Random Fuzzy
These were from the HFPA press con last Aug. 25 which is why many of the quotes are exactly the same. There should be a few more similar reports coming from other foreign publications. It should be easy to just assemble her actual quotes and ignore the rest.
I don't enjoy being single. It’s not something I wanted. There are no upsides, there’s nothing nice about it. It’s just hard.
She is already publicly stating she didn't want to file. The separation was forced on them, she didn't agree with it and its been very difficult for both of them.
In other words, she doesn't enjoy being apart from Brad and she never wanted to be separated from him.
This is the prelude to telling their story.
The "events that led to the filing" and that forced them to live apart.
That they've spent the last, "hardest" year healing from.
"It’s just been the hardest time, and we’re just kind of coming up for air. [This house] is a big jump forward for us, and we’re all trying to do our best to heal our family.”
That story should follow.
*****
She was asked about Miraval's wine and she responded that Miraval will "for sure" continue its wine production and "A new wine will soon be on the market. " (red?) She was not asked about the lighting design. 😀
*****
They had previously said:
GQStyle
"Well, there's a lot to tell them because there's understanding the future, there's understanding the immediate moment and why we're at this point, and then it brings up a lot of issues from the past that we haven't talked about. So our focus is that everyone comes out stronger and better people—there is no other outcome."
BBC
"We will be stronger when we come out of this because that's what we're determined to do as a family." "My focus is finding this way through. And as I said we are and forever will be a family. I am coping with finding a way through to make sure that this somehow makes us stronger and closer.”
This may be Angelina's personal contribution to that effort:
Now I need to rediscover a little bit of some of the feeling of the old me, actually. I think we lose our way a bit and we get overwhelmed.
But maybe now that my kids are growing up I am starting to realise that my own sense of play has been put on hold for a while. And maybe them hitting their teens is going to bring out a little more fun in mom.
*****
She again declined to be drawn into any discussion of VF's account of the auditions.
I have explained it and you can look it up. It was a mischaracterisation and it didn’t happen in any way that wasn’t absolutely with the thought of what was best for the child and the family.
Previously with Screen International:
Jolie says she regards the matter as closed, but stresses that guardians and parents were present at all times during child auditions, and all parties knew the process involved make-believe.
-- Fussy
Tz
Die Fans machten sich Sorgen um Angelina Jolie,
weil Bilder von ihrer Kambodscha-Reise sie erschreckend mager
zeigten. Beim Interview zu ihrem neuen Film «Der weite Weg der Hoffnung»
(First They Killed My Father) sitzt mir aber eine Angelina Jolie
gegenüber, die alle Sorgen zerstreut.
Durch das beige Bottega Venetta-Kleid zeichnen sich Kurven ab und das Lächeln ist strahlend wie eh und je. Ja, sie wird ernst, ihre Stimme rau und es treten sogar Tränen in ihre Augen, wenn die Fragen ins Private gehen. Wie bei dieser:
Was gefällt Ihnen daran, Single zu sein? Und was gefällt Ihnen nicht?
Angelina Jolie: Mir gefällt nichts daran. Es ist nicht etwas, was ich wollte.
Gibt es eine gute Seite?
Nein. Tut mir leid, aber es gibt nichts Gutes. Es ist nur schwer.
Woher nehmen Sie die Zeit als alleinerziehende Mutter, nebenher auch noch Filme zu drehen?
Im letzten Jahr war das unmöglich. Ich musste und wollte mich ausschliesslich um meine Kinder kümmern. Jetzt fange ich wieder an, die richtige Balance zwischen Heimleben und Beruf zu finden. Jede Mutter weiss, wie schwierig das ist. Und ich tu mich damit besonders schwer. Ich liebe es, Mama zu sein. Was zu kurz kommt ist Zeit für mich selbst zu finden.
Sie haben verraten, dass Sie nach Ihrer doppelten Mastektomie in die Wechseljahre gekommen sind. Belastet Sie das psychisch?
Das lasse ich nicht zu. Ich bin so glücklich, keinen Krebs zu haben. Trotzdem haben die frühen Wechseljahre natürlich negative Auswirkungen auf meinen Körper. Besonders weil ich nach dem schweren letzten Jahr emotionell angeschlagen bin und auch mich noch mit anderen gesundheitlichen Probleme herumschlagen muss.
