Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is one of the most widely known and highest paid actresses in Hollywood, but at the same time it’s also one of the actresses that focused a lot on helping poor children find their way in life. Her first film was Lookin’ to get Out in 1982, in which she starred alongside her father, Jon Voight.
As many other actresses from Hollywood, she started her career in a low budget movie named Cyborg 2 in 1993, but since then she managed to star in many other movies, all of which started to cement her prolific, stellar career as one of the best and highest paid actresses in the world.
The main reason why she focused on a movie career was, of course, a major influence from her father which was also one of the most popular actors when she was born. At the same time, she found acting to be very interesting and a good part of herself wanted to do something like this.
These things alone led Jolie to becoming a highly paid actress, mostly her desire to work hard and show the world how powerful a woman can be.
Major roles
Her first main leading role was in the movie Hackers, and then she started to play in many other critically acclaimed TV movies such as Gia, George Wallace and a few others.
The movie Girl, Interrupted is what lead to her winning an Academy Award for the best supporting actress. This alone led her to getting multiple other interesting roles, one of the most important being Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its continuation. This is the role that managed to establish her as the leading Hollywood actress she is today.
Her films also include Wanted, Salt, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Changeling and A Mighty Heart. Her Academy Award win was for supporting actress in Girl, Interrupted.
Aside from her movie career, Angelina is also known for the large efforts that she has in the humanitarian world. In fact, she received the Jean Hersholt award as well as an honorary damehood from DCMG. She is a promoter for the rights of women, education, conservation and she also works on behalf of many refugees.
As a whole, Angelina Jolie is one of the most important actresses on the planet right now, and even though she might not be found right now in many movies, her stardom is increasing all the time, and that’s what matters the most. Maybe the coolest thing about her is that she managed to show the power of women, all by bringing in front something different and unique.
A performance to explore
Angelina Jolie received the Academy Award for actress in a supporting role for Girl, Interrupted at the 2000 ceremony. This provides a useful starting point for readers exploring the performances behind the name.
Watch how the character changes across quieter scenes as well as dramatic moments: pauses, physical movement and reactions often reveal as much as dialogue. Compare that approach with a different genre in the profile above.
Source: Academy Awards, 2000.
Continue reading
Compare both careers in our actress directory, or read our editorial approach.