Angelina Jolie

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Actress, model, mother and humanitarian Angelina Jolie was born in Los Angeles to father Jon Voight, a famous American actor, and to Marcheline Bertrand, an American actress (not a French actress as she was often wrongly identified). She grew up in Los Angeles and New York, and is the youngest of two children: brother James Haven, an actor and producer. Angelina had her acting debut when she was just 6 years old, in her father's movie "Lookin' To Get Out" with Burt Young in 1982. But curious Angelina fans be warned, although she is the best part in the otherwise droll film, she appears only in the movie's last few minutes.

Her parents seperated in 1976 (divorce finalized in 1980), Angelina and James were raised by their mother who abandoned her acting ambitions and moved with them to Palisades (formerly Sneden's Landing), New York. When Angelina was 11 the family moved back to Los Angeles where she enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, as her mother had done when she was a young actress, Angelina trained for 2 years appearing in several stage productions, she also attended Beverly Hills High School. Her mother survived on a modest income so Angelina felt isolated among the children of the area's more affluent families, who often teased her about her distinctive features, being extremely thin, wearing glasses, braces and second-hand clothes. Her confidence was diminished even further when her attempt at modeling were unsuccessful. At 14 and desperately low on self-esteem Angelina dropped out of her acting classes and dreamed of becoming a funeral director, she started to cut herself, wore black, dyed her hair purple and went out moshing with her live-in boyfriend. During those years she couldn't stand to be touched and in severe depression once tried to hire a hitman to kill her.
AJ: "This is going to sound insane, but there was a time I was going to hire somebody to kill me. The person spoke very sweetly to me, he made me think about it for a month. And after a month, other things changed in my life and I was surviving again."

Two years later when her relationship with her boyfriend had ended at age 16, Angelina had grown into the name 'Jolie'. She returned to her theatre studies and graduated high school, she appeared in music videos for Meat Loaf and Lenny Kravitz, and at 17 she played a near human in the low-budget movie "Cyborg 2". Her first semi-hit was "Hackers" (1995) which failed to make a profit at the box office but developed a cult following after its video release, and garnered Angelina a good review from the New York Times. The following year, 1996, she appeared in several films, including "Foxfire" for which the LA Times gave her a positive review. She also had a widely publicized affair with co-star Jenny Shimizu.

Angelina's career prospects improved after her performance in 1997's biographical film "George Wallace", for which she won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy, and her performance in 1998's HBO film "Gia", where she portrayed the world's first supermodel Gia Carangi. For the second consecutive year she won a Golden Globe, was nominated for an Emmy and won her first Screen Actor's Guild Award. After her success with "Gia" Angelina moved to New York and stopped acting for a short period of time, as she felt she had "nothing else to give." She studied film making and attended writing classes at NYU. She returned to film in 1998's "Hell's Kitchen" and "Playing by Heart", and in 1999 she appeared in "Pushing Tin" and "The Bone Collector" with Denzel Washington.

Angelina's breakthrough role came in 1999 when she portrayed the chronically depressed mental patient Lisa Rowe in "Girl Interrupted" based on Susanna Kaysen's memoir, winning her an Academy Award for best supporting actress. In 2001 Angelina starred as Lara Croft in the adaption of the popular Tomb Raider video game, this made her an international superstar and launched her global reputation as a female action hero. Filming Tomb Raider in Cambodia is what sparked her work as a humanitarian and it's also where she adopted her first child, son Maddox. Since then Angelina has starred in an impressive array of movies including 2003's Tomb Raider sequel "The Cradle of Life", 2004's "Taking Lives" and "Alexander", and her biggest commercial success to date Doug Liman's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". More recently Angelina can be heard as one of the voices in DreamWork's animated family comedy "Kung Fu Panda", and can be seen in 2008's "Wanted" and "Changeling".

Angelina has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Comission for Refugees since 2001, and takes her UN work very seriously. She also for her pilots license in 2004 and flies a Cirrus SR22, one of the safest single-engine planes which includes a parachute that will carry the entire plane to safety. Today Angelina is one of the highest paid, most highly sought after actresses in Hollywood.

Click here for an extended more in depth biography.

