Angelina Jolie has shared that she probably wouldn’t be an actress if she was just starting in the entertainment industry in this day and age.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, published online Tuesday, the Maleficent star said she may have considered acting on the stage, but not Hollywood.
“I wouldn’t be an actress today,” Jolie explained. “When I was starting out, it wasn’t as much of an expectation to be as public, to share so much.”
Though she doesn’t read anything about herself in the press, the actress knows she’s “just been around so long, and there’s been everything said.”
Jolie grew up around Hollywood since both her parents, Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, were actors. Having appeared in projects from a young age, as well as modeling and studying Method acting, Jolie admitted that she “was never very impressed with it [Hollywood],” adding, “I never bought into it as significant or important.”
“I grew up in quite a shallow place,” she added. “Of all the places in the world, Hollywood is not a healthy place. So you seek authenticity.”
Once she landed her role in 1999’s Girl, Interrupted, which scored her the Oscar for best supporting actress, she said the fame that followed led to depression and at times, suicidal thoughts. “I wanted to escape,” Jolie said.
Throughout her career, she continued to face intense public scrutiny, especially surrounding her divorce from Brad Pitt, the father of her six children, seven years ago.
She even noticed the toll stress was having on her body during filming for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil in 2018, saying her voice had changed its register since her first time playing the role in 2014. “My body reacts very strongly to stress,” the Salt actress explained. “My blood sugar goes up and down. I suddenly had Bell’s palsy six months before my divorce.”
Jolie admitted that she doesn’t “really have a social life” living in Los Angeles since every time she leaves her house, she’s faced with paparazzi and unwanted attention. It’s also one of the reasons why she eventually wants to leave.
“It’s part of what happened after my divorce. I lost the ability to live and travel as freely,” she said, noting that she hopes to spend more time at her home in Cambodia. “I will move when I can.”
Earlier this year, Jolie told Vogue that she intentionally began taking on fewer roles in films in recent years and “only taking jobs that didn’t require long shoots.”
She explained that in this current phase of life, she’s “still understanding who I am at 48.
“I guess I’m in transition as a person,” she added. “I feel a bit down these days. I don’t feel like I’ve been myself for a decade, in a way, which I don’t want to get into.”