Angelina Jolie-Pitt is a truly amazing woman. An incredible actress and human rights icon; she’s also had to beat tremendous odds all her life; something which manifests how fiercely determined she is to give back.
Nearing 50, she has had a double mastectomy and her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed; all in a bid to beat the ovarian cancer which killed both her mum and grandmum.
In the comprehensive interview with Vogue, she talks about everything; from her marriage, career, her kids; and battling illness.
Read excerpts below…
On her recent movie with Brad, ‘By the Sea’; which she also directed.
“This is the only film I’ve done that is completely based on my own crazy mind.
“As artists we wanted something that took us out of our comfort zones. Just being raw actors. It’s not the safest idea. But life is short.”
On how they manage such a large brood of mutli cultural kids:
“We travel often to Asia, Africa, Europe, where they were born. The boys know they’re from Southeast Asia, and they have their food and their music and their friends, and they have a pride particular to them.
“But I want them to be just as interested in the history of their sisters’ countries and Mommy’s country so we don’t start dividing. Instead of taking Z (Ethiopian born Zahara) on a special trip, we all go to Africa and we have a great time.”
On the movie ‘By the Sea’and her ‘issues’ with Brad:
“It’s not autobiographical. Brad and I have our issues; but if the characters’ were even remotely close to our problems we couldn’t have made the film.”
On losing her mum so early to illness:
“My mother was an Earth Mother and the nicest person in the world. But the specific grief came from the woman I was closest to, seeing her art slip away, her body fail her.”
On her surgery and going public with it:
“It really connected me to other women. I wish my mom had been able to make those choices.”
“I feel grounded as a woman. I know others do too. Both of the women in my family, my mother and my grandmother- started dying in their 40s. I’m 40. I can’t wait to hit 50 and know I made it.”