Angelina Jolie is an Oscar-winning actress who has become popular by taking on the title role in the "Lara Croft" series of blockbuster movies. Off-screen, Jolie has become prominently involved in international charity projects, especially those involving refugees. She often appears on many "most beautiful women" lists, and she has a personal life that is avidly covered by the tabloid press.
In her earliest years Angelina began absorbing the acting craft from her parents at home -- her father was the Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, and her mother was Marcheline Bertrand who had studied with Lee Strasberg. At age 11 Angelina began studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. She undertook some film studies at New York University and later joined the renowned Met Theatre Group in Los Angeles. At age 16 she took up a career in modeling and appeared in some music videos. Her exotic good looks may derive from her mixed ancestry which is Czech, French-Canadian, Iroquois and English.
In the mid-1990s Jolie appeared in various small films where she got good notices, including Hackers (1995) and Foxfire (1996). Her critical acclaim increased when she played strong roles in the made-for-TV movies True Women (1997) (TV), and in George Wallace (1997) (TV) which won her a Golden Globe award and an Emmy nomination. Jolie's acclaim increased even further when she played the lead role in the HBO production Gia (1998) (TV). This was the true life story of supermodel Gia Carangi, a sensitive wild child who was both brazen and needy and who had a difficult time handling professional success and the deaths of people who were close to her. Carangi became involved with drugs and because of her needle-using habits she became at the tender age of 26 one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS. Jolie's performance in "Gia" again garnered a Golden Globe award and another Emmy nomination, and she additionally earned a SAG Award.
Angelina got a major break in 1999 when she won a leading role in the successful feature The Bone Collector (1999), starring along side Denzel Washington. In that same year, Jolie gave a tour de force performance in Girl, Interrupted (1999) playing opposite Winona Ryder. The movie was a true story of women who spent time in a psychiatric hospital. Jolie's role was reminiscent of Jack Nicholson's character in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", the role which won Nicholson his first Oscar. Unlike "Cuckoo", "Girl" was a small film that received mixed reviews and barely made money at the box office. But when it came time to give out awards, Jolie won the triple crown -- "Girl" propelled her to win the Golden Globe, the SAG Award, and the Academy Award for best leading actress in a supporting role.
With her new-found prominence, Jolie began to get in-depth attention from the press. Numerous aspects of her controversial personal life became news. Jolie divorced her "Hackers" co-star Jonny Lee Miller and in 2000 she married her "Pushing Tin" co-star Billy Bob Thornton. Jolie had now become the fifth wife of a man twenty years her senior. At her wedding to Miller she had displayed her husband's name on the back of her shirt painted in her own blood. During her marriage to Thornton, the spouses each wore a vial of the other's blood around their necks. In addition, Jolie was estranged from her famous father.
In 2000 Jolie was asked to star in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). At first she expressed disinterest but then decided that the required training for the athletic role was intriguing. The Croft character was drawn from a popular video game. Lara Croft was a female cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond. When the film was released, critics were unimpressed with the final product, but critical acclaim wasn't the point of the movie. The public paid $275 million for theater tickets to see a buffed up Jolie portray the adventuresome Lara Croft.
Jolie's father Jon Voight appeared in "Croft", and during filming there was a brief rapprochement between father and daughter.
One of the Croft movie's filming locations was Cambodia. While there, Jolie witnessed the natural beauty, culture and poverty of that country. She considered this an eye opening experience, and so began the humanitarian chapter of her life. Jolie began visiting refugee camps around the world and came to be formally appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Some of her experiences were written and published in her popular book "Notes from My Travels" whose profits go to UNHCR.
Jolie has stated that she now plans to spend most of her time in humanitarian efforts, to be financed by her actress salary. She devotes one third of her income to savings, one third to living expenses, and one third to charity. In 2002 Angelina adopted a Cambodian refugee boy named Maddox, and in 2005 she adopted an Ethiopian refugee girl named Zahara. Jolie's dramatic feature film Beyond Borders (2003) parallels some of her real life humanitarian experiences although, despite the inclusion of a romance between two westerners, many of the movie's images were too depressingly realistic -- the film was not popular among critics or at the box office.
