Actress, film-maker and philanthropist Angelina Jolie is the third to feature in our Woman of the Week takeovers.
WHO: She’s played everyone from undercover agent (three notable times in Salt, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and The Tourist), to Disney’s most terrifying villain, Maleficent (read the ELLE review here), and let’s not forget her role in Girl, Interrupted, which went on to win her a well-deserved Oscar – yes, Angelina Jolie has an undisputed silver-screen reputation. But her consistently successful acting career is only a very small part of why she is our Woman of the Week.
WHY: Very recently, Jolie was officially made an honorary Dame by Queen Elizabeth – the actress was recognised for her humanitarian work (in June, Jolie co-chaired the End Sexual Violence in Conflict summit alongside First Secretary of State, William Hague); in fact, her 2011 directorial debut, In The Land Of Blood And Honey, addressed and highlighted these concerns. And that’s not even the half of it. Since she was appointed an UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Goodwill Ambassador in 2001, Jolie has visited more than 30 countries on field missions, educating the public about the plight of refugees. In addition, her charity work has benefited well over 20 organisations, raising money for a wide spectrum of causes from medicine to natural disasters, even to film. What a lady.
WHAT’S NEXT: As well as continuing her humanitarian work, Jolie is also set to make a return to the big screen in 2015 with roles in Salt 2 and By The Sea – with none other than her husband, Brad Pitt. Excuse us, while we get a little excited.
FAVOURITE QUOTE: ‘Every day we choose who we are by how we define ourselves.’
