Angelina Jolie has shared that she has intentionally started taking fewer roles in films in recent years.
In her recent Vogue cover story about her new fashion house Atelier Jolie, the Oscar-winning actress opened up about her current phase in life, saying she’s “still understanding who I am at 48.”
“I guess I’m changing as a person,” she said. “I’m feeling a bit down these days. I don’t feel like I’ve been myself for a decade in a way that I don’t want to engage in.”
As Jolie figures out what’s most important to her and where she wants to focus her energy, she said Atelier Jolie played a big role. She revealed that this was even more true since she made the decision about seven years ago to work on fewer films and “only take on jobs that didn’t require long shoots.”
She added: “We had a lot to heal. We’re still finding our feet.”
Although Jolie didn’t share many details about the reasons why she’s limiting her choice of acting roles, she appears to be looking for other creative outlets, such as with her fashion brand, where she hopes to create a sense of community.
“I think part of it was therapeutic for me too – working in a creative space with people you trust and rediscovering myself,” she explained. “I hope to change many aspects of my life. And that’s the forward-facing one.”
Jolie has been a fixture in Hollywood since the early ’90s, winning an Oscar in 2000 for Girl, Interrupted. She starred in dozens of other hit films, including Changeling, Maleficent, Salt and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, before most recently appearing on the big screen in Marvel’s 2021 film Eternals.
In addition to films and Atelier Jolie, the actress announced last month that she was also attached as lead producer on the upcoming Broadway musical adaptation of the SE Hinton classic The Outsiders.
Last year, she made another big change in her life, leaving her role as a special envoy to the UN refugee agency UNHCR after 20 years working to support displaced people around the world. At the time, she said in a joint statement with the UNHCR: “I feel that it is time for me to work differently, to engage directly with refugees and local organizations and support their advocacy for solutions.”