Was tun Sie für Ihre Gesundheit?
Wachsam sein. Alles was in mir vorgeht beobachten. Das Wichtigste ist, dass ich viel lache und glücklich bin, weil das den Stress abbaut. Lachen, lieben, leben – das ist mein tägliches Motto. Ich weiss, ich klinge wie ein Spruch auf einer Postkarte, aber es stimmt.
Sie sind sehr offen mit Ihrer Krankheit umgegangen und haben so viel von Ihrer Privatssphäre geopfert.
Nichts wäre für mich schlimmer, wenn man sein Leben in Schweigen lebt und weiss, dass man anderen Frauen in derselben Situation helfen könnte – einfach indem man den Mund aufmacht. Wenn ich mich abends mit dem guten Gewissen, alles Menschenmögliche getan zu haben, ins Bett legen kann, dann ist dieses Gefühl jedes Opfer wert.
Wie sind die Kinder mit den schwierigen Umständen in der letzten Zeit klargekommen?
Sie sind aussergewöhnlich. Es hat mich unheimlich bewegt, wie sehr sie einander geholfen haben. Besonders die grossen Brüder waren für die kleineren Kids da und haben mich damit sehr unterstützt. Es ist beruhigend, dass meine Kinder so eng zusammenhalten und füreinander sorgen. Das zu wissen, gibt mir inneren Frieden. Denn der Tag kommt, wenn ich nicht mehr da bin.
Unterstützen die Kids auch Sie?
Ja! Sie kochen. Ich nehme zwar gerade Kochunterricht, aber es ist etwas, worin ich nie sehr gut sein werde. Mir fehlt einfach die Geduld dazu, hinter dem Herd zu stehen. Ich versuche aber mein Bestes. Zum Glück sind meine Kinder fähiger als ich und springen oft ein. Wir machen dann eine Party in der Küche.
Aber irgendetwas müssen Sie doch gut kochen können.
Nichts Bestimmtes. Wenn ich mich an ein Rezept halten muss, geht das meistens völlig daneben. Ich war noch nie gut darin, Regeln zu folgen. Manchmal kommt versehentlich was erstaunlich Leckeres dabei raus, wenn ich einfach wild drauflos koche.
Ihr Weingut Miraval in Frankreich produziert sehr gute Weine. Werden Sie das auch in Zukunft weiter betreiben?
Auf jeden Fall. Demnächst kommt ein neuer Wein von uns auf den Markt. Das Miraval Gut ist etwas besonders Schönes für unsere Familie. Wir haben eine tiefe Verbindung damit. Ich hoffe, das bleibt auch weiterhin so.
Wenn Sie reisen Sie eigentlich selbst?
Ich kann es noch, aber ich hatte schon länger keine Zeit mehr dazu. Dafür fliegen alle meine Boys grade. Sie nehmen Flugunterricht. Sogar Knox. Ich muss ihm allerdings helfen, weil er noch nicht an die Pedale rankommt. Die Kids fliegen so viel, dass ich sie am Wochenende kaum noch zu Gesicht bekomme.
Was ist für Sie die grösste Herausforderung bei der Kindererziehung?
Meine Kinder machen zu lassen, ohne einzugreifen. Ich neige dazu, Dinge zu übernehmen.
Was ist das Wichtigste, was Sie den Kids mit auf den Weg geben können?
Ich versuche alles, dass sie glücklich sind und einen positiven Ausblick haben. Ich will, dass sie unbeschwert lachen können, aber auch, dass sie für sich einen bestimmten Sinn im Leben entdecken. Sie sollen einen Pfad finden und einen Drive entwickeln. Natürlich werden sie besonders als Teenager durch schwierige Situationen gehen und es wird Komplikationen geben. Ich hoffe nur, dass keiner von ihnen so schlimm und schwierig ist wie ich als Teenager (lacht). Bislang ist das nicht der Fall.
Der neue Film ist eine Familienangelegenheit. Ihr 16-jähriger Sohn Maddox taucht im Abspann als Executive Producer auf.
