Angelina Jolie
Born 1975 · Age 50
American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian; Academy Award, Tony Award and multi–Golden Globe winner; longtime UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and Special Envoy.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born Angelina Jolie Voight
Born at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles to actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand.
Film debut in Lookin' to Get Out
Small bit part alongside her father Jon Voight in the film Lookin' to Get Out.
Moved to Palisades, NY (family)
Family (mother and partner Bill Day) moved to Palisades, New York when she was six; return to LA five years later influenced her education and early life.
Music video appearances and modeling attempts
Appeared in several music videos (Lenny Kravitz, Antonello Venditti, The Lemonheads, Meat Loaf) and attempted modeling; trained at Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.
First leading film role: Cyborg 2
Starred in direct-to-video sci-fi Cyborg 2 (near-human robot); disappointed with film and briefly stepped back from auditions.
Breakthrough role: Hackers (major studio)
Played first major-studio leading role in Hackers; role is considered Jolie's breakthrough despite box-office failure.
Married Jonny Lee Miller
Married fellow actor Jonny Lee Miller in a civil ceremony.
Primetime Emmy nomination (George Wallace)
Nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for George Wallace.
Golden Globe for George Wallace; Emmy nomination
Won a Golden Globe for portraying Cornelia Wallace in the HBO/TV film George Wallace and earned an Emmy nomination.
Breakout TV film: Gia; Golden Globe and SAG wins
Portrayed supermodel Gia Carangi in HBO film Gia; won Golden Globe, received Emmy nomination, and won a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Screen Actors Guild Award (Gia)
Won her first Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in Gia.
Supporting role in The Bone Collector (box office success)
Co-starred with Denzel Washington in The Bone Collector; film grossed $151.5 million worldwide.
Nervous breakdown; 72-hour psychiatric admission
At age 24 experienced a nervous breakdown and was admitted for 72 hours to UCLA Medical Center's psychiatric ward.
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Girl, Interrupted)
Won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG for her role as Lisa in Girl, Interrupted (film 1999; award at 2000 ceremony).
Divorce from Jonny Lee Miller finalized
Divorce from Jonny Lee Miller finalized (separated earlier).
Appeared in Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Appeared in the summer blockbuster Gone in 60 Seconds; the film grossed $237.2 million worldwide.
Breakthrough awards sweep (1999 film accolades realized in 2000)
Following Girl, Interrupted she won Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG awards (consolidation of star status; increased pay to $10–15M/film soon after).
Starred as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Starred as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider; the film was a worldwide hit, grossing $274.7 million.
UNHCR field work begins; first field visit
First 18-day field visit for refugee assessment (Sierra Leone and Tanzania); began sustained humanitarian field missions.
Donated $1,000,000 to UNHCR emergency appeal
Donated US$1 million to UNHCR following refugee visits (largest private individual donation then received by UNHCR).
Named UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador
Officially named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva.
Adopted son Maddox from Cambodia
Adopted her first child, Maddox, from Cambodia; adoption widely reported in 2002.
Reported self-harm and recovery period (teen/young adult disclosures)
Publicly revealed earlier-life mental-health struggles including self-harm, substance use, suicide attempts (ages 19 and 22), which she later said were turned around after adopting Maddox.
Established as a top-paid actress
By 2002, established among Hollywood's highest-paid actresses, commanding $10–$15 million per film for several years.
Legally changed surname to Jolie
Petition to legally remove 'Voight' and adopt middle name 'Jolie' was granted (name change finalized Sept 12, 2002).
Purchased property & created Maddox-named reserve in Cambodia
Purchased a house/land in Battambang to connect adopted son to his heritage; area adjacent to Cardamom Mountains turned into a wildlife reserve named for Maddox.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (sequel)
Reprised Lara Croft role in the 2003 sequel; international box office $156.5 million.
Published Notes from My Travels
Published book Notes from My Travels (Oct 2003), chronicling her 2001–02 UNHCR field visits; proceeds supported humanitarian work and awareness.
Appeared in Shark Tale and Sky Captain; Alexander international gross
Voice role in Shark Tale (2004) and small role in Sky Captain; appeared as Queen Olympias in Alexander which grossed $167.3M internationally.
Obtained pilot license; began flying lessons
Started flying lessons in 2004 to help ferry aid workers and supplies; acquired pilot license and later owned a Cirrus SR22 and a Cessna 208 Caravan (as of 2014).
Public activism for child immigrant rights and policy lobbying
From 2003 onward lobbied in Washington for humanitarian interests; in 2005 pushed for Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act and co-chaired KIND from Oct 2008 onward.
Sold first newborn photos for charity
After birth of Shiloh (2006) sold first pictures of newborn reportedly for $4,100,000 and later donated proceeds to charity (reported in sources; sale and donation widely reported).
Spoke at World Economic Forum and filmed MTV special with Jeffrey Sachs
Invited speaker at Davos (2005 and 2006); co-filmed MTV special The Diary of Angelina Jolie & Dr. Jeffrey Sachs in Africa, highlighting Millennium Village work.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (major box office & relationship)
Starred opposite Brad Pitt in Mr. & Mrs. Smith; film grossed $478.2 million worldwide and led to Jolie-Pitt relationship.
Brad Pitt filed to adopt her children (reported)
Brad Pitt reportedly began adopting or formalizing adoption of Jolie's children (reports indicate legal adoptions of Maddox/Zahara around this period).
