Angelina Jolie is revealing intimate details about working alongside her son, Maddox Jolie, on her upcoming film 'Couture'. The actress has been actively promoting the movie and reflecting on its emotional themes, while also discussing her close bond with her children.
Angelina Jolie on Collaborating with Son Maddox
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jolie expressed joy about working with Maddox, who served as an assistant director on the project. She said, "Oh it was beautiful! His French is better than mine, so that was helpful. He did a lot of my line readings with me."
Maddox's Tribute to His Grandmother
The film features Jolie as Maxine, a low-budget horror movie director balancing a commission from a French luxury fashion house and single motherhood during a divorce, all while facing a devastating breast cancer diagnosis. Reflecting on her personal connection, Jolie noted, "And also because, you know, he is the one child of mine that remembers my mother. He actually has her name tattooed. We spent a lot of time talking about her, and that was lovely."
The Oscar-winning actress also spoke about having Maddox present during emotionally intense scenes. She shared, "It's a rare thing when you have a child working in a film with you and you as a woman are doing different things. They watch you do things. And so, you're sitting in a hospital room, getting this news, thinking about life, and you step out and there's your son. And of course, you're thinking in the back of your mind, both of you, that there will be a real day like this."
How Her Children Helped Her
In a separate conversation with Variety, Jolie candidly discussed how her children encouraged her to embrace life and career opportunities once again. Without referencing her divorce from Brad Pitt, she stated, "I think my fighting spirit is finally back. I lost it for a bit. I got kind of taken down a little bit and it's coming back in large part thanks to my children, who are now older, and encouraging it."
Jolie elaborated, "My kids are almost all 18, so now they want to see me travelling the world, they want me to get out and do things. They know me more than anybody, and they still like me, which says a lot. I think they're very encouraging of me kind of getting back to aspects of myself that maybe I hadn't felt as free to do."
Reflections on Her Mother's Demise
The mother of six also contemplated how 'Couture' made her think about losing her own mother. She said, "I think having lost my mom young and never met my grandmother, I have never lived feeling like I'm going to have a long life. I'm already past the age when my mother was diagnosed. I may struggle from almost feeling like I can't live in the moment because I feel like I have to push and rush because time's running out."
She added, "I raise my kids almost preparing them for my absence and not as much preparing to be a grandmother. That's what happens when you consider death as a reality."
'Couture' is scheduled to hit theaters on June 26.
