Angelina Jolie reflects how late mother influenced acting career

Angelina Jolie got candid about how her mother inspired her to pursue acting and how her death affected her career.

In an interview with W. Magazine, published on January 3rd, the Maria star shared her mother's role in her success.

“I did it in the beginning because it was my mother’s dream,” she said. “She pursued acting, but by the time my mom was 25, she was divorced with two kids and she decided to focus her life solely on motherhood.”

She recalled how her mother had a passion for acting, auditioning tirelessly for theatre roles in Chicago and film gigs in Los Angeles.

The Maleficent actress continued, explaining that her mother never saw it as a “sacrifice” because she enjoyed being “stay-at-home mom", yet she really wanted her to become an actress.

“I don’t remember making the choice. I remember it made my mom happy. My mom was my manager, and we were a team,” she added.

The 49-year-old artist talked about how she always dreamed of providing for her mother, saying, “I always wanted to buy her a house, and I started to pay the bills.”

Reflecting on her mother's death, she said, “When my mom passed, it was harder for me to be an actress because I realised how much of it was for her.”

The interview came just days after Jolie and her ex-husband Brad Pitt finalised their divorce on December 30, 2024. Their legal battle lasted for six years following Jolie's filing in September 2016.