Established Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Foundation with Brad Pitt
In December 2010 (text notes December 2010) Jolie and partner Brad Pitt established the Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Foundation to support conservation work by Naankuse Wildlife Sanctuary (Naankuse initiatives named for their daughter Shiloh; they funded health clinic, school, and conservation projects).
Founded Jolie-Pitt Foundation and expanded Maddox project
In September 2006 established the Jolie-Pitt Foundation; in November 2006 expanded Maddox project into Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation (MJP) and Millennium Village initiatives.
Birth of first biological child Shiloh
Welcomed daughter Shiloh (born in Namibia, 2006).
Directed documentary A Place in Time (distributed to NEA)
Directed documentary A Place in Time, distributed through the National Education Association.
A Mighty Heart (critical praise) & Beowulf
Received praise for A Mighty Heart (Golden Globe & SAG nominations) and appeared via motion-capture in Beowulf (film gross $196.4M worldwide for Beowulf).
Highest-paid actress (2008) and Wanted success
Reported as highest-paid actress in 2008 (earning $15–20M per film); starred in Wanted which grossed $341.4M worldwide.
Birth of twins Knox and Vivienne
Gave birth to fraternal twins Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline in July 2008 in France.
Salt release (2010) – commercial success
Starred in Salt as a CIA agent; the film grossed $293.5 million worldwide and was a major action hit.
Feature directorial debut: In the Land of Blood and Honey
Wrote and directed Bosnian War drama In the Land of Blood and Honey; nominated for Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film; named honorary citizen of Sarajevo.
Earned honorary citizen of Sarajevo
Named an honorary citizen of Sarajevo for raising awareness of the Bosnian War after releasing In the Land of Blood and Honey.
Promoted to UNHCR Special Envoy
Promoted to Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees with diplomatic authority to represent the organization at high levels (office established April 17, 2012).
Received Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (honorary Oscar)
Received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her humanitarian work (listed in some sources as Governors Awards 2014; often cited as 2013–2014 period honor).
Publicized preventive double mastectomy (New York Times op-ed)
Published the Op-Ed 'My Medical Choice' revealing she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after discovering BRCA1 mutation; estimated risk figures disclosed (87% breast cancer risk).
Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Made an honorary Dame Commander (2014 Queen's Birthday Honours) for services to UK foreign policy and campaigns to end sexual violence in warzones.
Directed Unbroken (2014)
Directed and produced Unbroken, a WWII biopic; film was a financial success (reported >$163M worldwide) though garnering mixed critical response.
Maleficent released – career-high box office
Starred in and produced Maleficent; film grossed $757.8 million worldwide, becoming her highest-grossing film.
Married Brad Pitt
Married long-term partner Brad Pitt in a private ceremony in France.
Directed and starred in By the Sea (2015)
Wrote, directed and starred opposite Brad Pitt in By the Sea, a personal marital drama with limited release and poor critical reception.
Ovaries and fallopian tubes removed (op-ed disclosure)
Announced in New York Times (March 24, 2015) that she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to reduce cancer risk.
Filed for divorce from Brad Pitt
Filed for divorce from Brad Pitt (September 2016), beginning a protracted and public custody and legal dispute.
Directed First They Killed My Father (Netflix)
Directed and co-wrote First They Killed My Father (2017), a Cambodian-language film produced for Netflix, adapted from Loung Ung's memoir; nominated for Golden Globe and BAFTA in foreign-language categories.
Revealed Bell's palsy (recovery)
In a September 2017 Vanity Fair interview, revealed she developed Bell's palsy and used acupuncture to recover.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil released
Reprised Maleficent role in the 2019 sequel; film grossed approximately $490 million globally.
Appeared in Come Away (released 2020)
Played the mother of Alice and Peter in the fantasy film Come Away (2020).
Those Who Wish Me Dead & Eternals (2021)
Starred in Those Who Wish Me Dead and as Thena in Marvel's Eternals (divergent reception; maintained international appeal).
Allegations and legal filings related to divorce (Oct 2022)
Filed a complaint in October 2022 alleging abuse by Brad Pitt during a 2016 plane incident; part of ongoing legal/custody dispute.
Resigned UNHCR Special Envoy post
Resigned from the UNHCR Special Envoy role on December 17, 2022 after more than a decade as Special Envoy; pledged to continue advocacy.
Net worth estimate reported (~$120M)
Celebrity Net Worth and Biography.com report Angelina Jolie's net worth around $120 million as of August 2024.
Starred in Maria (Maria Callas biopic) – Venice premiere
Played opera star Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s Maria; premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival (received long standing ovation; critical praise).
Produced Broadway musical The Outsiders; won Tony Award
Produced the musical The Outsiders after its transfer to Broadway (2024) and won the Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer.
Directed Without Blood (2024)
Wrote, produced and directed the 2024 war drama Without Blood, based on Alessandro Baricco’s novel; starred Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir.
Maria Golden Globe nomination (for Maria performance)
Received a Golden Globe nomination (Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama) for portraying Maria Callas (reporting cites 2025 Golden Globe nomination for 2024 film).
Divorce from Brad Pitt finalized
After a prolonged legal battle and custody disputes, Jolie and Pitt's divorce was finalized in 2024 (Britannica reporting).
Golden Globe nomination noted (2025 for Maria)
Biography.com reports Jolie earned a 2025 Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Drama for Maria (film released 2024; nomination in next award cycle).
Key Achievement Ages
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