Well, this is a beautiful and pleasant surprise. I thought that Angelina Jolie was done with her promotional stuff for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, but apparently not! Angelina covers the December/January issue of Harper’s Bazaar US. I feel like it’s been a really long time since she’s done a cover for Bazaar? For the past… say, 15 years, it feels like she saves her major magazine interviews for Vanity Fair and Vogue. But I think VF is still on her sh-tlist, so she went to Bazaar. And the interview isn’t really about Maleficent either – Angelina spends much of the interview highlighting her work with the UNCHR and her other international/humanitarian interests – you can read the piece here. I think Bazaar also just sent her a list of questions and she answered them by email. Some highlights:
She’s back to feeling herself: “My body has been through a lot over the past decade, particularly the past four years, and I have both the visible and invisible scars to show for it. The invisible ones are harder to wrestle with. Life takes many turns. Sometimes you get hurt, you see those you love in pain, and you can’t be as free and open as your spirit desires. It’s not new or old, but I do feel the blood returning to my body… The part of us that is free, wild, open, curious can get shut down by life. By pain or by harm. My children know my true self, and they have helped me to find it again and to embrace it. They have been through a lot. I learn from their strength. As parents, we encourage our kids to embrace all that they are, and all that they know in their hearts to be right, and they look back at us and want the same for us.
The biggest misconception about her: “I have a tattoo, “A prayer for the wild at heart kept in cages.” I got it when I was 20. I was with my mom one evening, and I was feeling lost. I was restless—always. I still am. We were driving to dinner, and she talked about spending time with Tennessee Williams and how much she loved his words. She told me he wrote that, about the wild at heart. We drove to a tattoo parlor, and I got it inked on my left arm. What she did for me that night was to remind me that the wild within me is alright and a part of me. I see so much beauty in other people. Not when they are pretending to be something other than their true selves. Not when they are harming others. Not when they lie. But the wild ones. The emotional, open, searching ones, longing to be free. The honest ones. Because anything else is a cage impossible to live in.
On rebellion: “If nobody ever rebelled, nothing would ever change.”
How she dressed when she was younger: “At school I wasn’t that popular person; I was a punk. I loved leather, PVC, and fishnets. Those were my three favorite fabrics in my early 20s. I remember the first time I wore PVC pants. I was waiting for an audition, sitting in the sun in L.A. By the time it was my turn, my pants had fused together. I didn’t get the part. But I loved those pants. I wore something similar when I married Jonny [Lee Miller].”
Her Cambodian home: “When you have a loud mind, as I do, you go to places that quiet you, and I find that in the desert, or in the jungle in Cambodia. When I first went to Cambodia, I thought people would be hardened by having experienced so much war and suffering. But in fact it was the opposite. I found them to be full of grace and fight and life. It’s a home and a headquarters for my foundation. There were physical challenges, though. We had to clear nearly 50 land mines before we could live there… We got a call the other day informing us that chipmunks have moved into the house. They asked if we should remove them, and Vivienne was very clear that we needed to cover the wires and let them stay. However, the local snakes may have their own opinion on that. The last time I stayed there, I heard screaming down the hall because a friend had found a giant lizard under their pillow. Clearly, the animals are there more than I am and they feel it is their home.
Being limited: “I would love to live abroad and will do so as soon as my children are 18. Right now I’m having to base where their father chooses to live.
There’s so much more in that interview, about how Angelina wants women to start standing up, being bold and fighting for what they believe in. I find it interesting that she’s so blunt about having to base herself in LA because of Brad. I mean, we knew that. But it’s like she has a calendar and she’s counting down the days until Vivienne and Knox turn 18 so she can get the f–k out of LA. Also: I love that Vivienne was, like, the one with knowledge about chipmunks. That’s so f–king cute. And I’ll always love any reference to pleather pants and Jonny Lee Miller. *sigh* I’m going to re-read this interview a few times.
Covers and Instagram courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar.
I was that Native girl living in London in same types of clothing. Luckily the weather was more suited to not getting fused. Makes my day to see and read her pov.
I am forever in awe of her beauty – she is my forever woman crush LOL!
And I love how she has evolved as a humanitarian and has focused on helping others more impoverished in this world. She could have continued to focus on her acting career but she found meaning outside of herself, and of course, being a mother. Love her!
She’s so badass.
my gawd, she looks so beautiful here, right?! love the silly fish lips pic, too.
and, pettiness be damned, I love that she took a couple of digs at Pitt here.
not just the “I have to live in LA” thing, but this:
“I see so much beauty in other people. Not when they are pretending to be something other than their true selves. Not when they are harming others. Not when they lie.”
…is about Pitt, I’d guess…
She’s gorgeous.