Ja da stimmt. Mad kommt ja aus Kambodscha und er kannte Loung, das Mädchen, um das der Film geht, persönlich. Er war sein ganzes Leben lang mit ihrer Story vertraut. Und den Titel Produzent hat sich Mad verdient. Er musste tägliche Recherchen machen und mir beim Schneiden helfen. Es war für mich sehr wichtig, die Perspektive eines Kinds zu haben, weil die oft einen andere ist als die eines Erwachsenen.
Wie schwierig ist es als Regisseurin, mit Kindern vor der Kamera zu arbeiten?
Man darf junge Darsteller nicht puschen wie man es mit Älteren tut. Bei dem kleinen Mädchen, das die Hauptrolle spielt, hatte ich gar keine grossen schauspielerischen Leistungen erwartet. Man kann viele Dinge durch guten Filmschnitt erzeugen. Am Ende hat mich aber völlig überrascht, was sie geleistet hat. Es war unglaublich. Als ich sie am Ende fragte, ob sie nun Schauspielerin werden will, sagte sie: «Nein. Regisseurin.» Was für ein kluges Girl (lacht).
Was würden Sie in Zukunft gerne tun, was Sie bislang noch nicht getan haben?
Ich denke darüber nach, ein Buch zu schreiben. Über die Geschichte von sexueller Gewalt gegen Frauen und wie wir in Zukunft damit umgehen. Aber wer weiss, vielleicht schreib ich auch was anderes. Vielleicht ein Kochbuch (lacht).
Wo sehen Sie sich in 10 Jahren?
Ich hoffe, dann immer noch gesund zu sein und weiterhin meine kreative Ader befriedigen zu können. In 10 Jahren werden alle Kinder aus dem Haus sein. Ich habe keine Ahnung, was ich dann mache. Vielleicht gibt es dann ja schon Enkelkinder, um die ich mich kümmern kann.
Publiziert am 03.09.2017 | Aktualisiert um 02:19 Uhr
Durch das beige Bottega Venetta-Kleid zeichnen sich Kurven ab und das Lächeln ist strahlend wie eh und je. Ja, sie wird ernst, ihre Stimme rau und es treten sogar Tränen in ihre Augen, wenn die Fragen ins Private gehen. Wie bei dieser:
Was gefällt Ihnen daran, Single zu sein? Und was gefällt Ihnen nicht?
Angelina Jolie: Mir gefällt nichts daran. Es ist nicht etwas, was ich wollte.
Gibt es eine gute Seite?
Nein. Tut mir leid, aber es gibt nichts Gutes. Es ist nur schwer.
Woher nehmen Sie die Zeit als alleinerziehende Mutter, nebenher auch noch Filme zu drehen?
Im letzten Jahr war das unmöglich. Ich musste und wollte mich ausschliesslich um meine Kinder kümmern. Jetzt fange ich wieder an, die richtige Balance zwischen Heimleben und Beruf zu finden. Jede Mutter weiss, wie schwierig das ist. Und ich tu mich damit besonders schwer. Ich liebe es, Mama zu sein. Was zu kurz kommt ist Zeit für mich selbst zu finden.
Sie haben verraten, dass Sie nach Ihrer doppelten Mastektomie in die Wechseljahre gekommen sind. Belastet Sie das psychisch?
Das lasse ich nicht zu. Ich bin so glücklich, keinen Krebs zu haben. Trotzdem haben die frühen Wechseljahre natürlich negative Auswirkungen auf meinen Körper. Besonders weil ich nach dem schweren letzten Jahr emotionell angeschlagen bin und auch mich noch mit anderen gesundheitlichen Probleme herumschlagen muss.
Was tun Sie für Ihre Gesundheit?
Wachsam sein. Alles was in mir vorgeht beobachten. Das Wichtigste ist, dass ich viel lache und glücklich bin, weil das den Stress abbaut. Lachen, lieben, leben – das ist mein tägliches Motto. Ich weiss, ich klinge wie ein Spruch auf einer Postkarte, aber es stimmt.
Sie sind sehr offen mit Ihrer Krankheit umgegangen und haben so viel von Ihrer Privatssphäre geopfert.
