Angelina Jolie

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14 Feb 2024

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is a versatile figure in the entertainment industry. Having achieved numerous awards, including an Oscar and three Golden Globes, she stands out as one of Hollywood's top-earning actresses.

Jolie's journey into the world of cinema started at a young age when she appeared alongside her father, Jon Voight, in Lookin' to Get Out . However, it was a decade later that her film career truly took off with the budget-friendly Cyborg 2 , followed by her initial leading role in Hackers (1995). She took on roles in biographical TV productions such as George Wallace (1997) and Gia (1998), eventually winning an Academy Award for her portrayal of a sociopath in the 1999 drama Girl, Interrupted. The character of the eponymous heroine in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) propelled her to stardom. She continued to thrive as an action star with roles in Mr. & Mrs. Smith , Wanted , and Salt .

Recognition for her performances in dramas like A Mighty Heart and Changeling culminated in an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Notable commercial successes include the fantasy film Maleficent , its 2019 sequel, and the superhero movie Eternals .Since 2008, she has contributed her voice to the animated film series Kung Fu Panda. Jolie has also directed and written war dramas such as In the Land of Blood and Honey , Unbroken , and First They Killed My Father.

Jolie is celebrated for her humanitarian efforts, resulting in accolades such as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and an honorary title as Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. She passionately supports causes like conservation, education, and women's rights, notably advocating for refugees as a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees until 2022. Jolie has embarked on numerous field missions globally to refugee camps and conflict areas.

As a prominent public figure, Jolie is acknowledged as one of the most influential individuals in the American entertainment sector. Various media outlets have bestowed upon her the title of the world's most captivating woman. Her personal life, encompassing relationships, marriages, and health, has been widely publicized. She has parted ways with actors Jonny Lee Miller, Billy Bob Thornton, and Brad Pitt. Her family with Pitt consists of six children, three of whom were adopted internationally.

Angelina Jolie Voight came into the world on June 4, 1975, at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California. Born to actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, she has a brother, actor James Haven, and is the niece of singer-songwriter Chip Taylor and geologist-volcanologist Barry Voight. Jolie's godparents include actors Jacqueline Bisset and Maximilian Schell. Of German and Slovak descent on her father's side, Jolie also claims distant Indigenous (Iroquois) ancestry through her French-Canadian mother, a detail disputed by her father.After her parents' separation in 1976, Jolie and her brother lived with their mother, who had abandoned her acting aspirations to focus on raising her children. Raised as a Catholic, Jolie was not obligated to attend church. Inspired by films watched with her mother, Jolie developed an interest in acting, despite a minor role in her father's Lookin' to Get Out at age seven. The family moved to Palisades, New York, when Jolie was six and returned to Los Angeles five years later. She decided to pursue acting, enrolling at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, training for two years and participating in stage productions.

Jolie initially attended Beverly Hills High School, facing isolation due to her mother's modest income. Teased for her thin frame, glasses, and braces, she later transferred to Moreno High School, adopting a "punk outsider" persona, engaging in unconventional activities like moshing and knife play. Her initial attempts at modeling failed, and she aspired to be a funeral director. At 16, after a tumultuous relationship, Jolie graduated high school, rented her own apartment, and returned to theater studies.

During her teenage years, Jolie struggled emotionally, resorting to self-harm for a sense of release. She battled insomnia, an eating disorder, and experimented with drugs, including heroin. Episodes of depression led to two suicide attempts at 19 and 22, the latter involving a hitman hire. At 24, she experienced a nervous breakdown, leading to a 72-hour admission to UCLA Medical Center's psychiatric ward. The adoption of her first child marked a turning point, bringing stability and a commitment to overcoming self-destructive tendencies.
Jolie's relationship with her father, strained since he left when she was a baby, remained tumultuous. Reconciliation during Lara Croft: Tomb Raider deteriorated, leading to legal removal of her surname, Voight, in favor of her middle name in 2002. Public estrangement followed, with her father claiming she had "serious mental problems." After six and a half years of silence, Jolie, her mother, and brother began rebuilding their relationship, culminating in reconciliation three years after Bertrand's death from ovarian cancer in 2007.

Embracing acting professionally at the age of 16, Jolie faced initial challenges in auditions, often being criticized for her "too dark" demeanor. Undeterred, she participated in her brother's student films produced at the USC School of Cinema-Television and ventured into the world of music videos, featuring in creations like Lenny Kravitz's "Stand by My Woman" (1991), Antonello Venditti's "Alta Marea" (1991), The Lemonheads's "It's About Time" (1993), and Meat Loaf's "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" (1993). A notable appearance includes gracing the cover of the Widespread Panic album Everyday in 1993.

During this period, Jolie keenly observed her father's approach, learning to understand people by emulating their behavior. Surprisingly, their relationship during this phase became less strained, with Jolie recognizing the shared trait of being "drama queens." This marked a significant shift in their dynamics.