Angelina Jolie's Children Full name: Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt Birth name: Rath Vibol Nicknames: Mad, Madness, Maddy Birthday: August 5, 2001 Star sign: Western - Leo / Chinese - Snake Adoption date: March 10, 2002 Birth/Adoption place: Battambang, Cambodia Name meaning: Chivan, a Cambodian name meaning "life" Angelina adopted her first child Maddox from an orphanage in Battambang, Cambodia, where he was living in very poor conditions. She decided to adopt after visiting the country three times, twice while filming Tomb Raider and once on a field trip for the UNHCR. Maddox, at that time only 7 months old, was the last child Angelina saw on her visit. When she picked him up he didn't cry once, just looked up at her smiling, in this moment she knew he was the one, this was her son. AJ: "He was asleep and he woke up and smiled. As soon as I saw him smile I felt like this kid wasn't uncomfortable with me. He seemed okay in my arms." After her divorce from Billy Bob Thornton, Angelina was granted sole custody of little Maddox, but on January 19, 2006 her partner Brad Pitt formally adopted Mad and his surname was changed to Jolie-Pitt. The eldest of 6 Maddox and Angelina have a special bond as he was her only child for years, she says she normally tells him everything, and has described him as "the professional big brother." Mad has been named "cutest celebrity kid" several times. Full name: Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt Birth name: Yemsrach, later Tena Adam at the orphanage Nicknames: Z, Zee Zee Birthday: January 8, 2005 Star sign: Western - Capricorn / Chinese - Monkey Adoption date: July 6, 2005 Birth/Adoption place: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Name meaning: flower, and Marley after Bob Marley Angelina adopted her first daughter from the Wide Horizons For Children orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Zahara sadly did not have an easy start at life, she was orphaned just days after her birth when her mother passed away, with no father to speak of. She spent almost 6 months in the orphanage, and by the time Angelina adopted her, the little girl had fallen seriously ill. The new family flew back to the US and Zahara was rushed to hospital in New York City, she was found to be suffering from dehydration, malnutrition and Samonella poisoning, but after extensive treatment, she recovered. The doctor said if Angelina had not adopted her, little Zahara almost certainly would have died. Luckily she is now a happy and healthy little girl living with mum, dad and the rest of her siblings, although unfortunately she is afraid of the paparazzi, not good when you're a Jolie-Pitt. AJ: "Zahara is possibly the funniest person I have ever met in my life. She's definately the biggest personality in the house." Full name: Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt Nickname: Shi Birthday: May 27, 2006 Star sign: Western - Gemini / Chinese - Dog Birth place: Swakopmund, Namibia Behind the name: Shiloh Baptist was the name Angelina's parents intended to give their first child, sadly that baby was not meant to be, but Angelina loved the name. Shiloh is Angelina's first biological child, she was born via scheduled caesarean section at the Cottage Medi-Clinic Hospital in Swakopmund, Namibia, so she has a Namibian passport. Angelina decided to sell the first pictures of her new baby girl rather than have them snapped by the paps. People Magazine (US) paid more than $4.1 million, while Hello Magazine (UK) paid around $3.5 million for the rights to the pictures, Angelina and Brad donated all profits to charity. Shiloh was the first infant ever to be recreated as a wax figure at Madame Tussauds (New York). She was almost born on the same day as Gwen Stefani's son Kingston, although he was born one day before, the two had their first playdate when they were just 6 weeks old. Angelina says that along with Zahara, Shiloh is like a "little mommy" to Knox and Vivienne, she even likes to pick out their outfits every day. She also describes Shilloh as "a little honey, full of light and love", and agrees with most people who say she looks like her father, "When I look at Shiloh, I see Brad, and that's very sweet." Full name: Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt Birth name: Pham Quang Sang Birthday: November 29, 2003 Star sign: Western - Sagittarius / Chinese - Sheep Adoption date: March 15, 2007 Birth/Adoption place: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Name meaning: Peaceful sky Angelina adopted her fourth child, second son Pax from the Tam Binh orphanage just outside Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He had been living there since he was abandoned at a hospital as a baby, shortly after he arrived at the facility, the staff tried to locate his birth parents, but they were unsuccessul. During Pax's first moments with Angelina when she bent down to speak with him, he started to cry, but Angelina explained to the orphanage director that she understood, that it was normal for all young children to be scared. In the visitor's book at the orphanage Angelina wrote, "Thank you for taking such wonderful care of my son. I am sure he will miss your beautiful caring staff as much as you will miss him." The orphanage director told Angelina that Pax was "a little bit shy" but now according to her he is "the wildest one in the house!", although he, like his sister Zahara, is afraid of the paparazzi, naturally. Angelina revealed that the name Pax was suggested by her late mother Marcheline. AJ: "There were all these things he'd never had. The first time I gave him a bath, he was suddenly laughing, out of his mind. He took five baths that day. We'd be talking and he'd take his clothes off and run into the bathroom." Full name: Knox Léon Jolie-Pitt Birthday: July 12, 2008 Star sign: Western - Cancer / Chinese - Rat Birth place: Nice, France Behind the name: He was named Knox because that was the middle name of Brad's grandfather, Hal Knox Hillhouse. Brad and Angie just liked the name Léon, Brad has said, "It's a strong french name." Knox is Angelina's second biological child. The moment he was born he was already a big brother, to twin sister Vivienne, having been born a minute or two before her. He was born on a Saturday night by caesarean section at the Lenval Foundation's Santa Maria Clinic in Nice, France, weighing 5.03lbs. According to Angelina Know is the more mellow, laid back twin, he looks more like Brad who has described little Knox as "a bit of me". Angelina has revealed that he has recently begun walking. Full name: Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt Nickname: Viv Birthday: July 12, 2008 Star sign: Western - Cancer / Chinese - Rat Birth place: Nice, France Behind the name: Vivienne was a name that just came to Angelina and Brad early on in the pregnancy. She was given the middle name Marcheline to honour Angie's late mother. Vivienne is Angelina's third biological child and is the youngest off all of her children. She was born on a Saturday night by caesarean section at the Lenval Foundation's Santa Maria Clinic in Nice, France, weighing just 5lbs. According to Brad and Angelina Viv has her mother's looks and personality, Brad has said, "Viv is proving to resemble Ange in spirit, attitude and physicality." She has, like her twin brother, also begun walking. The first pictures of Vivienne and her twin brother Knox sold for a record $14 million, beating the previous record of $6 million, which was for the first photographs of Jennifer Lopez's twins.