Nichts wäre für mich schlimmer, wenn man sein Leben in Schweigen lebt und weiss, dass man anderen Frauen in derselben Situation helfen könnte – einfach indem man den Mund aufmacht. Wenn ich mich abends mit dem guten Gewissen, alles Menschenmögliche getan zu haben, ins Bett legen kann, dann ist dieses Gefühl jedes Opfer wert.
Wie sind die Kinder mit den schwierigen Umständen in der letzten Zeit klargekommen?
Sie sind aussergewöhnlich. Es hat mich unheimlich bewegt, wie sehr sie einander geholfen haben. Besonders die grossen Brüder waren für die kleineren Kids da und haben mich damit sehr unterstützt. Es ist beruhigend, dass meine Kinder so eng zusammenhalten und füreinander sorgen. Das zu wissen, gibt mir inneren Frieden. Denn der Tag kommt, wenn ich nicht mehr da bin.
Unterstützen die Kids auch Sie?
Ja! Sie kochen. Ich nehme zwar gerade Kochunterricht, aber es ist etwas, worin ich nie sehr gut sein werde. Mir fehlt einfach die Geduld dazu, hinter dem Herd zu stehen. Ich versuche aber mein Bestes. Zum Glück sind meine Kinder fähiger als ich und springen oft ein. Wir machen dann eine Party in der Küche.
Aber irgendetwas müssen Sie doch gut kochen können.
Nichts Bestimmtes. Wenn ich mich an ein Rezept halten muss, geht das meistens völlig daneben. Ich war noch nie gut darin, Regeln zu folgen. Manchmal kommt versehentlich was erstaunlich Leckeres dabei raus, wenn ich einfach wild drauflos koche.
Ihr Weingut Miraval in Frankreich produziert sehr gute Weine. Werden Sie das auch in Zukunft weiter betreiben?
Auf jeden Fall. Demnächst kommt ein neuer Wein von uns auf den Markt. Das Miraval Gut ist etwas besonders Schönes für unsere Familie. Wir haben eine tiefe Verbindung damit. Ich hoffe, das bleibt auch weiterhin so.
Wenn Sie reisen Sie eigentlich selbst?
Ich kann es noch, aber ich hatte schon länger keine Zeit mehr dazu. Dafür fliegen alle meine Boys grade. Sie nehmen Flugunterricht. Sogar Knox. Ich muss ihm allerdings helfen, weil er noch nicht an die Pedale rankommt. Die Kids fliegen so viel, dass ich sie am Wochenende kaum noch zu Gesicht bekomme.
Was ist für Sie die grösste Herausforderung bei der Kindererziehung?
Meine Kinder machen zu lassen, ohne einzugreifen. Ich neige dazu, Dinge zu übernehmen.
Was ist das Wichtigste, was Sie den Kids mit auf den Weg geben können?
Ich versuche alles, dass sie glücklich sind und einen positiven Ausblick haben. Ich will, dass sie unbeschwert lachen können, aber auch, dass sie für sich einen bestimmten Sinn im Leben entdecken. Sie sollen einen Pfad finden und einen Drive entwickeln. Natürlich werden sie besonders als Teenager durch schwierige Situationen gehen und es wird Komplikationen geben. Ich hoffe nur, dass keiner von ihnen so schlimm und schwierig ist wie ich als Teenager (lacht). Bislang ist das nicht der Fall.
Der neue Film ist eine Familienangelegenheit. Ihr 16-jähriger Sohn Maddox taucht im Abspann als Executive Producer auf.
Ja da stimmt. Mad kommt ja aus Kambodscha und er kannte Loung, das Mädchen, um das der Film geht, persönlich. Er war sein ganzes Leben lang mit ihrer Story vertraut. Und den Titel Produzent hat sich Mad verdient. Er musste tägliche Recherchen machen und mir beim Schneiden helfen. Es war für mich sehr wichtig, die Perspektive eines Kinds zu haben, weil die oft einen andere ist als die eines Erwachsenen.
Wie schwierig ist es als Regisseurin, mit Kindern vor der Kamera zu arbeiten?
