Angelina Jolie Reveals the Hardships of Acting, Explaining How Her Kids Witnessed Her Pain While Filming

Angelina Jolie Reveals the Hardships of Acting, Explaining How Her Kids Witnessed Her Pain While Filming

Angelina Jolie, the celebrated actress, humanitarian, and mother of six, has always been open about her life and the challenges she’s faced—whether it’s her battles with personal health, her dedication to global humanitarian causes, or the complexities of balancing motherhood with a career in the public eye. In a recent candid interview, Jolie spoke with striking vulnerability about the emotional and physical hardships she has endured while acting, and how these struggles have affected her family, especially her children.

Known for her powerful performances in films like Girl, Interrupted, Maleficent, and The Tomb Raider, Jolie has earned a reputation for being a deeply committed actress who gives her all to every role. Yet behind the glamour and success lies a personal journey of pain, resilience, and sacrifice—a journey that her children, at times, were witnesses to.

The Emotional Toll of Acting: A Glimpse Behind the Scenes

In the interview, Jolie revealed the often invisible struggles that come with immersing oneself into a role, particularly those that demand a deep emotional or physical commitment. For an actress of Jolie’s caliber, whose roles frequently involve intense emotional scenes or physical transformation, the process can be both exhilarating and exhausting.

“Sometimes, I get so deep into a character that I can’t leave it behind when the cameras stop rolling,” Jolie admitted. “The pain, the sorrow, the trauma—those emotions become so real. And when you’re filming for long hours in intense conditions, it becomes hard to compartmentalize it. I’ve had moments when I’ve come home, and my kids could see the toll it was taking on me.”

The most striking aspect of Jolie’s revelation was her honesty about the physical and emotional exhaustion she often faced on set, which her children, particularly the younger ones, were able to sense. Jolie explained that while she always strives to be strong for her children, they’re perceptive and often intuitively know when something is wrong.

“I would try to shield them from the worst of it, but they could always tell. There were days when I’d be exhausted, either physically or emotionally, and they’d ask, ‘Mom, are you okay?’ They could feel the weight of what I was going through,” Jolie said with a hint of sorrow in her voice.

The Impact of Intense Roles: A Child’s Perspective

For any child, seeing their parent in pain is difficult. But for Jolie’s children, who have already experienced a tumultuous public life and the challenges of having a famous mother, the added dimension of seeing her in such vulnerable moments was particularly poignant.

Jolie’s eldest children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, and Shiloh, have grown up in the limelight, with their mother’s various health struggles, humanitarian work, and high-profile relationships making headlines for years. Yet, despite the challenges of being a public figure’s child, Jolie has always emphasized the importance of shielding her kids from the harshest aspects of her life, particularly when it comes to her acting career.

However, as she continues to take on complex roles, the lines between her professional life and her personal life often blur, leaving her children to witness moments of emotional intensity and physical exhaustion.

In the interview, Jolie spoke candidly about one of the more challenging roles she took on—her portrayal of a war journalist in the 2017 film First They Killed My Father, which she directed and produced. The film, based on the memoir of Cambodian author Loung Ung, deals with the horrors of war, and Jolie’s own deep connection to the subject matter made it particularly emotionally taxing.

“I felt every word of Loung’s story. I felt the pain of every person who lived through that genocide,” Jolie reflected. “The process of making that film was incredibly painful. I remember days on set when I would break down. And when I came home, I couldn’t always hide it. My children would see me upset and know that something was wrong.”

A Mother’s Love: Balancing Pain and Parenthood

Despite the emotional strain of acting, Jolie has always remained a fiercely protective mother. While she acknowledges the toll her career has taken on her, she also credits her children with providing her with a sense of grounding and purpose that keeps her going.

“My kids are the reason I get out of bed every day,” Jolie shared. “They are my strength. They remind me of why I do what I do, why I continue to pursue projects that have meaning to me. They keep me grounded, and they give me the emotional support I need when the world feels overwhelming.”

Jolie has often spoken about the balance she strives to maintain between her career and motherhood. For her, family is the most important aspect of her life, and she tries her best to prioritize their well-being. She admits, however, that it is not always easy.

“I think every parent, especially one in a demanding career, has to make sacrifices. And there were times when I had to make tough choices between my work and my kids,” she explained. “But I always tried to be present for them, even when I was physically or emotionally drained from filming. I knew that they needed me, and that was the most important thing.”

Learning from the Struggles: A Mother’s Legacy

As her children grow older, Jolie reflects on the lessons they are learning from her own experiences, particularly the idea that life is about resilience and facing adversity with strength. While she doesn’t want her children to feel burdened by her pain, she hopes that they understand that it’s okay to go through tough times—and that it’s possible to emerge stronger from them.

“I’ve always tried to teach my kids that it’s okay to struggle, it’s okay to feel pain. But what matters is how you get through it, how you use those struggles to grow and help others,” Jolie shared. “I want them to see that pain is a part of life, but it doesn’t define us. It’s how we rise above it that matters.”

Jolie’s perspective on motherhood and career is a testament to her strength and resilience, and her willingness to open up about the struggles she faces as a mother and actress only deepens her authenticity in the eyes of the public. For the thousands of fans who admire her work both on-screen and off, Jolie’s message is one of perseverance, empathy, and love—a powerful reminder that no matter how difficult life may be, it is our capacity for love and our ability to endure that ultimately define us.

The Future: Continuing to Balance Family and Film

As Jolie continues her work both in the film industry and with her humanitarian efforts, she remains focused on her family. Though her career may bring moments of difficulty, the love and support of her children remain her greatest source of strength.

Looking ahead, Jolie is committed to both her craft and her role as a mother. While there will undoubtedly be more films, more demanding roles, and more challenges, her children will always remain her priority, even if they sometimes witness the pain that comes with her chosen profession.

“My kids may see me struggle sometimes, but I hope they also see the joy and fulfillment I get from my work,” she said. “And I hope they know that no matter what happens, I will always be here for them, through the highs and the lows.”

Jolie’s honesty in discussing the hardships of acting and the way it has impacted her family serves as a poignant reminder of the often unseen sacrifices that come with fame and success. It’s a powerful reflection on the intersection of personal pain, professional ambition, and the deep, unconditional love of a mother.