I’m glad she talked about the internal scars. What I have learned is that the physical scars can heal, however the psychological scars last so much longer. I feel that when you go through healing that your mind and body need the same amount energy.
Wow! She is stunning. She amazes me. Her vulnerability, her strength, her compassion, her empathy. She’s a gift to the world.
+1!
Truly. She is so well-spoken in that you hear empathy in everything she says about any topic. No judgement at all. I love that she comes from a place of giving and understanding. She also just gets better looking as the years go by. How the heck does she do that having 5 kids, career, philanthropy and what else? I’d look like a tired old sack.
Nothing but love and respect for her. Her kids are lucky to have her.
+1
I love her. That is all.
+1
I wonder if their new house is being built in Ethiopia or Namibia.
I’ve always liked Angie. Not just for her beauty, but because she always follows what she believes in, and I like that. This is something I’m going to read.
All of what you said, but also, damn the cameras really love her!!
She is always stunning.
Stunning strong compassionate woman who deserves all the happiness.
Brad better be very careful during his Oscar Campaign because Angelina seems ready to talk back if he continues to smear her.
She point blank said she is only staying in US because of him.
Saying they are going to be in Africa next year.
Saying she suffered deep emotional scares especially last 4 years.
Angelina seems done being the only nice one.
She went through a several horrible years, and I still don’t see anything “not nice” in what she’s saying.
She didn’t say she is going to be in Africa next year, she said she is starting to build a home there. She built a new home in Cambodia in a past year or so, and she didn’t move there either.
This is a really pleasant read. She shows a lot of tenderness to the human condition here, it makes me like her a lot.
Needs a like button.
That whole interview was fire. I liked the photos too. She proves how unnecessary it is for people, movements, and societies to push certain offensive… values on women.
How can one person get even more beautiful? Even more lovable? Even more intelligent. There is a saying that as we grow older we grow wiser. She is the epitome of that?
Instead of sitting around with girlfriends getting high and drinking. Instead if whining about her past she continues to evolve. Who would have thought this about that young girl back in the early 2000. That girl that was abused by the media for years. The one that was portrayed as the villain to the Prince and Princess of HW.
She has ten times more depth and knowledge than the whole damn town.
Maddox got the hell out and she can’t wait either. Pitt lies in his recent interview and said he wanted to go live in the mountain in 4 yrs. He is such a wuss. I wish her nothing but the best. She got that poisonous terd out of her life and is shaking off Aniston’s shadow too.
Looking forward to seeing her in the near future because she is that b##ch! Love her!!!!!
I love her inside and out.
She’s perfect, as always. Not much more to say.
Love the interview. It’s not a surprise she is straight and to the point when talking about why she’s trapped in LA.
Meanwhile deadbeat claims he wants to live in the mountains but has to wait 8 years. He doesn’t even know how old his kids are. 🤷🏽♀️
Very good interview. Love everything she says not that photo shoot though. Too severe and pulled to tight probably too much retouching.
Having lived in New York for so many years, you get to hear stuff about a lot of celebrities. I heard a lot about Angie from people in the industry who worked with her or interacted with her. And they always contradicted what the media portrayed her to be. Simply put, what you see is what you get: a genuinely sweet, down to earth individual. And I truly mean genuine. Never believed the tabs when they would smear her. I also want to give a shout out to Viv and her defense of those chipmunks! I too would allow chipmunks to live in my house.
I have a friend who worked on several of her movies and she always said that Angelina Jolie was the real deal. She talked the talk AND walked the walk. And she was kind, warm, funny, and a real professional.
Forever here for AJ. I will have to buy a copy of this issue! I hope she doesn’t do much to her face as she ages b/c with her bone structure and features, she will age very beautifully. I will be excited to see AJ in films and TV and magazine interviews when she is 70, 80 years old, I hope she gets to be a wise woman sage sharing wisdom with everyone!!!
That face! My goodness she is unbelievably beautiful — both inside and out. I only wish happiness for her and all the kids in the years to come. She’s earned it.
She has that youthful glow/energy she did when she was younger. I’m glad it’s back! Love her, inside and out.
Gorgeous woman, gorgeous face, really nobody else has that amazing face in Hollywood!!
Gotta admit, I liked her a Brad as a couple LOTS and was sad how they imploded. Since their split, I’m a bit MEH with both of them. I don’t care/click on so many things about either of them as much anymore (I am not alone, very little comments for AJ or BP now, they are not as popular as they once were). , I think it’s just that the bloom is off the rose now, they portrayed themselves as the loved-up, perfect family/couple for 10 YEARS, the super family, the loved up couple on the red carpets and in interviews – so now I find it hard to buy what either one is ever selling again, it’s all smoke and mirrors. I don’t think the young’uns care about them them a A-list either as both are middle-age now (having a college age kid will do that!) and both are their Mom and Dads ages (ask anybody under 20 – they think they are “old”). I think popularity-wise, their best years are behind them – they will always be famous of course, but never as beloved/worshipped as once upon a time and I do think they both know that and they want to headlines again, but those were the golden years. Sad, I was hoping they would be a Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward kind of forever love. But again, they showed us smoke and mirrors..they are all ACTORS!!
