Angelina Jolie recently disclosed that her acting career became more challenging following the passing of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who had supported her decision to pursue acting professionally.

Speaking to W Magazine on Friday, the 49-year-old Maria actress shared that she and her mother, who tragically died at the age of 56 in 2007 from breast cancer, were very close and worked together as a team.

Jolie desired to make Bertrand ‘happy’ so she tried her hand in acting, though she revealed she does not recall ‘making the choice.’

‘I did it in the beginning because … it was my mother’s dream,’ she told the outlet.

She recalled how her mother pursued her own career in the industry, auditioning tirelessly for theater roles in Chicago and film gigs in Los Angeles.

‘When my mom was 25, she was already divorced with two children and she chose to dedicate herself entirely to being a mother,’ explained the Maleficent star.

Angelina Jolie recently revealed that acting became ‘harder’ after the death of her mother Marcheline Bertrand, who encouraged her to pursue the craft professionally; Bertrand and Jolie seen in 2001 

By the time of her death, Bertrand had divorced Jolie’s father, actor Jon Voight. The exes also shared a son, 51-year-old former actor James Haven.

‘She loved being being a stay-at-home mom, but she really wanted me to be an actress so I don’t remember making the choice to be an actress. I remembered it made my mom happy,’ she recalled. 

In 1982, then six-year-old Jolie made her acting debut alongside her father in Lookin’ to Get Out. And to her, pursing a career in acting meant she could help her mother pay the bills. 

At the time, Bertrand was her manager. 

‘We were a team,’ the ex-wife of Brad Pitt said. ‘I always wanted to buy her a house and things like that — it kind of started that way.’ 

The actress and her mother shared an lasting bond that endured until heartbreak struck.

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1999 and later breast cancer, Bertrand faced a grueling battle with both illnesses. On January 27, 2007, she tragically passed away at just 56-years-old.

Reflecting on her mother’s death she said, ‘When my mom passed, I think it it was harder for me to be an actress for while. I realized how much it was for her.’

A year after her mother’s passing, Jolie opened up to Vanity Fair about how her mother’s devotion to motherhood became a guiding light in her own journey as a parent.

‘When [my mother] passed, I realized that somebody who lives life with that kind of dedication to their family is the most noble,’ she shared. 

‘In her passing, she reminded me what matters. And what’s most fun — to put yourself aside for these other little people you’re raising.’

She desired to make her mother ‘happy’ so she tried her hand in acting, though she revealed she does not recall ‘making the choice’; Angelina seen January 2025

Bertrand was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1999 and later breast cancer. On January 27, 2007, she tragically passed away aged 56; Angelina and Marcheline seen in August 1998

By the time of her death, Bertrand had divorced Jolie’s father, actor Jon Voight. The exes also shared a son, 51-year-old former actor James Haven; Angelina and James seen in March 2000

Just last month, Jolie delivered a touching tribute to her late mother while accepting the Performer Tribute at the Gotham Awards for her role in Netflix’s Maria. 

Detailing her mother’s passion for theater and literature, she explained how it influenced her own creative journey and that of her brother, Haven.

‘I grew up with a mother who kept books inside the oven because there were more books in our house than shelves in the apartment we had, ‘she said in her speech.

‘It was how she solved the problem, while still making sure we were fed. But it was her priority.’

Jolie shares share six children with her ex Brad Pitt — Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16.