Angelina Jolie: Superstar and Humanitarian
Angelina Jolie is an American actress and a Goodwill Ambassador of UN. She is known all over the world as a renowned actress and a loyal humanitarian. Two established actors, Jon Voight and Merchaline Bertrand gave birth to Jolie on 4th June 1975 in Los Angeles, California. Her parents got separated when Jolie was of one year, in 1976 and this tragedy left a mark on Jolie`s early life. Merchaline Bertrand raised the Jolie and her brother, James in New York. In 1987, the family migrated back to Los Angeles where at the age of eleven Jolie enrolled herself in the Lee Strasberg Theater to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress.
She completed her schooling from Beverly Hills high school where she was used to be criticized and ridiculed for her second hand clothes, pale skin, braces and odd looks because her family was living on modest income. Due to this she used to get depressed and cut herself. At the age of fourteen, Jolie left her home and went to live with her boyfriend. After two years she returned to the theater and completed her training and graduated from High school. During her major film, hackers, she met her first husband, British actor, Johnny Miller and married to him in 1996.
After three years she divorced him in 1999. After doing several movies, she moved to New York where she studied filmmaking at New York University. During her first summer blockbuster film, Gone in 60 seconds, she got married to her second husband, Billy Bob Thornton and they got divorced three years later in 2003. In July 2002 she legally changed her name to Angelina Jolie dropping the “Voight” as surname and also adopted her first son during the same year. She was of the opinion that being associated with Jon Voight will not be safe for her child.
In 2005 during her commercial film, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, she met Brad Pitt and married to him, since then she has been in constant relationship with him. At the age of fourteen she started her career as a fashion model appearing in various music videos, but she got depressed when she was unsuccessful at initial attempts. Everyone use to criticize her on being so slim and thin, but she did not lose hope. In 1993, she started her film career from low budget film, “Corby 2” which did not go well. She got famous with her leading role in the movie “hackers”.
Her award winning movies include, “Love is All there is (1996)”, Mojave Moon (1996)”, “Foxfire (1996)”, “George Wallace (1997)”, “Playing by heart”, “Hell`s kitchen”, “Pushing tin (1999)”, “The bone Collector”,”Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)”, “Girl, Interrupted”, “Gia (1998)”, “Gone in 60 seconds” (2000), etc. She received four golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild awards and an Academy award throughout her career life. She last appeared in the movie “King Fu Panda” which also appeared to be a blockbuster.
Jolie`s humanitarian work started when she was shooting for her film, “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” in 2001. In February, 2001 she went on 18 day field visit to Tanzania and Sierra Leone. She also went to Afghanistan to meet refugees and donated $1 Million. UNHCR named her Goodwill Ambassador on 27th August 2001. Under UNHCR support she went to various places such as Vietnam, Thailand, Columbia, Kenya, Arizona, Egypt, Sudan, etc. to meet refugees and also gave them donations (iloveindia). In 2006, she proclaimed the formulation of Maddox Jolie-Pitt foundation (MJP), named after her son.
This organization, located in Cambodia, is committed to eradicate the rural poverty and conserve the wildlife, to provide proper food and medical to poor children along with basic education. She is the first recipient of Citizen of World Award & the Global Humanitarian Award by UNCA. Angelina Jolie also laid the foundation support of USCRI, United National Centre for Refugees and Immigrants children. It is committed to providing financial support to refugees and to help them live safely by providing them a place to live.
Angelina Jolie is also one of the partners of the organization, “Education Partnership for Children of Conflict” (EPCC), which is dedicated to bring about a change in lives of those children, who have met their tragedies due to natural disasters, by educating them. In the words of EPCC`s co-chair, Angelina Jolie, “Every child has a right to an education. And conflict is not an excuse for us to ignore that right. If anything, it is the time that they need it the most. ” Jolie-Pitt foundation has donated $200000 for this partnership (MJP).
Being an enthusiastic and dedicated humanitarian along with the renowned actor is a remarkable and exceptional performance. Bill Clinton said: “We cannot build our own future without helping others to build theirs”. Therefore, the above stated life history of Angelina Jolie can be a guide for each of us and doing good deeds can make you feel proud of yourself. Such remarkable works are never forgotten and are remembered all over the life time. Works Cited Iloveindia. Angelina Jolie. Lifestyle lounge: Society, 11 April 2008. Web. 10 July 2010. MJP. Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation. Web. 10 July 2010.
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