“Early Success and Turbulent Life: The Journey of Angelina Jolie”
Angelina Jolie, born in 1975 in Los Angeles, California, spent most of her childhood in New York before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 11. She studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute for two years and later pursued drama at New York University.
In the 1990s, Angelina Jolie rose to fame with her role in the television film “Gia” (1998), based on the short, tragic life of model Gia Marie Carangi, earning her a Golden Globe for Best Actress. Following that success, she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in “Girl, Interrupted” (1999).
In 2008, Angelina Jolie took on the lead role in “Changeling,” portraying a mother investigating the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of her son, earning her a nomination for Best Actress at the Oscars. She also played a iconic villain in “Maleficent” (2014). In 2020, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thena in “The Eternals,” released in November 2021.
Unprecedented Paychecks
Angelina Jolie ventured into directing, debuting with “In the Land of Blood and Honey” (2011), followed by “Unbroken” (2014), based on the true story of Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini’s survival in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, grossing over $163 million worldwide.
In 2016, Jolie directed and starred alongside Brad Pitt in the art-house film “By the Sea,” a slow-paced story set in the 1970s in the Mediterranean about a married couple and their relationship tensions.
With her immense talent and allure, filmmakers did not hesitate to offer substantial paychecks to the renowned actress. According to IMDb, Angelina Jolie earned around $20 million per film. In 2020, she ranked 6th on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid actresses, with an income of $22.5 million. Variety reported that Jolie earned $33 million in the past year, securing her spot in the top 10 highest-paid actors globally. Her estimated net worth is around $120 million.
Humanitarian Star
Beyond her on-screen achievements, Angelina Jolie has found true fulfillment in a completely different realm of her life – humanitarian work. Rarely do actresses devote themselves wholeheartedly to charitable activities like Maleficent’s star, addressing women’s rights, conservation, refugee children, education, and human rights since becoming a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2001.
Her experiences filming in Cambodia and adopting Maddox sparked Jolie’s interest in humanitarian efforts. She contacted the UNHCR upon returning to the U.S. and swiftly became its ambassador. Subsequently, leveraging her celebrity status, she began visiting refugee camps worldwide, drawing attention to the plight of the people there
A Life Full of Ups and Downs
Angelina Jolie’s parents are American actor Jon Voight and silver screen beauty Marcheline Bertrand. However, she was estranged from her father, who abandoned the family when she was just one year old. Despite this, during her tumultuous childhood, Angelina Jolie rarely showed any real inclination towards acting.
Her teenage years were equally challenging. Although she attended Beverly Hills High School, she felt isolated in this affluent school due to her mother’s modest income. After enduring bullying, the actress dropped out at the age of 14 but later returned to complete her diploma two years later. Jolie’s initial foray into modeling, encouraged by her mother, ended in failure.
At the age of 20, Angelina Jolie experimented with various substances, including drugs. She admitted to struggling with depression, self-harm, and even contemplating suicide. Overcoming these hardships, she endeavored to start her acting career at a young age.
Her first marriage to British actor Jonny Lee Miller, her co-star in “Hackers,” lasted only three years. Her second marriage to actor Billy Bob Thornton had a similar duration.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt met during the filming of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2004). At that time, Pitt was married to “Friends” star Jennifer Aniston, and their romance led to his divorce. The “Brangelina” relationship became the most sought-after in Hollywood, culminating in their marriage in France on August 23, 2014. However, they filed for divorce two years later.
In September 2016, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, seeking custody of their six children. The publicized battle for custody raised allegations of Pitt’s potential child abuse. In May 2021, they temporarily settled the custody battle, sharing joint custody. However, in July, a three-judge panel overturned the previous judge’s decision, promising a prolonged legal battle over custody.
Despite the ups and downs in her personal life, Angelina Jolie continues to captivate fans with her exceptional talent and a series of powerful performances on and off the screen.
