Angelina Jolie says 'nothing else matters' to her except for motherhood: 'You may take anything else from me'
Angelina Jolie spoke openly about parenting and how it is the most important thing to her.
Angelina Jolie at the 'Maria' Headline Gala during the 2024 BFI London Film Festival.
The actress went by Good Morning America to talk about her forthcoming film, Maria. While chatting with Michael Strahan, she said that Maria Calles, the opera singer she plays in the biography, prioritizes singing, but that being a mother is at the heart of her existence.
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"It's my happiness," Jolie informed Strahan. "You may take anything else from me. "Nothing else matters."
She and ex-husband Brad Pitt have six children: Maddox, 23, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, all 16 years old.
Her two eldest children worked as assistant directors on Maria, which she described as a "amazing" experience, however none of them desire to be in front of the camera at this time in their life. "Shiloh is extremely private," she said. "They weren't born with privacy, correct? So I hope they get it as they mature."
In a cover interview with The Hollywood Reporter for the Pablo Larraín biopic, the Eternals star explained that she believes it was beneficial to the singer. Pax usually does stills and is brought in, and Pablo was great and recognized his talent."
Maria was Jolie's first project in a while since she "needed to be home more with my kids," but now that they're older and more independent, she felt less required, so she was able to work away for extended periods of time.
"And they are old enough to accompany me at work. It is a new season in our life. "I'm very excited for them to come into their own more and more every day," she added.
The Maleficent star also mentioned that she is a mother first and foremost, which influences how she balances her career as an artist and her political activism.
"I sought to get a better education in foreign policy. I think of how many times it's been characterized as, 'You're an artist, but you also use your voice,' and I feel like that's just being a human," she said. "I am trying to figure out what is going on in our world and why so many things are the way they are. I'm trying to figure out how to best guide my children and ensure that they become nice individuals. I seldom feel like I'm doing enough. So when you say, 'You utilize your voice,' I feel like there are a lot of things I don't know how to do or say right now."
