Angelina Jolie biography, kids, net worth, dating history, parents, height, age 2024

Angelina Jolie Biography

Angelina Jolie is a unique figure in the modern world. She's not only a talented actress and director earning millions, but also the most desirable woman on the planet, a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN, and a mother of six children, three of whom are adopted.

Childhood and Family

Angelina Jolie was born in Los Angeles to a bohemian acting family. Her father, Jon Voight, was a Hollywood star, a sex symbol of the 70s, and a favorite of the American public. In 1971, he married the charming young actress Marcheline Bertrand, who was 12 years his junior.

Angelina Jolie's parents: Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand

Two years later, the couple had a son, James Haven, and in 1975, baby Angelina Jolie Voight was born. The children's middle names were prophetic: "haven" translates to "heaven" in English, and "jolie" means "beautiful" in French. Both children were indeed angelically beautiful. They inherited their mother's large expressive eyes, dimpled cheeks, and full lips, while their father passed on his exceptional creative abilities.

Due to her diverse heritage (Angelina descended from French, Canadian, German, Slavic, and possibly even Native American ancestors), she was characterized by a fiery temperament from an early age. Little Angie was a real daydreamer, constantly active. Together with her brother, they enacted funny scenes, recorded them on camera, and proudly showcased them to their parents.

Angelina Jolie and her brother James Haven

Unfortunately, the family idyll didn't last long - Jon regularly cheated on his wife and was often absent from home, which led to constant quarrels. Eventually, their mother had enough, took the children, and moved to New York, officially divorcing in 1978. From then on, their father seldom visited, barely participated in raising the children, and Marcheline shouldered all the responsibility for the little ones.

Jolie with her brother and maternal grandmother

The parents' separation had a negative impact on the impressionable Angelina. She became introverted, a wild and unsociable girl. Unlike her peers, she didn't play with Barbie dolls but with knives, and dreamed of owning a funeral home in the future. In school, she was an outsider, avoided classmates, and drew mystical signs in her notebooks during classes.

Jon Voight's children got used to cameras from an early age

In her teenage years, the situation worsened - Angie began cutting her body with a knife and once nearly bled to death, hitting a major artery. This incident made her stop and seriously ponder her life. She wanted to understand herself better - she put down the knives and picked up books, trying to find answers to her questions.

In 1986, the family returned to Los Angeles, where Angelina enrolled in the famous Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. Concurrently, she attended a prestigious school in Beverly Hills and dreamed of becoming an adult and independent as soon as possible. Without tutors or additional classes, she finished school a year and a half early and focused on her career.

Oscars Flashback 86: 10-Year-Old Angelina Jolie

Initially, she tried to become a model and began to lose weight drastically. When her weight reached a critical point, her mother suspected something was wrong and took her to a doctor. The clinic diagnosed the early stages of anorexia and explained the consequences of this severe disease to Angie. Despite her stubborn character, she heeded the doctors' advice and returned to a normal diet.

In her youth, Angelina Jolie dreamed of becoming a model

At 14, Jolie tried to demonstrate her "adulthood" in another way - she moved her boyfriend into her home and declared him her common-law husband. Her mother didn't interfere with this arrangement, but when Angelina tried to seduce her own lover, she deeply hurt her mother. James also condemned his sister's actions, and Angelina became an outcast in her own family.

She went off the deep end, had tried all the existing drugs by the age of twenty, and was close to suicide. Her destructive path was halted by working in film - her brother, after graduating from film school, started directing and invited his sister to participate in his experimental projects. Simultaneously, Jolie appeared in music videos of famous musicians, acted in theatre, and worked part-time as a model.

Roles in Cinema

Angelina first appeared on screen at the age of 7, starring with her parents in the film "Lookin' to Get Out" (1982).

Ten years later, she played a cyborg in the sci-fi movie "Cyborg 2" (1993). This role didn't bring her much fame, but her subsequent work in "Hackers" (1995) was positively received by audiences and critics. Despite being a box office flop, the film became a cult classic among American youth.

