Angelina Jolie reflects how late mother influenced acting career
1. Angelina Jolie reveals how her mother's death made her career a major challenge
Angelina Jolie opened up about how her mother influenced her decision to pursue acting and how her death impacted her career.
In an interview with W Magazine published on January 3rd, the Maria star discussed her mother's significant role in shaping her success.
"I did it in the beginning because it was my mother’s dream," she revealed. "She pursued acting, but by the time my mom was 25, she was divorced with two kids, and she chose to focus solely on motherhood."
Jolie fondly remembered how her mother had a deep passion for acting, relentlessly auditioning for theater roles in Chicago and film parts in Los Angeles.
The Maleficent actress explained that her mother never saw her decision to focus on motherhood as a "sacrifice" because she found joy in being a "stay-at-home mom," yet she deeply hoped for her daughter to follow her acting aspirations.
"I don’t remember making the choice. I remember it made my mom happy. My mom was my manager, and we were a team," Jolie said.
At 49, Jolie reflected on her desire to provide for her mother, saying, “I always wanted to buy her a house, and I started to pay the bills.”
She also shared how her mother's passing affected her acting career. "When my mom passed, it was harder for me to be an actress because I realized how much of it was for her."
The interview was published just days after Jolie and her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, finalized their divorce on December 30, 2024, after a lengthy six-year legal battle that began when Jolie filed in September 2016.