Man darf junge Darsteller nicht puschen wie man es mit Älteren tut. Bei dem kleinen Mädchen, das die Hauptrolle spielt, hatte ich gar keine grossen schauspielerischen Leistungen erwartet. Man kann viele Dinge durch guten Filmschnitt erzeugen. Am Ende hat mich aber völlig überrascht, was sie geleistet hat. Es war unglaublich. Als ich sie am Ende fragte, ob sie nun Schauspielerin werden will, sagte sie: «Nein. Regisseurin.» Was für ein kluges Girl (lacht).
Was würden Sie in Zukunft gerne tun, was Sie bislang noch nicht getan haben?
Ich denke darüber nach, ein Buch zu schreiben. Über die Geschichte von sexueller Gewalt gegen Frauen und wie wir in Zukunft damit umgehen. Aber wer weiss, vielleicht schreib ich auch was anderes. Vielleicht ein Kochbuch (lacht).
Wo sehen Sie sich in 10 Jahren?
Ich hoffe, dann immer noch gesund zu sein und weiterhin meine kreative Ader befriedigen zu können. In 10 Jahren werden alle Kinder aus dem Haus sein. Ich habe keine Ahnung, was ich dann mache. Vielleicht gibt es dann ja schon Enkelkinder, um die ich mich kümmern kann.
Publiziert am 03.09.2017 | Aktualisiert um 02:19 Uhr
google and microsoft translate
«There is nothing good about being single»
Angelina Jolie speaks exclusively about separation
LOS ANGELES USA
The fans were worried about Angelina Jolie because pictures of her Cambodia trip showed her frighteningly thin. In the interview for her new film "The Way of Hope" (First They Killed My Father), however, I am facing an Angelina Jolie, who distracts all worries.
The beige Bottega Venetta dress has curves and the smile is as bright as ever. Yes, she becomes serious, her voice rough and even tears come into her eyes when the questions go into private. As with this:
What do you like about being a single? And what do you dislike?
Angelina Jolie: I don't like it. It's not something I wanted.
Is there a good side?
No. I'm sorry, but there's nothing good. It's hard.
Where do you find the time as a single mother, and also shoot films?
Last year it was impossible. I needed and wanted to look after my children. Now I am starting again to find the right balance between home life and work. Well I think every mother knows that it’s hard. I always ask myself that question and I am not very good at it. I am told often that I should try to find more time for myself, but I do love being a mom.
You have revealed that you came to the menopause after your double mastectomy. Do you burden that psychically?
I will not allow that. I am so happy not to have cancer. Nevertheless, the early menopause has a negative impact on my body. Especially because I am after the heavy last year emotionally beaten and I also still have to deal with other health problems.
What do you do for your health?
Be vigilant. Everything that is going on in my mind. The most important thing is that I am laughing a lot and happy, because that relieves the stress. Laugh, love, live - this is my daily motto. I know I sound like a saying on a postcard, but it's true.
They are very open with your illness and have sacrificed so much of your privacy.
Nothing would be worse for me if you lived your life in silence and know that you could help other women in the same situation - just open your mouth. In the evening, when I have been able to go to bed with a good conscience to do all that is human, this feeling is worth every sacrifice.
How have the children come to terms with the difficult circumstances in the past?
They are exceptional. It moved me uncanny how much they helped each other. Especially the big brothers were there for the smaller kids and supported me very much. It is reassuring that my children are so close together and caring for each other. Knowing this gives me inner peace. For the day comes when I am no longer there.
Do the kids support you too?
Yes! They cook. I'm just taking cooking lessons, but it's something I'll never be very good at. I simply lack the patience to stand behind the hearth. But I'm trying my best. Luckily, my children are more capable than I am and often jump in. We then make a party in the kitchen.
But somehow you must be able to cook well.
Nothing special. If I have to stick to a recipe, it usually goes completely wrong. I've never been good at following rules. Sometimes accidentally something amazing comes out when I just cook wild drauflos.
Your vineyard Miraval in France produces very good wines. Will you continue to do this in the future?
Absolutely! A new wine will soon be on the market. The Miraval good is something particularly beautiful for our family. We have a deep connection with it. I hope this remains the case.
If you are traveling you actually?
I can still do it, but I have not had time for it. All of my boys are flying. They take flight lessons. Even Knox. I have to help him, however, because he is not yet on the pedals. The kids fly so much that I can barely see them on the weekend.
