Angelina Jolie reveals tragic moment that nearly ended her career

Angelina Jolie recently revealed that acting became “more difficult” after the death of her mother Marcheline Bertrand, who encouraged her to pursue the profession professionally.

On Friday, the 49-year-old Maria actress provided an explanation W magazine how she and her late mother – who was only 56 when she died of breast cancer in early 2007 – ‘were a team.’

Jolie wanted to make Bertrand “happy,” so she tried her hand at acting, although she revealed that she doesn’t remember “making the choice.”

“I did it in the beginning because… it was my mom’s dream,” she told the outlet.

She recalled how her mother pursued her own career in the industry, tirelessly auditioning for theater roles in Chicago and film appearances in Los Angeles.

“But by the time my mother was 25, she was divorced with two children, and she decided she was going to focus her life solely on motherhood,” the Maleficent star said.

By the time of her death, Bertrand had divorced Jolie’s father, actor Jon Voight. The exes also shared a son, 51-year-old former actor James Haven.

“She loved being a stay-at-home mom, but she really wanted me to be an actress, so I don’t remember making the choice to be an actress. I remembered it making my mother happy,” she recalls.

In 1982, the then six-year-old Jolie made her acting debut alongside her father in Lookin’ to Get Out. And for her, pursuing an acting career meant she could help her mother pay the bills.

Bertrand was her manager at the time.

“We were a team,” Brad Pitt’s ex-wife said. “I always wanted to buy her a house and stuff like that. That’s actually how it started.’

The actress and her mother shared a lasting bond that lasted until heartbreak struck.

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1999 and later breast cancer, Bertrand faced a grueling battle against both diseases. She tragically passed away on January 27, 2007 at the age of just 56.

Reflecting on her mother’s death, she said, “When my mother passed away, I think it was harder for me to be an actress for a while. I realized how much it meant to her.”

A year after her mother’s death, Jolie opened up to Vanity Fair about how her mother’s dedication to motherhood became a guiding light in her own journey as a parent.

‘When [my mother] When I was over, I realized that a person who lives with such devotion to his family is the most noble,” she shared.

“During her death, she reminded me of what is important. And what’s best: putting yourself aside for the other little people you raise.’

She wanted to make her mother ‘happy’ so she tried her hand at acting, although she revealed that she doesn’t remember ‘making the choice’; Angelina seen in January 2025

Bertrand was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1999 and later breast cancer. She tragically passed away on January 27, 2007 at the age of 56; Angelina and Marcheline seen in August 1998

By the time of her death, Bertrand had divorced Jolie’s father, actor Jon Voight. The exes also shared a son, 51-year-old former actor James Haven; Angelina and James seen in March 2000

Last month, Jolie paid a touching tribute to her late mother as she accepted the Performer Tribute at the Gotham Awards for her role in Netflix’s Maria.

She talked about her mother’s passion for theater and literature and explained how it influenced her own creative journey and that of her brother Haven.

“I grew up with a mother who kept books in the oven because there were more books in our house than shelves in the apartment we had,” she said in her speech.

“That’s how she solved the problem, while still making sure we were fed. But it was her priority.”

Jolie shares six children with her ex Brad Pitt: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16.