In 2004 Jolie began filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) with co-star Brad Pitt. The film became a major box office success. Jolie's marriage to Billy Bob Thornton had come apart in 2002, and there were rumors that Pitt and Jolie had an affair while filming "Smith". Jolie insisted that because her mother had been hurt by adultery, she herself could never participate in an affair with a married man, therefore there had been no affair with Pitt at that time. Nonetheless, Pitt separated from his wife Jennifer Aniston in January 2005 and in the months that followed he was frequently seen in public with Jolie, apparently as a couple. Pitt's divorce was finalized later in 2005.
Jolie and Pitt announced in early 2006 that they would have a child together, and Jolie gave birth to daughter Shiloh that May. They say they wish to adopt another child as well. The couple continues to pursue movie and humanitarian projects.
OTHER INFO:
Niece of Chip Taylor.
One of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People." [2000]
She is extremely close to and protective of her brother James Haven. He often accompanies her to awards shows, and she used his name, or at least his memory, as inspiration in the "Where's Jamie?!" scene in Girl, Interrupted (1999).
Has the letter "H" tattooed on the inside of her left wrist, which is a reference to two people she is close to who have this letter in their names: her brother, James Haven, and Timothy Hutton. She got the tattoo when she was dating Timothy but since their break up she now says it's only for James.
Has a tattoo of the Tennessee Williams quote, "A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages." on her left forearm.
Jolie is actually her middle name.
Was married to Jonny Lee Miller in a black leather pants and a white shirt. On the white shirt she painted her husband's name in her own blood (across the back).
Tattoos include the Japanese sign for death, two pointy black American Indian symbols, a dragon, and a large black cross.
Mother is Marcheline Bertrand.
Father is Jon Voight.
Majored in film at New York University.
Collects knives and has an interest in mortuary science.
Angelina and her brother, to whom she is very close, publicly spoke out to deny false rumors that the two were having an incestuous love affair. [2000]
Had childhood dream of becoming a funeral director.
Named the world's sexiest woman in Swedish magazine Café.
"Jolie" means "pretty" in French.
Goddaughter of actress Jacqueline Bisset.
Graduated from Beverly Hills High School at age 16.
Has the Latin phrase "Quod me nutrit me destruit" ("What nourishes me also destroys me") tattooed across her stomach.
Appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland after her visits to Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Pakistan. [27 August 2001]
Born at 9:09 AM PDT
"Introducing Angelina Jolie" in opening credits of Love Is All There Is (1996) suggests delayed release as Jolie already had at least two major screen roles by 1996.
She is of Czech and American descent on her father's side and French and Haudenosaunee (Iroquian Indian) heritage on her mother's side.
She and Billy Bob Thornton adopted a Cambodian baby boy, named Maddox. Jolie took custody of the baby in Africa, where she is shooting Beyond Borders (2003). [10 March 2002]
Performed her own stunts in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and received cuts from the chandelier scene as a result.
Ranked #87 in Premiere's 2002 annual "Power 100" list.
In role as goodwill ambassador, visited Tham Hin refugee camp in Thailand, May 2002, to check on conditions of 9,000 refugees from bordering Myanmar.
July 2002 - confirms break up with actor Billy Bob Thornton.
Measurements(before pregnancy): 36C-27-36.
Announced in late 2002 that she is "in talks" to portray the late porn star Linda Lovelace. Eventually, she lost the role to Courtney Love.
Goddaughter of actor Maximilian Schell.
Voted the 3rd Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian Empire Magazine September 2002.
Her adopted son, Maddox Chivan Thornton Jolie, was born on August 5th, 2001.
Her favorite Disney character is Dumbo the flying elephant, she has said that she cried when he was able to fly.
She is the woman most American males would like to date on New Year's Eve, according to a survey by movie rental chain Blockbuster Inc. Results of the survey showed her in the top spot with 35 percent of respondents saying she would be their number one pick for a hypothetical New Year's Eve candle-lit dinner. Rival star Catherine Zeta-Jones gained second spot in the online survey conducted by Blockbuster November 11-24, 2003. The survey had 31,969 responses.
Started modelling at the age of 14.
Was named "The sexiest woman alive" by the Swedish evening newspaper "Aftonbladet." [2003]
She was voted the ninth sexiest woman in FHM UK's top 100 sexiest in 2004.
Is planning to give up her acting career to settle in England with her son Maddox and become a full time mum. She says she wants to "Quit movies, be a great mum to Maddox and join the Parents and Teachers Association".
Favorite music: Madonna, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, The Clash, Matchbox 20.
Favorite TV shows: "King of the Hill" (1997), the Game Show Network and Animal Planet.
