Angelina Jolie's significant reduction in acting roles over the past decade has a distinct underlying cause.
The actress made a deliberate choice to take a break from her career due to emotional reasons and has since limited her work to projects that don't involve lengthy shooting schedules.
In a recent interview with Vogue magazine, Angelina Jolie opened up about the reasons behind her career slowdown. While she didn't delve into specific details, she did acknowledge that "seven years ago, I started accepting only those roles that didn't demand extended shooting periods."
During the interview, Jolie mentioned that "we had a lot to heal" and that she and her family were still in the process of finding their footing. Though she didn't explicitly mention her divorce from Brad Pitt, her career hiatus began around the same time, as it was seven years ago when she initiated divorce proceedings.
The actress also revealed that she has been feeling somewhat "depressed lately" and admitted that "in a way, I haven't felt like myself for a decade. But I won't delve into that further."
Jolie took the opportunity during the interview to promote Atelier Jolie, a fashion line with a strong focus on social and environmental awareness. She emphasized how this venture has been a therapeutic experience for her, allowing her to work in a creative space with people she trusts and aiding in her emotional recovery during her career break.
"I believe part of this journey has been a form of therapy for me: working in a creative environment with trusted individuals and rediscovering myself. I aspire to make substantial changes in my life, and this is one I look forward to," Jolie shared.
She also expressed her desire to empower women to feel confident in their softness through fashion. "Sometimes the way you dress conveys, 'Don't mess with me; I have my armor.' But I want women to feel self-assured enough to embrace their soft side," she declared.
"After going through a challenging period, a therapist once asked me to try wearing loose-fitting clothing. It might sound trivial, but I believed that wearing pants and boots projected a tougher image of myself. However, I wasn't strong enough to be soft at that time; I felt vulnerable. Now, I'm questioning if I even know what my style is because I'm still discovering who I am at 48. I suppose I'm in a transitional phase as a person."
As for her career, after her notable roles in the successful Disney film "Maleficent" (2014) and her collaboration with Brad Pitt in "By the Sea" (2015), Jolie put her acting career on hold. In the last eight years, she has only taken on two leading roles: "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" (2019) and "Those Who Wish Me Dead" (2021). She also had supporting roles in "Eternals" (2021) and the 2020 fantasy film "Once Upon a Time...". Additionally, she provided her voice for "The Magnificent Ivan" (2020) and the upcoming "Kung Fu Panda 4."
Her upcoming projects include films like "Every Note Played," based on the best-selling book of the same name, the sequel to "Maleficent" titled "Mother of all Faeries," and "Maria," a feature film by Pablo Larraín where Jolie will portray María Callas, the legendary opera singer, during her final days in 1970s Paris.
