Angelina Jolie Started Acting Less in 2016 Because She ‘Had a Lot of Healing to Do,’ Only Took Jobs ‘That Didn’t Require Long Shoots’: I Haven’t ‘Been Myself for a Decade’

Angelina Jolie told Vogue magazine that she started doing less film work “seven years ago, only taking jobs that didn’t require long shoots.” Why? “We had a lot of healing to do. We’re still finding our footing,” she said. The Oscar winner did not go into specifics, but the timeline of Jolie’s film hiatus coincides with the end of her marriage to Brad Pitt. She filed for divorce seven years ago in September 2016 after an alleged physical altercation with Pitt took place on a plane.

Jolie said that she feels a “bit down these days,” before revealing: “I don’t feel like I’ve been myself for a decade, in a way. Which I don’t want to get into.”

After leading Disney’s successful tentpole “Maleficent” in 2014 and directing and co-starring opposite Pitt in the 2015 flop “By the Sea,” Jolie’s film output took a significant pause. She’s only had two lead roles in the eight years since, 2019’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” and 2021’s “Those Who Wish Me Dead.” She had supporting roles in Marvel’s “Eternals” (2021) and the 2020 fantasy film “Come Away” (2020) and lent her voice to Disney’s “The One and Only Ivan” (2020) and the upcoming “Kung Fu Panda 4.”

Jolie spoke to Vogue to promote the upcoming launch of Atelier Jolie, a socially and environmentally conscious fashion line. She credited the company with helping her emotional recovery amid a hiatus from Hollywood.

“I think part of this has also been therapeutic for me—to work in a creative space with people you trust and to rediscover yourself,” Jolie said. “I’m hoping to change many aspects of my life. And this is the forward-facing one.”

“Sometimes the way you dress says, ‘Don’t mess with me — I’ve got my armor on.’ But I want a woman to feel safe enough that she can be soft,” Jolie said earlier in the interview about creating a fashion line. “After I went through something where I was hurt, I had a therapist ask if I would try wearing a flowing garment. Sounds silly, but I assumed that pants and boots projected a ‘tougher’ look, a stronger me. But was I strong enough to be soft? At the time, no. I felt vulnerable. Now I wonder if I don’t know what my style is because I’m still understanding who I am at 48. I guess I’m in transition as a person.”

Head over to Vogue’s website to read Jolie’s latest profile in its entirety.