Angelina Jolie is no stranger to Hollywood. Long before she shot to stardom, the actress had already grown up in the spotlight with her famous parents, Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand. While Angelina's father Jon is internationally recognized for his work in Midnight Cowboy, Runaway Train, Pearl Harbor and National Treasure, her late mother also established a successful career as an actress and humanitarian. Keep reading for all the details…
Who is Angelia Jolie's famous mother Marcheline Bertrand?
Marcheline Bertrand was an American actress. Born in Illinois, she went on to study acting with theatre director and teacher Lee Strasberg. After landing her first role as Connie in a 1971 episode of Ironside, Marcheline starred in Lookin' to Get Out and The Man Who Loved Women before turning her attention towards producing in 1983.
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Aside from her work in Hollywood, Marcheline was also a dedicated humanitarian and established the All Tribes Foundation to support the cultural and economic survival of Native peoples. She also worked alongside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
What has Angelina Jolie said about her mother Marcheline Bertrand?
Angelina shared an extremely close bond with her mother, Marcheline. Growing up, the A-lister's parents were married from 1971 to 1980, although they'd already separated by 1976, with Marcheline citing Jon's infidelity as the reason behind their split.
Jon ultimately left the family when the Changeling star was less than a year old. Since then, she and her brother James Haven were raised primarily by their mother, who inspired them to enter the acting profession. Both Angelina and James were estranged from their father for years.
Reflecting on life with her late mother – who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2007 – Angelina has described her as "A great listener, and a great friend — she was my best friend — and so I could talk to her about everything."
During a 2011 interview for 60 Minutes, the Hollywood star delivered further praise for her mom, Marcheline. "I will never be as good a mother as she was. I will try my best, but I don't think I could ever be. She was . . . she was just grace incarnate. She's better than me," the 48-year-old said.
Angelina also spoke to HELLO! about Marcheline in 2017, saying: "She was a very natural woman. She never spoiled herself, never wore make-up, and wore modest jewelry, but she always had a few special items for when she wanted to feel like a lady. One of those special items – and I remember it because it seemed so elegant – was her Guerlain powder (Ladies in All Climates). I think it speaks of all women having those few special things that make them feel feminine. And so when I was a little girl, I would associate Guerlain with that."
Following Marcheline's death, Angelina eventually reconciled with her father, Jon. In 2010 she confessed to Parade that they were back in contact and working on their relationship. He has since established a relationship with Angelina's six children – Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne.
In a sweet tribute to her mother, Angelina's daughter Vivienne was given the middle name Marcheline, and the actress has also admitted that she feels "in contact with my mother when I look at my children.
"I can feel her influence over me then. I see that my way of raising them resembles the way she raised my brother and I. It's more apparent with my daughters Shiloh and Vivienne. Therefore, yes, my mother is there, present in this influence, all the time," she added.