Angelina Jolie is the daughter of internationally recognized actors, Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, and in 1975 her parents hosted a star-studded christening for their bouncing baby girl, where two major movie icons were named her godparents. British actress Jacqueline Bisset took on the role of godmother, while Swiss actor, director and producer Maximilian Schell became Angelina's godfather. Here's what you need to know about Oscar winner Maximilian…
Who was Angelina Jolie's famous godfather Maximilian Schell?
Born in Vienna, Austria in 1930, Maximilian Schell was a Swiss character actor, producer, writer and director. In a career-defining moment, he took home the Academy Award for Best Actor after portraying Hans Rolfe in the American film Judgment at Nuremberg, in 1961.
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Long before he hit Hollywood, however, Maximilian had landed his earliest roles in German films – many of them anti-war – before earning top billing in a number of Nazi-era-themed movies. The Man in the Glass Booth (1975) and Julia (1977) were particularly well received, earning him further Oscar nominations.
Among his many notable films, Maximilian has also starred in A Bridge Too Far (1977), Cross of Iron (1977), The Diary of Anne Frank (1980), Stalin (1992), Deep Impact (1998), and The Brothers Bloom (2008).
Throughout his decade-spanning career, Maximilian acted alongside a multitude of Hollywood legends such as Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Rosalind Russell, Peter Ustinov and Robert Duvall. He also worked with Angelina's father, Jon Voight, in the 1974 thriller, The Odessa File, which is presumably how they became close friends.
Clearly, the two had enjoyed collaborating on the project, as the following year, Maximilian directed Jon in the German mystery thriller, End of the Game (1975).
Despite his appointment as Angelina's godfather, the Swiss actor admitted that he hadn't maintained a close relationship with his goddaughter in later life. According to Mail Online, Maximilian famously recalled: “When Angelina Jolie was a kid I had her in my arms, but nowadays she probably don't even know who I am.”
After her christening in 1975, Angelina and Maximilian were never pictured together. Additionally, the actress has never commented on her godfather. She does share a close relationship with her godmother, Jacqueline Bisset, however.
On 1 February 2014, Maximilian sadly passed away at the age of 83 in Innsbruck, Austria. He had been suffering from a "sudden and serious illness," according to his agent. The star's funeral was attended by the likes of Waltraud Haas, Christian Wolff, Karl Spiehs, Lawrence David Foldes, Elisabeth Endriss and Peter Kaiser.
Maximilian is survived by his daughter Nastassja, from his first marriage to Russian actress Natalya Andrejchenko. At the time of his death, the 83-year-old was married to the German opera singer, Iva Mihanovic.