Angelina Jolie at the start of her career

Her major breakthrough came with the lead role in the biographical drama "Gia" (1998), where she portrayed the popular 70s model Gia Carangi, who died of AIDS at the age of 25.

It wasn't difficult for Angelina to transform into her on-screen character as she was essentially playing herself. She even feared that the role could reawaken her inner demons and initially turned down the project four times. Eventually, she brilliantly accomplished her task and received a Golden Globe for her performance. Directors recognized her immense potential and began eagerly casting her in serious projects.

In 1998, Jolie received her first Golden Globe

A year later, the biographical drama "Girl, Interrupted" (1999) was released in which Jolie played an aggressive sociopathic girl with suicidal tendencies. To fully immerse herself in the role, she spent two months in a psychiatric clinic observing patient behavior.

As a result, her performance was so exquisite that she even outshone Winona Ryder , who was the lead in the film. For this role, the actress received another Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie in their youth

At the award ceremony, she appeared with her brother and gave him a passionate public kiss, which caused a public uproar. They were immediately accused of incestuous relations. Years later, Angelina and James categorically denied these accusations.

Following the success of "Girl, Interrupted", Jolie firmly established herself at the top of Hollywood. Her fees were astronomical, and directors lined up to cast her in their films.

Girl, Interrupted (1999) - My Father Loves Me Scene

One of her most successful commercial projects was the adaptation of the popular computer game "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001). Jolie masterfully transformed into the brave heroine, performing most of the stunts herself and handling weapons professionally.

In 2002, Jon Voight, in one of his TV interviews, called his daughter mentally unstable, after which she cut off all ties with him and dropped his surname.

Jolie hasn't spoken to her father in years

In 2003, the sequel to the Lara Croft franchise was released. Despite its financial success, the project was halted. Jolie has repeatedly stated that she is ready to return to this role at any time, which made her a superhero and one of the highest-paid actresses in the world.

Angelina Jolie's dad makes a surprise appearance in her emotional interview

Jumping ahead, the third part was released only in 2018, with the lead role played by the young actress Alicia Vikander . Producers considered Angelina too old for the role. According to some sources, Jolie was outraged and personally visited the Warner Brothers office, causing a scandal. During the filming, she called Vikander to give some advice and hinted that she better not try to outshine her Lara – it would be impossible.

In the third film, Lara Croft was played by Alicia Vikander

In 2005, the world premiere of the comedy action film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" was held, which became a highlight not only in Jolie's film career, but also in her personal life. The audience immediately sensed the romantic vibes between the Jolie-Pitt couple, which greatly contributed to the film's box office success (almost $500 million). This was followed by dozens of successful works, including "Changeling" (2008), "Salt" (2010), "The Tourist" (2010), and many more.

In 2007, the actress's mother died of ovarian cancer, which was diagnosed in the late 90s. Jolie's grandmother also died of the same disease. After learning that she too had the gene that causes cancer, in 2013, Angelina voluntarily underwent surgery to remove her breasts and ovaries. After reconstructing her breasts, she soon returned to her profession without losing her attractiveness.

Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy

Worthy of special attention is "Maleficent" (2014) – a fresh take on the Disney film about Sleeping Beauty, which brought its creators a record $758 million. Critics concluded that such unprecedented commercial success was mainly due to Angelina's participation, whose performance was deemed "simply brilliant".

Directorial Works

In 2007, the actress decided to try her hand at directing for the first time and presented to the audience the documentary "A Place in Time". It was followed by the feature drama "In the Land of Blood and Honey" (2011), for which Jolie personally wrote the script. The film depicts the events of the Balkan War in 1992, focussing on a love story between a Serb and a Bosnian woman who are forced by the war to be on opposite sides of the front.

'In the Land of Blood and Honey': Angelina Jolie's On Set Interview

In 2014, another war drama by Jolie, "Unbroken", was released, earning three Oscar nominations for cinematography, editing, and sound mixing. The acting performance of Jack O'Connell and the stunt work were also highly praised.

