Angelina Jolie The Well Rounded Interview

Though she too did her fair share of exploitive, less than spectacular, T&A movies (Cyborg 2, Hackers, Playing God, Foxfire), actress Angelina Jolie has recently opted to take her career in a direction that values substance over style.

A heartstoppingly beautiful woman and the daughter of Oscar winner Jon Voight, Jolie trained at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in New York. She's got the acting chops, but her bright blue eyes, well-defined, high-cheekbones, dangerous curves and pouty lips would fill any modeling agency's wish list.

So it was more than her acting that landed her the title role in HBO's critically acclaimed Gia, the story of late `70's supermodel Gia Carangi, whose hedonistic lifestyle and rampant drug abuse led to her death from AIDS at the age of 26. As a result of her powerful performance in the film, Jolie received a Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Award. She was also nominated for a Cable Ace Award for her work in John Frankenheimer's film biography George Wallace. To cap her meteoric year, she received the Breakthrough Performance Award from the National Board Of Review for her work in the romantic comedy Playing By Heart.

This month, Jolie co-stars in Pushing Tin, a dark adult comedy featuring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett. Later this year, she will be teamed with Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted for director James Mangold (Cop Land, Heavy).

In Los Angeles on Oscar weekend to promote her new film, Jolie sat down with WRE and talked about growing up in a show-biz family, why getting naked in front of the camera isn't a big deal and why playing older is definitely better.

Last month, Movieline called you "the next big thing." Do you consider that a badge of honor or a curse?

The important word you used in your question was `last.' It's fleeting and it's simply not true. I've been making movies for close to a decade. It's flattering in a left-handed sort of way, but to me it implies that I won't be around for long, which is not the case.

Everything's been happening to you pretty fast recently. Are you surprised with the sudden notoriety?

Yeah, absolutely. It's nice to get notice from your peers but it's also something I've worked hard for. I received recognition for a film that was very important to me and I gave it everything I had. As soon as I finished Gia, I went to school for a few months and had some down time which gave me a chance to take stock and realize just how lucky I am to do what I'm doing. Which was good because the requirements for that role were very demanding and several times during the shoot, I kept asking myself `is all this really worth it?'

What was the toughest aspect of the shoot?

At first, I was really scared of the material. If you look at the story of her life you see someone who's life didn't mean a lot to her. She was constantly being exposed and exploited, giving everything she had to people who didn't care about her; going home to an empty apartment. Basically a woman without any foundation. I was beginning to feel that way about my own life; there was more than a few similarities and they all hit home.

Did being the offspring of a successful actor contribute to your doubts?

No, not really. It was a period of transition that I think everyone goes through at that age. There was a time when I was looking for things to make my life complete...you know, first it was love, then security; being able to afford things or having a successful career. Suddenly I had all those things and nothing had really changed.

So what was it that finally gave you fulfillment?

I don't know yet. I still haven't found it. Everything started looking up when I realized that it's tough to get inner peace and that it's something you have to constantly work at. You never know when your time is up so you have to make the most of every day you're given. I guess the bottom line was giving up indulging in everything; people, lifestyle, love. Once you do that, it takes away a lot of the fear. I haven't found what I'm looking for but at least I'm no longer afraid.

Did you seek out advice from your father to help you along?

Not specifically, no. But I was fortunate to have grown up watching him make the same kind of tough choices in his life and career. He made good and bad choices along the way and learned from them. It worked for him. He's busier now than he's ever been.

Have you and he ever discussed doing a project together?

Oh, yeah. Sure. But it would have to be something that would be right in the evolution of the creative process for both of us. The characters would both have to match us pretty well. It's something we're both leery of but also something we're both looking forward to doing. Not that there's a void right now but it would definitely make things complete.

During your Gia acceptance speech, you got emotional when talking about your brother. He must be very important to you.

Oh God, yes. My brother is my best friend; he's been there my whole life. We've been through everything together and he's been so supportive of everything I've done. He's the one person who I always look to tell me everything's OK. He's a rock.