Voted as #6 on the "Top 100 Sexiest Women" 2004 in FHM [DK].
She was voted #2 on VH1's "100 Hottest Hotties."
Attended same high school as Lenny Kravitz.
She and Egyptian actor Adel Imam are goodwill ambassadors for the UNHCR.
Went to High School with Michael Klesic.
Ranked #6 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World." [2002]
Has said that she speaks "very little French".
Voted #1 star most men would like to kiss under the mistletoe in a poll for Sky Movies.
Used to own a pet rat snake. Therefore had no problem shooting the snake scene in Alexander (2004).
Went to elementary school at William O. Schaefer School in Tappan, New York.
Her father starred with her godmother Jacqueline Bisset in Richter und sein Henker, Der (1975), which was directed by her godfather Maximilian Schell.
Voted Hollywood's Sexiest Single Mother, in a poll for website Date.com.
Consulted with real-life FBI profiler Robert K. Ressler for her role in Taking Lives (2004).
In 2003 was first recipient of the Citizen of the World Award from the UN's Correspondents' Association for her work as a goodwill ambassador with the UNHCR.
In 2004 was made an honorary citizen of Cambodia by the Prime Minister of Cambodia for her humanitarian work there.
July 6th 2005: she adopted a newborn baby girl from Ethiopia who was thought to be orphaned by AIDS. But it was later revealed that the child's mother did not have the money to care for her. She named the girl Zahara Marley Jolie.
She ranked #2 in 2000 on Mr. Blackwell's Worst Dress List.
Named Esquire Magazine's Sexiest Woman Alive in 2004.
Named Most Beautiful Woman in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People 2005 issue. More than 500,000 readers were polled.
In August, 2005 was made an official citizen of Cambodia by the King for her ongoing efforts to help the environment there.
The King of Cambodia has signed legal papers giving her Cambodian Citizenship (August 2005)
Was nominated for Worst Actress at the Razzie Awards for four straight years from 2002 to 2005, but each time was beaten by another of her fellow nominees. She has still yet to "win" an award.
When filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), she set fire to her silk pajamas on the chandelier while she was doing her "bungee jumps" in the house. She was taken to a hospital with minor burns but resumed filming the next day.
Her adopted daughter, Zahara Marley Jolie, was born on January 8th, 2005
Named #7 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list.
Ranked #1 in E! Television's 2006 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies
Gave her Oscar Statuette, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Critic Choice Award to her mother. She felt she didn't need to hang on to awards.
Her godfather Maximilian Schell always gave her a doll as a birthday present, from her first to sixteenth. Sometimes it was a modern doll, made of plastic, sometimes it was an old and precious one, made of wood or porcelain.
Gave her mother the nickname "Great Lady".
One of the first actresses to win 3 consecutive Golden Globes in 3 different categories: "Best Supporting Actress in a Mini Series": George Wallace (1997) (TV), "Best Actress in a TV Movie or Mini Series": Gia (1998) (TV), "Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture": Girl, Interrupted (1999). Coincidentally, all her roles were based on real people.
She graduated from El Rodeo elementary school in 1989.
Ranked and Voted #3 by AskMen.com's Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2006
The adoptive father of her children Maddox and Zahara is Brad Pitt
Topped People magazine`s "100 most beautiful people" list in 2006 (28 April 2006).
Named #1 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005)
She and Brad Pitt welcomed daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt on May 27, 2006 in Namibia, Africa.
The government in Namibia is offering citizenship to her new daughter.
Has tattoos of the coordinates representing the locations where she adopted Maddox and Zahara on her left arm, which cover up the Billy Bob Thornton tattoo (June 2006).
Has a private pilot and Airbase single engine land civilian pilot's license.
Has a fondness for Liverpool Football Club because her son Maddox "only wants to play for Liverpool".
She donated many items to Rocky Stone to be given to less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign.
Was the cover girl for the much anticipated issue of Forbes Magazine, in which appeared the infamous Celebrity 100 list [June 2006]
Named #4 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2006 list.
Flys a Cirrus SR-22 (N805MX) registered to Chivan Productions, Inc.
Became the third actress to join the coveted $20 Million Club (after Julia Roberts and 'Cameron Diaz ), when she signed to do Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) for that amount.
Fan of author Ayn Rand.
Named #2 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).
Is left-handed and therefore had to have guns specially made so that she could reload them easily for Lara Croft:Tomb Raider.