Celebrity Watch: Angelina Jolie

American actress and Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina JolieAngelina Jolie was born June 4, 1975 in Los Angeles, California. Jolie is the daughter of actors Jon VoightJon Voight and Marcheline BertrandMarcheline Bertrand. Jolie's parents were separated in 1976, the actress and her brother were raised by their mother Marcheline. At age eleven, Jolie enrolled in the Lee StrasbergLee Strasberg Theatre Institute, training in several stage productions. "At the age of 14, she dropped out of her acting classes and dreamed of becoming a funeral director" says Chris Heath of Rolling Stones. During this time, Jolie was in a dark stage period of her life.

Jolie as an child made her first debut along side her father actor Jon Voight in the 1982 film Lookin to Get Out. Then her acting career began in Cyborg 2, and her next leading role was in Hackers. She starred in two biographical films, George WallaceGeorge Wallace and Gia. She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in Girl Interrupted. However, Jolie would achieve wider fame as a female hero in Lara CroftLara Croft: Tomb Raider and would become the highest paid actress in the industry. Jolie landed hit role after hit role, she starred with Denzel WashingtonDenzel Washington in the hit crime thriller The Bone Collector with Denzel Washington and then alongside with Winona RyderWinona Ryder in Girl Interrupted. In 2000, Jolie appeared in the summer blockbuster, Gone In 60 Seconds with Nicholas Cage.

Having been long estranged from her father, she would file a request to change her name to Angelina Jolie and drop Voight as her surname, that would become official on September 12, 2002. Voight was interviewed on Access Hollywood and said "his daughter had serious mental problems." Jolie had wished not to pursue relationship with her father saying she stated that she did not want to publicize her reasons for her estrangement from her father, but because she had adopted her son, she did not think it was healthy for her to associate with Voight" says Fred Schruers, Premiere Magazine.

In 2003, she would reappear again as Lara Croft in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. The film earned $156 million at the international box office. In 2005, Jolie starred in the action-comedy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Where she would meet her third husband Brad PittBrad Pitt. The relationship would attract worldwide media attention.

Jolie's looks isn't the only thing that is talked about but her numerous tattoos on her body that has a Tennessee WilliamsTennessee Williams quote, Arabic language phrase, Latin proverb, Yantra prayer written for her son Maddox, sets of geographical coordinates, Billy Bob Thorton tattoos and a Chinese character of death.

Jolie had established her own identity when she changed her last name and the name Jolie instantly became a household name. Jolie instantly became a tabloid success and has been very outspoken in interviews and also in her role as an UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. Then what would really spark Jolie's fame is her relationship with Brad Pitt that would become one of the famous couples in Hollywood history. Jolie has made her trademark in Hollywood. Time Magazine regarded her as the 100 Most Influential people in the world. People Magazine described her as the world's most beautiful woman in the 100 Most Beautiful.

Sources

1. Heath, Chris. Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic. Rolling Stone. September 8, 2008.
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938014/blood_sugar_sex_magic.

2. Schruers, Fred. Angelina Jolie. Premiere Magazine. September 8, 2008.
http://www.premiere.com/features/1894/angelina-Jolie.html?print_page=y.