In her next movie "By the Sea" (2016), Jolie starred alongside Brad Pitt. The film tells the story of a married couple trying to save their marriage. In some ways, the movie was prophetic as a year later, Angelina and Brad officially announced their separation.

In 2017, another film, "First They Killed My Father", was presented to the audience. This film was very important for the actress. It was based on the true story of Cambodian author Loung Ung, who became a close person to Jolie. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and became the actress's best directorial work.

Public and Humanitarian Activities

While filming "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", Angelina first visited Cambodia and was deeply moved by the living conditions of the local population. From that point on, humanitarian missions became an integral part of her life.

In 2001, Jolie became involved in public activities

She studied a vast number of refugee case files and started visiting countries affected by military conflicts as part of special commissions. The actress not only donated large sums to charity, but also personally participated in setting up refugee camps and schools for their children.

In August 2001, the actress was officially declared a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN, and in 2005, she was invited to present at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Jolie has established several charitable foundations, to which she regularly transfers substantial financial contributions. Angelina often meets with influential politicians, businessmen, and economists, delivers lectures on human rights, and is a guest lecturer at the London School of Economics.

Angelina Jolie's Personal Life

From an early age, Angelina never lacked male attention, and she is known to have had lesbian relationships as well. Her first serious relationship began at 14. Her mother allowed her to move in with her boyfriend, rightfully reasoning it was better for the kids to have sex on a comfortable mattress than in the corners of nightclubs.

The actress's first husband was Jonny Lee Miller, whom she met while filming "Hackers". They convincingly played a couple in love on screen and didn't notice how their relationship transitioned into real life.

Johnny helped Angelina overcome dark times (during those years the actress was addicted to heavy drugs).

I didn't die young, and it's a great fortune - many artists couldn't handle what I've been through.

Despite their passionate love, they were exact opposites and separated a year later, after being legally married. Officially, Jolie divorced Miller in 1999 when she met Billy Bob Thornton , her second husband.

They met while filming "Pushing Tin" and immediately fell madly in love with each other. Billy was not single and was about to marry actress Laura Dern, but after seeing Angelina, he lost his mind.

This time, Jolie and her chosen one turned out to be kindred spirits - both were ready for eccentric acts, had a dark past, and seemed like strange mysterious characters.

Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton

In May 2000 they got married in Las Vegas, exchanging pendants filled with their own blood instead of wedding rings. The newlyweds were also eager to show off tattoos with each other's names and didn't hide their feelings in public. Such relationships fully satisfied Angelina until her first trip to Cambodia.

This trip completely overturned her consciousness, the actress started participating in humanitarian missions and donating money to charities, and in March 2002 adopted a Cambodian orphan named Maddox (born in 2001).

After this event, Jolie's life priorities changed fundamentally, no longer matching Thornton's views. He didn't feel attached to the child, and her humanitarian activities were also alien to him. In May 2003, Angelina divorced Billy and fully immersed herself in a new life.

In 2004, the actress began working on "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and met Brad Pitt on set. As in the two previous cases, a passionate romance sparked between the screen partners, which turned into a real relationship. The actors couldn't hide their feelings for long, and soon their joint photos, taken on one of the Argentine beaches, leaked into the tabloid press.

Shortly before this, Brad had split up with his wife, actress Jennifer Aniston , and the whole world understood what caused the breakup of Hollywood's most beautiful and exemplary couple. Society was divided into two camps - some supported Jolie, others pitied Aniston, and called Angie a cunning home-wrecker.

They were called the most beautiful couple in Hollywood

Meanwhile, they went to Ethiopia and adopted a baby girl named Zahara (born in 2005). By the way, the girl turned out not to be an orphan - after two years, her biological mother appeared and claimed rights over the child.

The scandal was settled with a generous financial compensation, and a year before that, Angelina became a mother for the third time, giving birth to Brad's daughter Shiloh (2006). The first photos of the girl were sold to reporters for ten million dollars, and all the money was donated to charity.

