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angelina jolie conference© Photo: Getty Images

Angelina Jolie's personal ‘trauma and loss’ helped her portray her highly-anticipated new movie role 

The Oscar winner got candid in an interview about 'Those Who Wish Me Dead'

Brandi Fowler
Fashion and Lifestyle Writer
May 10, 2021
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It’s no secret that actors often pull from past experiences to help bring their characters to life, and Angelina Jolie is no different. 

MORE: Angelina Jolie emotional about her children in rare interview about family life

In her upcoming film Those Who Wish Me Dead, the Oscar winner plays a ‘smoke jumper’ named Hannah. She’s a firefighter who parachutes into wildfires and is tormented after she couldn’t save three people in a fire. Now, Hannah is tasked with protecting a shell-shocked 12-year-old boy.

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WATCH: Angelina opens up about using her personal grief and trauma to portray her new role

As Angelina talked to CBS This Morning about the importance of portraying strong women on screen, she revealed that she reflected on past experiences to help connect to her character - and made a statement that so many women deemed ‘strong’ can relate to. 

“I don’t have the same grief that she has, but I have my own loss, my own trauma,” Angelina told CBS This Morning anchor Vladimir Duthiers. “I think we all within our character dug into those parts that made it real for us.” 

MORE: Angelina Jolie reveals daughter Vivienne's sad loss during lockdown

“Oftentimes somebody says ‘oh this person is so strong', and they don’t talk about how did they become so strong, and very often it’s something that broke us, something that hurt us where we had to find that in us to grow stronger,” she continued. 

THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD – Official Trailer

WATCH: Those Who Wish Me Dead trailer

Although Angelina didn’t specify the trauma and grief she pulled from for the role, she did open up about what motherhood has been like for her during the pandemic."

MORE: Angelina Jolie reveals how her divorce from Brad Pitt affected her

The Maleficent star said she’s handled it the best way she can, squeezing in “meetings and briefs” while juggling life as a mom, and says it has helped tremendously that her six children aren’t so little anymore. 

angelina jolie children© Photo: Getty Images

The Maleficent star is a doting mother to six children

“Fortunately my kids are old enough, and they’re extremely capable. So, where I fail, they fill in. We’re a team. “ 

Those Who Wish Me Dead will be released in theaters and on HBO Max Friday.

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