Vital Stats Angelina Jolie Information

Full name:	Angelina Jolie Voight (Voight legally dropped in 2002)
Height:	5' 8" (173 cm)
Hair:	Brown (natural blonde) AJ: "Not many people know this about me but I'm a natural blonde. My hair went from light blonde naturally to a darker kind of blonde. My mother dyed my hair dark when I was a child as I loved that look then. So I'm basically a natural blonde."
Eyes:	Blue/Green
Nicknames:	Angie, Ange, AJ
Notable features:	Full lips, husky voice
Star sign:	Western - Gemini Chinese - Rabbit
Heritage:	Czech, German, French-Canadian and Iroquois
Education:	William O. Schaefer School, Tappan, New York Beverly Hills High School, Los Angeles, CA Moreno High School, Los Angeles, CA Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Los Angeles, CA Film Major at New York University
Family:	Father: Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight Mother: Marcia Lynne "Marcheline" Bertrand Brother: James Haven Voight Partner: Brad Pitt Sons: Maddox Chivan, Pax Thien, Knox Léon Daughters: Zahara Marley, Shiloh Nouvel, Vivienne Marcheline
Resides in:	France, New Orleans and Los Angeles
Religious affiliation:	No indication of commitment to any one faith, she seems to take a United Nations approach to her family and perhaps her religion. AJ: "Brad got me this great thing for Christmas. It's a bookshelf that has a book on every religion. That's how we plan to raise our kids. Teach them about all religions. They can pick one or be a student of all of them. We'll celebrate Kwanzaa for our girl. We'll celebrate moon and water festivals for our boys. We'll take them to temples in certain countries. Also to church." - Vanity Fair June 2008
Political affiliation:	Independant AJ: "I think people assume I'm a Democrat. But I'm registered Independant."
Charities/Causes	Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR On the board of advisers for Yéle Haiti Foundation Co-chairs the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict Cambodian Vision in Development Daniel Pearl Foundation Doctors Without Borders Reporters Without Borders Member of the Council on Foreign Relations Patron of Adopt a Minefield Co-chairs the Jolie-Pitt Foundation ONE Campaign UNICEF Peace One Day Global Action for Children Afghanistan Relief Organisation Alliance for the Lost Boys Arab Children's Congress Cambodian Wildlife Sanctuary Cancer Schmancer Movement Clinton Global Initiative Direct Change Human Rights Watch Kids in Need of Defense Millenium Promise Alliance Millenium Villages UN Millenium Project Sophie's Gift Causes: Adoption AIDS Business Support Cancer Children Creative Arts Disaster Relief Economic Support Education Environment Health Human Rights Hunger Orphans Peace Poverty Refugees Water Wildlife Women AJ: "I do what I want to do, because I love it. I got into the field years ago because I wanted to understand what was happening in the world and I love spending time with refugees. Selfishly, it's the most I've ever grown, the most I've ever learned and some of the best times I've ever had speaking with other human beings." on her humanitarian work - Harper's Bazaar December 2008
Interests/Hobbies:	Reading, traveling, being a mother, other cultures, humanitarianism.
Awards:	81 - 34 wins & 47 nominations, including humanitarian awards Click here to see all