What is the greatest challenge for children?
To let my children do without interfering. I tend to take things over.
What is the most important thing you can give the kids along?
I try everything they are happy and have a positive outlook.
I want them to be able to laugh without complaining, but also to discover for themselves a certain sense in life. You should find a path and develop a drive. Of course they will go through difficult situations particularly as teenagers and there will be complications. I just hope that none of them is as bad and difficult as I am as a teenager (laughs). So far this is not the case.
The new film is a family affair. Her 16-year-old son, Maddox, appears as executive producer in the credits.
Yes, that's right. Mad comes from Cambodia and he knew Loung, the girl, about the movie, personally. He was familiar with her story all his life. And the title producer has earned Mad. He had to do daily research and help me with cutting. It was very important for me to have a child's perspective because it is often different from that of an adult.
How difficult is it as a director to work with children in front of the camera?
You can not push young actors like you do with older people. With the little girl, who plays the leading role, I had not expected any great actorial performances. You can create many things through good movie editing. In the end, however, I was completely surprised at what she did. It was amazing. When I finally asked her if she wanted to become an actress, she said, "No. Director. "What a clever girl (laughs).
What would you like to do in the future, which you have not yet done?
I think about writing a book. On the history of sexual violence against women and how we deal with it in the future. But who knows, maybe I write something else. Maybe a cookbook (laughs).
Where do you look in 10 years?
I hope to be healthy and continue to satisfy my creative needs. In 10 years, all children will be out of the house. I have no idea what I'm doing. Maybe there are already grandchildren, which I can take care of.
Published on 03.09.2017 | Updated at 02:19 h
news.com.au
Angelina Jolie opens up about her divorce from Brad Pitt and a tough few years
“I DON’T enjoy being single. It’s not something I wanted,” an emotional Angelina Jolie tells news.com.au.
The Oscar-winning movie star is in Los Angeles to promote her third directorial effort, a Netflix film, First They Killed My Father. She hasn’t talked to the press since her split with Brad Pitt last year (she filed for divorce last September).
As any parent knows, the effects of divorce are often hardest on the kids. Now a single mum, Jolie, 42, says of their six children: “They have been amazing. They have been there for each other [to the extent that] I have never seen. It’s been so moving to see how much they have helped each other, stood together, the big brothers helping the little kids and all of them helping me.” She smiles.
“They have really come into their own during this time. They are finding themselves and their voices.”
Jolie looks fashionable, as always, and her makeup is flawless. She is friendly but there is a distinct air of fragility about her. And no wonder. She has certainly endured a lot in the past few years.
In 2013, she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after it was revealed she carried the BRCA1 gene, which gave her an estimated 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and 50 per cent of ovarian cancer. (Jolie lost her mother, grandmother, and aunt to cancer). Two years later she went under the knife again, this time to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes after a cancer scare. This caused her to begin menopause.
I asked her about the recent story in Vanity Fair in which she described herself as feeling “even more of a woman” after menopause. She explains, “I wanted other women to know that you can go through menopause and you can go through a mastectomy and still feel very much like a woman.”
Admirably, Jolie retains a positive outlook. “With so much in life, you have to focus on how much worse it could be. And I am so happy I don’t have cancer, and I am so happy that I had the surgeries which will hopefully prevent me from getting cancer. If I get it, it will be delayed a few years and chemo will be delayed a few years, and the exchange for that peace of mind is quite good,” she says.
“Just living every day and even if you’re going through chemo, you have to find the ability to live and love and laugh. It may sound like a postcard, but it’s true.”
With her multi-pronged career and hectic life as a single mum, how does she make time for herself?
“Well I think every mother knows that it’s hard. I always ask myself that question and I am not very good at it. I am told often that I should try to find more time for myself, but I do love being a mom.”
What’s it like being boss of such a brood?
She laughs. “Listen, when you have six kids, you realise you are the boss of nothing.”
Her film, First They Killed My Father, is based on the 2000 nonfiction book by Loung Ung, a Cambodian author and survivor of the genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge during its barbaric reign.
It is the country to which Jolie felt a strong connection when shooting Tomb Raider. It is also the birthplace of her eldest child, Maddox, 16, who serves as executive producer on the film.