Shiloh, Angelina Jolie's biological daughter

In 2007, the family was joined by an adopted Vietnamese boy, Pax Thien (born in 2003), and a year later Angelina and Brad became biological parents of twins Knox Leon (born in 2008) and Vivienne Marcheline (born in 2008). The daughter was named after Angelina's mother, who died of ovarian cancer a year and a half before this event. This time, the photos of the newborns were sold for 14 million dollars, some of which were donated to charity, and some - to the restoration of New Orleans, which was affected by Hurricane Katrina.

In 2012, Jolie and Pitt got legally married at their children's request, and four years later, news of their breakup came like a bolt from the blue. The alleged reason was Brad's harsh treatment of the children (he publicly shouted at Maddox on a plane). Angelina filed for divorce and wished to establish sole custody over all the children.

All of Angelina Jolie's children: 3 adopted and 3 biological

Pitt opposed his wife's decision, the court battle lasted three years and ended amicably in April 2019. During this time, the spouses wore themselves out physically, morally, and financially. Jolie repeatedly consulted a psychologist and noticeably lost weight again.

After the divorce, Jolie lost up to 75 lbs due to stress

And the grown-up children started adding fuel to the fire with their unexpected actions: in 2014, Shiloh stated that she considers herself a boy named John, and Maddox in 2019 announced that he intends to sue his parents for custody of the younger children. Against this backdrop, Angelina decided to temporarily step away from acting and focus on her children. She bought a luxurious mansion in Los Feliz, personally prepares healthy food for the children, and helps them with their homework.

Angelina Jolie Now

In 2019, Jolie became the face of a new perfume line by Guerlain and continued to top the list of the most beautiful and desirable women in the world.

Guerlain ad featuring Angelina Jolie

In October 2019, the second part of the fantasy film "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" was released. Jolie attended the premiere surrounded by all her six children: for this occasion, 18-year-old Maddox flew to congratulate his mother from Seoul, where he is studying.

Angelina also received congratulations from her brother and father, with whom she has recently managed to rebuild her relationship.

The premiere of the fantasy drama "Come Away" was scheduled for the end of 2020. This is director Brenda Chapman's fantasy on the crossover of popular children's tales. Angelina plays the main role.

Angelina Jolie on the set of 'Come Away'

In 2021, Jolie joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred in the action movie "Eternals". The film also featured "Game of Thrones" stars Richard Madden and Kit Harington , as well as Gemma Chan and Salma Hayek .

In April 2022, Jolie visited Lviv to support Ukrainian refugees. Her appearance in a Lviv cafe caused a lot of noise in the press and gave birth to a new meme: in one of the photos that leaked online, a young man in the foreground completely ignores the Hollywood star.

In December 2023, Jolie gave a major interview to The Wall Street Journal, where she confessed that she considers Hollywood an "unhealthy place" and plans to move to Cambodia in the future, where she has a home and has had a passport since 2005. However, it's too early to talk about the move. She is working on several projects. First, it's the third part of "Maleficent". Second, it's the Broadway production of "The Outcast": Jolie is producing the play, and her daughter Vivienne is assisting her and, according to the actress, is doing very well.

Angelina Jolie: latest news and articles

Kathleen Riley

I was in shock how amazing she played in Maleficent! So genius work!

2021-05-18 17:02:58
Janet Owen

Beautiful Jolie nowadays don`t play so much :( And if she is showing up somewhere, it means the movie will be a bomb!

2021-04-23 08:46:20
Veronica Joseph

I miss movies with her, for example, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The new version with another actress is totally different.

2021-03-21 22:54:20
Billie Fields

She worth all the respect because of her charity and of course because of her work in cinematography.

2021-03-07 18:36:04
Dorothy Hall

Jolie in all the movies looks fabulous, super cool, and with energy, positive vibes.

2021-02-10 18:09:40