Angelina Jolie Trivia

Appeared in music videos for:
Antonello Venditti - "Alta Marea"
Lenny Kravitz - " Stand By My Woman" (1991)
The Lemonheads - "It's About Time"
Meat Loaf - "Rock 'N' Roll Dreams Come Through" (1994)
The Rolling Stones - "Anybody Seen My Baby" (1997)
Korn - "Did My Time" (2003)
(see them in the video gallery)

Uncle: Chip Taylor
Godfather: Maximilian Schell
Godmother: Jacqueline Bisset

She is left handed.

Angelina's favourite colour is black, she says "It goes with everything".

Her favourite painter is Egon Schiele

She loves snakes and lizards, when she was younger she had a pet snake called Harry Dean Stanton and a lizard called Vladimir.

Angelina has admittedly dabbled with cocaine, LSD, E and heroine but she has vowed never to touch them again.

She enjoys surrealism and self-help books and her favourite author is Ayn Rand.

She enjoys watching King of the Hill, Animal Planet and the
Game Show Network.

Favourite fast food restaurant is McDonalds and she has
said that Cheerios are the "greatest food in the world."

Her favourite feature about herself are the veins on her
forearms, but she has always felt that she looked like
a muppet. "I am odd-looking. I sometimes think I look like
a funny muppet."

Her favourite movies of her Dad's are "Anaconda" and "Conrack".

Openly bisexual - (when asked if she was bisexual), "Of course. If
I fell in love with a woman tomorrow, would I feel that it's okay
to want to kiss and touch her? If I fell in love with her?
Absolutely! Yes!"

The perfume she wears is 'Herrera' she says "I've worn it forever" and she likes it "because it's not spicy or flowery. It's nice."

One of her favourite singers is Madonna, in 2001 she went to
see Madonna's Drowned World Tour live in London.

She knows how to tango, briefly demonstarted in Mr. & Mrs. Smith

She never goes anywhere without her Blistex.

In 2004, she was made an honorary citizen of Cambodia by
the Prime Minister of Cambodia because of her social work
there.

Her favourite lipstick is by 'Urban Apothecary' and she wears a colour called 'charm'.

After playing Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider
movies she would sometimes unknowingly adopt an English
accent while speaking.

Used to collect knives and had an interest in mortuary science.

She was considered for the roll of Kelly Kapowski in
"Saved By the Bell" (1989).

Angelina's favourite Disney character is Dumbo, she said that her family says everyone has a favourite Disney character that says something about them. She said "maybe Dumbo was always laughed at for the things that were strange about him and eventually was proud of that and that's what made him fly" which is why she can relate to him.

Angelina & Her Family

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Lots more information about Angelina's career, her many awards, award speeches, website links, Angelina quotes and character quotes on the subpages below!

© 2009 Flixster.com *Information collected and collated from articles and TV/Mag interviews by the Angelina experts.