Fabric

Star interview: Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is not afraid to speak her mind. Her refreshing openness has often come back to haunt her.

“I like not having to worry about what I say in life,” Jolie points out. “I will fall on my face in front of everyone and not be embarrassed by it. I'm always going to do these things in front of the world, it's the way that I live.”

Jolie's courage to say what's on her mind is mirrored in the work she does. Blessed with a face that could launch a thousand rom-coms, the 35-year-old has often sought out more interesting offerings – like Girl, Interrupted (for which she won an Oscar), Gia, A Mighty Heart and Changeling – that pushed her as an actress. Add to this a series of action films (Tomb Raider; Mr & Mrs Smith; Wanted) that forced her to jump off buildings and dodge fireballs.

Jolie discovered the downside of throwing herself into roles when filming new movie Salt. Playing the lead role of Evelyn Salt – a CIA agent accused of being a double agent working for the KGB – required the actress to carry out a number of difficult stunts. “I got a nasty bump on my head while filming an action sequence,” she shrugs. “I went to hospital but I was back filming the same afternoon.”

For Jolie, a knock on the noggin was more than worth it if she could pull off a good stunt for those who matter the most – her kids. “The funny thing about having children is that now I am twice as motivated to play cool roles because I want my kids to like what I do,” she says, with a chuckle.

Motherhood has had a profound effect on the actress. “Becoming a mother made my priorities clear,” she says. “I didn't know that I could be so nurturing. We play, and they just remind me to be silly.”

While Jolie is besotted with her kids, she does go out of her way to spend quality time alone with boyfriend Brad Pitt. “Many times we take a bath together, just the two of us, and we calmly talk about whatever is on our minds,” she says.

Recent reports have suggested that Jolie enjoys spending time with her family so much that she might quit acting altogether. For now, though, she is totally engrossed in her craft and looks forward to the challenge of tackling different genres.

“I've never done a strong period piece,” she says. “I feel very fortunate that I get to try different things, so I don't really have a specific type. A lot of times women don't get that chance.”

Of course, every year she decides not to retire means more time in the intense media spotlight that shines on her and Brad Pitt. “Each day I prepare myself for something in the realm of crazy,” she laughs.

While Jolie is not exactly thrilled at the prospect of being tabloid fodder, she's not going to be driven into hiding either. “I like being able to speak for myself, and sometimes, things that I say are not written down the way that I say them,” she says. “It's nice to go on a talk show and honestly respond to something without it being manipulated in any way.”

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July – Jessica Biel
June – Amanda Seyfried
May – Scarlett Johansson
April – Emilie de Ravin
March – Maggie Gyllenhaal