Angie isn’t selling anything. She is speaking about human rights and not anything to watch or buy. She is telling you how to live your lives to the fullest. Old or young can learn from her.
I understand your cynicism about them as a couple. I personally never bought them together and felt it wouldn’t last. They are soooo different even from the point of view of someone who doesn’t know them, it is clear. I like her honesty. Why sugar coat it. Be the strong woman you are and be happy with who you are. What bothers me is that she speaks of freedom and allowing and wants that for others but not for the man she shared her life with and has kids with…Maybe being in LA may be his way of being free for now. Live and let live for all…not just for who is convenient to you right? I bristle when one parent sees themself as more valid than another parent. Perhaps many things will happen in these years to come and these children will not follow her around the world. It is assuming a lot after all.
‘i don’t want to live in a world where everyone is the same.’
God I felt like that growing up in a suburb of Minneapolis and later college in northern Minnesota back in 2003- the lack of diversity outside of the twin cities bugged me so much and made me as a white woman myself feel more pressure from others to look like other girls my age, want what they wanted, do what they did, etc. Ugh I hated it. I met so many women who seemed to think being small literally and figuratively was the goal, dilude your personality because being likeable was more important than being yourself apparently. so boring and made me feel, for lack of a less dramatic phrase, kind of dead inside
She looks amazing, she transformed and her interview is pretty raw. Yet she comes across as legit and genuine. This is what Miley has been trying to emulate, though she crashed and burned pretty bad with her attempt.
Christ, is she ever beautiful in these photos.
Everytime she opens her mouth I fall more inlove with her soul.
I feel restless like her, and I feel like I don’t fit in any where. Modern society isn’t what my soul craves, I just want to be FREE, but feel so trapped and caged.
Her words resonate with me and I’ve always had her on the top of my idol list.
So happy she’s getting back to her fiery self. Welcome back, Angie, we missed you!!
She probably does feel like she’s in a cage right now due to the terms of her divorce which is why she was so blunt about it. It’s a freedom that’s been taken away for the time being. She and Brad were constantly traveling with the kids. Now she can’t just go off with them around the world due to custody issues. I wonder if the kids preferred being on the road or if they like having a home base. But she doesn’t have that long to wait, aren’t the twins preteens now? They’re just a few years off from 18.
Honest. I wonder what her children thinks of her nude photos, nice though!
yawn.
Like if it’s bad. You know Brad has also done some risqué and VERY stupid things, right? Brad knew who she was, she knew who he was. They chose each other and gave it a shot.
probably they think better of her risqué pics or movies than of his addiction and its aftermath.
You gotta wonder if she looks for movie roles that will shoot mostly overseas i.e the Eternals so she can get out of LA and away from HW cesspool.
She thinks deep thoughts; really deep thoughts. Deeper than anyone ever thought deep thoughts before. And she is a humanitarian, the most humanitarian anyone ever was. Good grief, she is such a poser
What she said was pretty simple and to the point. Nothing outrages or too deep for someone who actually cares about the world around her.
Plus, She doesn’t have to walk around with a thesaurus like her deadbeat ex. LoL
ROTFL…, this is true. Most of the time you don’t know wtf he is saying. The effects of drug abuse for over 30 yrs.
She is amazing and beautiful and smart. Coincidence or CAA that days old pics of Brad in MO hugging his parents come out on same day as Harpers Bazaar cover. So transparent he is pathetic. Keep speaking up Angie.
I LOVE everything she wrote in this piece, and she’s gorgeous of course, but I don’t particularly care for how she’s styled in these photos. I don’t like the thick, extended cat-eyeliner—I prefer her smoky eyed. The tightly pulled hair—skullbone tight—isn’t flattering, especially when she has such a lush mane! I’m not sure why she chose to pose nude… but despite the sheer veil, these particular nudes lack softness. The red swimsuit and black fishnet unitard also read harsh, even with playful fish lips. Maybe the photo styling was intended to evoke the contrasting poles of Angelina’s personality, as she’s expressing a lot of vulnerability in her writing here. Her irrepressible fierceness also shines through. Cultural icon, archetype of independence and goddess incarnate, no matter what. My 2 cents.
Think she’s nude because she’s being more open & vulnerable & talking about scars & to be truly yourself.