Though it would be an understatement to describe the film as emotionally gruelling, Jolie hopes it will act as a cautionary tale for the residents of Cambodia.
“Seventy per cent of Cambodians are under 30, and so they will be the future of the country. And if they watch this film and they don’t want that to be repeated, and if they want to learn from it and move forward, then they will be the ones to take the country forward.”
Despite her personal trials and tribulations, she has retained her adventurous spirit, notably her penchant for piloting. She lightens up. “I still fly. Actually my boys are all flying. They are all taking lessons, even Knox (aged 9). He likes it, but you have to help him with the pedals.
“Actually, they are flying this weekend. They are flying so much that there is no space for mom!”
Jolie recently shelled out US$24.5 million for a mansion in the Los Feliz district of Los Angeles.
“I’ve started cooking lessons. I’m not sure how good I am at it,” she admits. “But cooking is one of those things when you are settled in your life and you [can] take that time, [when] you can enjoy food and cooking. Somehow I am very impatient and I am a little bit erratic, so it’s very hard to stand in the kitchen, but I am really trying. I’ve learned with the kids that if I cook, they all hang out. They just love it, but they often take over and tell me that they can do it better.” She smiles.
“So then I had a thought that maybe it’s a genius thing for a woman to say, ‘I can’t cook,’ because now all my children can cook really well. I joke that I did it on purpose.”
And her best recipe? “I can’t follow a recipe. I am not one of those people. I don’t like to follow the rules, so I am a little bad at that.”
It seems there are two Angelina Jolies. The “wild” one from 20 years ago (when she was first introduced to me as “Jon Voight’s daughter” before our interview for the 1997 movie, Playing by Heart), to the one the world has got to know as filmmaker and humanitarian.
“Well, there’s probably 12 of us,” she jokes. “Now I need to rediscover a little bit of some of the feeling of the old me, actually. I think we lose our way a bit and we get overwhelmed. I’ve had a lot happen in my life, from certain people passing to health issues to raising the children. It’s been a very good time to absorb a lot and develop a lot and grow.”
What would like she to see in her future? She pauses. “When I think about where I was ten years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I’d be where I am now with regard to my family life, my marriage, my career,” she says.
“But now, I think I’m at an age where you just want to be healthy.”
telegraph
Angelina Jolie interview: 'I don't enjoy being single, it's not something I wanted'
John Hiscock
3 September 2017 • 12:01 AM
If she didn’t have a movie to promote it is highly unlikely Angelina Jolie would be sitting in a Beverly Hills hotel suite talking - albeit reluctantly - about her life since separating and filing for divorce from Brad Pitt last September.
“It’s been difficult,” she acknowledges. “I don’t enjoy being single. It’s not something I wanted. There’s nothing nice about it. It’s just hard. Sometimes maybe it appears I am pulling it all together, but really I am just trying to get through my days. Emotionally it’s been a very difficult year and I have had some other health issues. So my health is something I have to monitor.”
Four years ago she caused a worldwide stir by announcing she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy after learning she had an 87 per cent risk of developing breast cancer. Her mother had breast cancer and died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56 while her grandmother also died of ovarian cancer aged 45. Two years later she had her ovaries removed and last year, in addition to hypertension, she developed Bell’s palsy, causing one side of her face to droop. Acupuncture helped her recover.
“So much in life you just focus on how much worse it could be,” she says. “And I am so happy I don’t have cancer, and that if I do get it, it will be delayed for a few years. The exchange for that peace of mind is quite good. I feel sometimes that my body has taken a hit, but I try to laugh as much as possible.
“We tend to get so stressed that our children feel our stress when they need to feel our joy. Even if you are going through chemo, you need to find the ability to love and laugh.” She pauses and smiles. “It may sound like a postcard, but it’s true.”
Her children - Maddox, 16; Pax, 13; Zahara, 12; Shiloh, 11; and the nine-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne - feature prominently in her conversation and she is negotiating custody arrangements while she settles her divorce. All six were with her in Cambodia for the four months she spent filming First They Killed My Father, which is based on Loung Ung’s 2000 memoir of the Khmer Rouge genocide, in which Ung’s parents and two of her siblings perished along with an estimated two million Cambodians.