Most of the projects you've done up to this point have featured nudity. Are you comfortable with that? Do you ever look at a script and question whether or not it's necessary for the part?

I've been paying more attention recently than before. Luckily, I'm at a point now in my career where I can raise the issue if I feel it's important. In The Bone Collector, there were nude scenes shot but they were cut out. Pushing Tin was supposed to have complete nudity but in the final cut, I'm just topless. In Gia, it was very necessary, but I also stipulated that there would be no frontal below-the-waist and anything from behind and below-the-waist would have to be from a distance and approved first. It doesn't bother me the way it bothers some people. I've never considered myself pin-up material. It doesn't strike me as shocking or sexy.

Do you foresee a time when you'd refuse to do it altogether?

I love the human body. I think as I get older, I think it would be even more appropriate. There would be, I don't know, more character in my figure.

There's a trend in hollywood now to gear films towards a younger audience. You're not making these types of films. Are you avoiding them as a rule?

I've been lucky in that respect. See the thing is, I could have done the younger movies and I'm at an age where I could go either way with it. I actually did few. Foxfire was kind of like Heathers meets Bad Girls, but when you're starting, you kinda have to do those pictures to get exposure. Gia changed that. I think Pushing Tin and The Bone Collector will get me even further away from the possibility of a casting director considering me for a younger role. I like playing older characters. They're certainly more complex.

Pushing Tin shows a few near-fatal collisions in the air. Do you have any fear of flying or dying in a plane crash?

You know, it's weird you say that; I've thought about that and no, I'm not scared of going out that way. I've too been suicidal off and on my whole life. I'm not going to get off that easy [Laughs].

In the movie you play a Southern character. What was it like playing opposite Billy Bob Thornton who is actually from the South?

That wasn't in the script. Billy's a really cool guy, very open to experimentation. We wanted to give her a little more depth and that seemed like a good way to go. It's also easier to do when you're drunk. [more laughs] In The Bone Collector, I go to the far extreme with a heavy-duty New York accent. Watch out Meryl Streep!

What kind of scripts have you been offered lately?

Haven't had the time recently for any scripts. I just finished making Girl, Interrupted with Winona Ryder but I have been reading assorted books dealing with families and serial killers. Strange mix I know; my own family's been a little confused about that [laughs]. My next project is "Music From Down The Hill," a stage play by John Ford Noonan.

Many people are unaware that you've made a number of music videos. What was it like working with the Rolling Stones?

They're great. Very nice guys. I just went to one of their shows with my mom; we're both addicted to them. I had just shaved my head for the last few scenes in Gia. For some reason they thought that look would work in the video. It was very cool; something I definitely want to keep on my resume.

A recent article stated that your parents purposely gave you and your brother middle names that would work well as last names if chose to drop the name `Voight,' which obviously you have. What factors led to that decision?

Actually I don't much care for `Voight' or `Jolie.' I want to get married so I can change it. As far as I can remember, I was always denying that he was father. Not because I didn't love him, I really do. It was more of an independence/rebellion thing. When you're an upstart, working with other new actors, you don't want to make enemies right off the bat and I think a lot of people, for good reason, would think that I might have some unfair advantage riding in on a family name. Nick Cage did the same thing; changed his name so he could prove that it was possible to do it on his own. There's also the issue of other people trying to get to my father through me, which didn't appeal to me.

You're going through a period now of high visibility. How do you know if the people you meet are being truly sincere or just out for what they can get from you?

I have an inherent trait that allows me to trust everyone. That's not to say that I don't keep my eyes open, because I do. Nobody hanging around me is going to get any perks; I just don't live that kind of life anymore. I don't have a lot of close friends, the ones I choose to hang with have been there for a long while and I trust them. I can understand people wanting to get closer to actors; they're neat people. For the most part, they have a lot of interesting things to say and have interesting experiences to talk about.

Michael Clark