug Pitt is having his five minutes of fame.

In a viral Virgin Mobile ad campaign, Brad Pitt‘s lesser-known younger brother spoofs his far-from-Hollywood lifestyle as the “the second most famous Pitt in his family.”

“It’s a little surreal,” he told Today of the attention the commercial has brought him. “But it’s fun. This whole campaign was to be tongue-in-cheek and have fun and luckily, it’s hit its mark.”

But Doug had no idea the video — which garnered over one million views — would be such a runaway success.

So why all the hype over the video?

In the two-minute spot, the straight-laced, Missouri suburbanite is seen touring his home, baking lasagna, shooting (and missing) hoops and indulging in his penchant for classic seventies rock. While Pitt didn’t tell many people about his first endorsement deal, he did ask his big brother for input.

“I did call him and said, ‘Hey, what do you think?’ and he said, ‘Do it, sounds great!’” Doug recalled. After Brad checked out the ad, he texted his brother: “Hey, just saw it — hilarious.”

But the viral video isn’t only thing turning the spotlight on the Pitt family recently. Jane Pitt, mother to Brad and Doug, attracted media attention last week after Missouri newspaper Springfield News-Leader printed her pro-Romney, anti-gay marriage op-ed letter.

But Doug defends his mother’s right to speak her mind. “Moms and dads and kids agree to disagree all over the world, so why would our family be any different?” he said. “There can be healthy discussion when people disagree with you, and I think there should be. The bad thing is when it turns into venom and negativity and we don’t have that in our family. It’s open discussion, we can learn from each other … maybe you learn something.”

Famous liberal and gay rights advocate Brad Pitt has a surprising new adversary: his own mother.

Jane Pitt recently penned an anti-gay, anti-Obama letter to The Springfield News-Leader. In it, she pledges her support to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney while expressing disapproval of abortion and gay marriage.

There’s more: the elder Pitt even takes a few shots at President Barack Obama.

“Any Christian who does not vote or writes in a name is casting a vote for Romney’s opponent, Barack Hussein Obama,” Jane wrote, adding that Obama is “a man who sat in Jeremiah Wright’s church for years, did not hold a public ceremony to mark the National Day of Prayer, and is a liberal who supports the killing of unborn babies and same-sex marriage.”

Jane wrote the letter in response to another letter that was published by the Missouri newspaper; in it, the reader supported Christians who don’t vote for Romney because of the politician’s Mormon faith.

Mrs. Pitt responded: “Any Christian should spend much time in prayer before refusing to vote for a family man with high morals, business experience, who is against abortion, and shares Christian conviction concerning homosexuality just because he is a Mormon.”

Verification that the letter was indeed penned by Brad Pitt’s mother was shaky at first: the newspaper had printed an editor’s note denying any relation between the writer and the Moneyball star. Later, the publication printed a second editor’s letter, saying, “To clear up earlier confusion, the News-Leader has verified the letter writer is the mother of actor Brad Pitt and local businessman Doug Pitt.”

Her views certainly stand in stark contrast to those of her famous son. Last year, the 48-year-old expressed his approval of gay marriage, telling PEOPLE magazine, “No state should decide who can marry and who cannot. Thanks to the tireless work of so many, someday soon this discrimination will end and every American will be able to enjoy their equal right to marriage.”

He also proclaimed that he and partner Angelina Jolie would not wed until “everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able” — and this year, he declared his support for Obama in the 2012 election.

Another person the actor has supported? Ironically, his mother.

“She’s very, very loving — very open, genuine, and it’s hilarious because she always gets painted in the tabloids as a she-devil,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in January. “There’s not an ounce of malice in her. She wants everyone to be happy.”

What do you think of Jane Pitt’s controversial letter? Sound off in the comments.