Jolie has been a Cambodian citizen for a decade and owns a house near the Thai border, so the time they spent there was of special significance to her and Maddox, whom she adopted there when he was three months old.
“I had met Loung and I asked her how she would feel, as a Cambodian orphan, if I adopted a Cambodian orphan. She was very supportive. Had she not been my life would have been very different.
“So she has known Mad his whole life and Mad has known of Loung’s story his whole life, and I told him, ‘One day, son, you will be ready and you will tell me it’s time to go deeply into your country. But I need your help and you have to work and you have to be there every day and you can’t say no and that you are tired.’ And one day he said, ‘I am ready.’
“I really wanted Maddox to learn about Cambodian history, so I felt that this movie was a journey that we could take. And he went really deeply into the research and into the edit. And having somebody younger there to say, ‘you are losing my attention,’ or ‘that is too complicated,’ was really helpful.”
The film is a family affair: Maddox is credited as an executive producer, Pax did some photography stills and the other four were on set every day and became playmates of the child actors.
“Seventy per cent percent of Cambodians are under 30,” says Jolie. “And if they watch this film and they don’t want what happened to be repeated, then they will be the ones to take the country forward.”
She talks swiftly and quietly with mainly good humour. The only time she becomes testy is when I ask her about the controversy that surrounded her casting methods for the movie. In a Vanity Fair interview, she implied that her casting directors had played a game in which they offered money to the impoverished youngsters money and then pretended to take it away from them, awarding roles to the children who looked the most upset. The audition attracted criticism and Jolie’s lawyers asked for a correction but Vanity Fair stood by their story.
“I have explained it and you can look it up,” she says sharply. “It was a mischaracterisation and it didn’t happen in any way that wasn’t absolutely with the thought of what was best for the child and the family.”
First They Killed My Father is the fourth movie Jolie has directed following In The Land of Blood and Honey, Unbroken and By the Sea. Right now, though, she has no immediate plans either for acting or directing. Instead, she and the children recently moved into a $24.5 million (£19million) mansion once owned by Cecil B de Mille and settling in is currently her priority.
“I am going to cooking classes!” she says. “I am not sure how good I am at it. Cooking is one of those things you do when you are settled in your life and you can take the time. But somehow I am just very impatient and I am a little bit erratic, so it’s very hard to stand in the kitchen.
“But I am getting into it now. I am really trying, because I feel like if I cook, the kids can all hang out. Although they often take over and tell me that they can do it better.” She laughs.
“The children have been amazing,” she adds. “It’s been so moving to see how much they have helped each other and how much they have helped me. They have really come into their own and they are finding themselves and their voices. I know that they will have each other for life and it gives me great peace to know the day I pass away that they will take care of each other.”
Since finishing the movie she has visited London as a guest lecturer at the London School of Economics, talking to students about her experiences as a UN special envoy.
“Part of the reason I wanted to teach was that I wanted to learn, too,” she says. “I really wanted to hear from the generation coming up what questions they have and what their goals are..”
If and when she returns to filmmaking the chances are it will be as a director rather than an actor. “When you are an actor you’re not able to sculpt the final story,” she says. “But to be able to oversee everything, even the music that goes into the edit, feels very different.”
Jolie’s earlier years as wild child have been well documented. She has talked freely in the past about dabbling with drugs and self mutilation, and during her marriage to Billy Bob Thornton (she was also briefly married to Brit actor Jonny Lee Miller), she and Thornton wore each other’s dried blood in pendants around their necks and bragged about their wild sex.
She met Pitt in 2004 on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith and has devoted the past 15 years of her life to motherhood. But her life has changed dramatically during the past year and now she is thinking about changing with it.
“I think now I need to rediscover a little bit of the old me,” she says. “I think we lose our way a bit. I have had a lot happen in my life, from certain people passing to health issues to raising the children.
“And it’s been a very good time to absorb and develop and grow. But maybe now that my kids are growing up I am starting to realise that my own sense of play has been put on hold for a while. And maybe them hitting their teens is going to bring out a little more fun in mom.” She laughs. “So maybe I am going back. It may be time.”
Thanks for all of the above to Felicity
