The actress reflects on grief, cancer and the importance of human connection while presenting one of the most personal films of her career.
Angelina Jolie once again proved that some performances extend far beyond fiction. During the premiere of ‘Couture’ in New York, the actress not only captivated attendees in an elegant Tom Ford ensemble, but also shared some of her most personal reflections in recent years on loss, emotional resilience and the long journey of rebuilding a life after pain.
The Academy Award winner stars as Maxine, an American filmmaker who is diagnosed with breast cancer while working in Europe. It is a role with which Jolie shares a deeply personal connection, as the disease has profoundly shaped her own family history. Her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 after battling ovarian and breast cancer, an experience that left a lasting impact on the actress and ultimately led her to undergo a preventive double mastectomy after discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation.
That personal experience has given her performance an added emotional dimension. Speaking to the press, Jolie explained that she was drawn to the project because of the humanity at the heart of its story.
“It’s a beautifully written piece about women from different countries,” she said. “It has something important to say. It shows how everyone is dealing with things that make us deeply human, and that if we can find a way to face challenges by leaning on one another and showing more empathy, we’ll be better off and feel less alone.”
Beyond the story itself, the actress admitted that the film arrived at a very particular moment in her life. Jolie revealed that only a few years ago she would probably not have felt emotionally prepared to take on such a demanding role.
“I’m not sure I was strong enough even five years ago to make this film. To open up, to trust, to share and to allow myself to be vulnerable again,” she confessed. “Things happen in life that take us off our path. We lose ourselves and we feel isolated.”
Her words reflect a far more introspective stage of her career. In recent years, Jolie has balanced acting with humanitarian work, directing and navigating significant changes in her personal life, experiences that have helped shape a calmer perspective on success, healing and resilience.
One of the most emotional moments of the conversation came when she spoke about her late mother. Nearly two decades after her passing, Jolie admitted that the loss remains deeply felt.
“I would have given anything to have my mother alive to be there for her grandchildren,” she said with visible emotion.
-380x380.webp)
-380x380.webp)