Angelina Jolie is known as much for her humanitarian work and love of children as she is for her movie career. So it's no surprise that between juggling her brood of six, and publicising her directorial debut, acclaimed Bosnia war film In the Land of Blood and Honey, the Oscar-winning actress still found time to create a jewellery collection - which is on sale in Dubai - to benefit children caught up in conflict.
She teamed up with expert designer Robert Procop to work on the Style of Jolie collection, which includes a Dh651,500 28ct pear-shaped emerald ring, proceeds of which will go to her charity, the Education Partnership for Children in Conflict to help school those affected by man-made and natural disasters. Angelina hand-picked the jewels, which she has worn on and off screen, to go on sale at the Harvey Nichols showroom in the Mall of the Emirates.
Never one to back away from political or social issues, the Hollywood star's first foray behind the camera is to be honoured by the Producers Guild of America for its extraordinary portrayal of a love story between a Serb man and Muslim woman during the 1992-95 war.
But it's the plight of children around the world that dominates her personal life - from her work as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to adopting her children, Maddox, Zahra and Pax, orphans from Cambodia, Namibia and Vietnam.
"We cannot close ourselves off to information and ignore the fact that millions of people are out there suffering," she said, upon joining UNHCR. "I honestly just want to help. All of us would like to believe that if we were in a bad situation someone would help us."
The money she earned from giving the rights for first published pictures of her biological children with actor partner Brad Pitt, Shiloh Nouvel, and twins Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline went to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which helps orphans and vulnerable children in developing countries. But she doesn't rule out having more children herself - saying she could ‘end up pregnant' and is keen to help orphans in the Middle East.
Here, the star talks to Friday about movies, motherhood and what she thinks of the nickname ‘Brangelina'.
How was it being behind the camera for In the Land of Blood and Honey?
It was great. It was really nice to have an opportunity to take the spotlight off myself and put it on some brilliant actors. I'm excited to show their work and their talent to the world because I'm very, very proud of what they gave and what they did.
Has it changed your view of how you see your work as an actress and director?
Yes it has. I had such a wonderful experience being more with the crew. I think actors, because we're in the world of the characters, we're more isolated. And it was really fun to wake up and be a part of the entire crew. So I was much more aware of the process. And it was just a different level of working that was very, very exciting to me. I was really excited to watch other actresses work and do scenes that I maybe would have liked to have tried to do but then I see them do them and they do them better than I could imagine and I'm thrilled. So, yes, I've learned a lot. But I think - I wonder how it's gonna be when I go back to just being the actor.
Can you talk about the logistics of shooting a film and having the kids with you and just the reality of the schedules your family keeps?
Well, Brad and I, we never work at the same time. And one good thing about being an actor is that you work pretty solid when you work, but you usually work five days a week and you only work for a few months and then you're off for months and you're home for months. So I'm very, very lucky as a mother in the amount of time that I get to spend with my children. And when I was filming and when we were in production, both on the recent thing that I did and on The Tourist, Brad was home every day. So he'd take them to school or he'd just be with them or he'd take them to set. He's an extremely hands-on and wonderfully committed father. So if anything it's sometimes nice to just have some extra daddy time. It benefits them in a different way.
You both appear to be really grounded as people. Do you think that's true?
I do think that I'm very grounded. I mean you become more and more grounded once you have children and the older you get. So I'm probably the most grounded that I've been in my life, and at the same time I think in a funny way being grounded allows you to be even more free.
With directing you don't have to look your best on set. Is it a lot of work getting ready as an actress?
It takes a long time to be a girl. I just kind of try to be patient in hair and make-up. In The Tourist there was so much emphasis on style that it wasn't like Salt where you can kind of just go out and prance in a black shirt. The shoes had to match the bag, had to match this, the nails had to be done every day, and it was fun for the first few weeks, but then I was so happy when she was gone. I don't think I can maintain that kind of woman who is very high maintenance.
And are you the complete opposite when you are off set?
Yeah, in my life, I hardly brush my hair very often. I try to be as low maintenance as possible so I can just get up and get ready and do things and not take too much time.
You are interested in the Middle East and we've heard you may be even thinking of adopting a child from here. Is that true?
I do have an interest in the Middle East, of course, and I do spend a lot of time there.I don't think that you can legally adopt from countries in the Middle East … but we have sponsored children through the SOS villages in countries like Jordan. It's a beautiful programme where they put widows and orphans together. These women, who do not have a family of their own, are asked to raise these kids until they are teenagers. The SOS programmes, I believe, are the best and in the Middle East, they are the best way to support orphaned children.
Do you want to adopt another child in general?
We're always open if it feels right, but at the moment…
You have a full house.
At the moment we do and nothing has become clear to us, it's the same as I suppose when somebody decides to get pregnant. There's just a moment where something becomes clear to you, and right now, that's not what we're discussing.
How on earth do you balance being a mother of six with your acting career?
It sounds like I do more than I do but I'm very fortunate in that I can work for two months and be off for five months.
What kind of mom are you?
I'm a friend to my children, I love them and I talk to them honestly, and I support them to be who they are, but I'm learning hopefully every day to be a better mother. And your kids teach you, I think, to be a better parent. You have to listen to them and figure out their needs. There is no one way to do it and there's no book that tells you how. You have to just listen to your kids and try to make great choices for them.
So, when you are not building an orphanage in Cambodia, and you are not addressing the UN, how do you juggle all this stuff that you do?
Well I don't. I have a great partner in Brad, and we agreed that in order to have a big family, we would never work at the same time. So when he is shooting a film I'm not filming and I'm home and I'm just focusing on the kids. On occasion I take the trips and I do my UN work and then when I am working, he does the same, so I don't do all of these things all of the time. I know it seems I do a lot but I couldn't do it without him… I think when you have a good base you are encouraged and supported to go out and do other things.
When do you find time for yourself?
No, you start to. You just give that up at a certain point. You know you even try to take a bath and everybody comes in. You just give it up and it's okay. I'm even surprising myself because I'm somebody that likes to be alone. I'm surprised myself how much I'm very happy to be surrounded by my family and not be alone.
Do you like Brangelina, that name?
No.
Are you home for the holidays?
We don't know where we're going, right now. We're going to surprise each other and suddenly decide to get on a plane. I love to travel on the holidays because I feel like I'd rather give the kids the gift of a new country than a box of presents - but I still give them some presents.
With inputs from Dawn Waterman and L Dwight
