Angelina Jolie: The Education of Angelina Jolie
Q: A circus was made of your last marriage and divorce. I know you don't want to be asked about Billy Bob or about your father, but is there anything at all you'd be willing to talk about at this time?
A: I really have nothing to say. Especially about my father. Like most families, we have complicated relationships that go deep. There are reasons why we aren't friends. I've moved on and I'm trying to stay in a strong and healthy place so I can do good things with my life and be a really good parent.
Q: The last time we spoke, half our conversation was about Billy Bob. Do you have any regrets about being so publicly in love?
A: I know every time I said something nice about him it made him very happy, so at the time that was worth it. I don't believe in regret. You learn and you move on. If you decide to share things in your life with the public, then you share. We both had similar darkness in our lives, and we both had found a best friend we could laugh with and that's a beautiful thing. That was the best thing about our relationship--we made each other smile. And that friendship will be missed.
Q: Is there anything you can say you've learned about fathers and husbands?
A: No, because I assume everybody is different. I know that Maddox doesn't have certain male figures in his life, but I will find a way to balance that. He does have men in his life, just none that are involved with his mother.
Q: Have you added any tattoos since you adopted Maddox?
A: I have a big one on my back left shoulder that I got during Beyond Borders in a very traditional tribal way with a long needle, tapping. It's a prayer of protection for him.
Q: Is there anyone aside from Maddox who's been hugging you lately?
A: I don't need anybody. People don't really hug me.
Q: It's rumored that you've been dating your former husband, Jonny Lee Miller. Any truth to that?
A: No, we've been good friends since we divorced, but I'm not dating anybody and I have no real plans to. I'm quite happy. I don't not believe in love, but it's not something I'm going to focus on or look for.
Q: In an Esquire piece three years ago, you were portrayed as hypersensitive, confused and struggling to be human under the immense pressure of modern fame. Any of that accurate?
A: Sure. I'm a very sensitive and emotional person. How can any balanced human being not be affected by strangers having an opinion about you, talking about whether they love or hate you? I'm starting to figure out who I am and I realize that I will be changing. I don't read magazines anymore, that was a big change. It was a very clear moment in my life when I was on this plane being handed tea and Vogue and Elle magazines. My mind immediately became consumed with all these material things that I should have and I was reading this criticism of people, and suddenly I realized how influenced we are by what we have around us.
Q: What is a typical day off like for you when you're not filming?
A: I am still collecting knives--I've collected some in Africa. I spend free time with Mad learning about how to be a better parent. I have a lot to learn. I'm still learning how to cook breakfast.
Q: How strong do you feel you are?
A: I'm proud of the fact that I'm here, I've got my son, I'm still alive. I have a sense of purpose. It's nice to know that even when we go against ourselves or we get lost or feel misplaced, it's still possible to be able to say: "I survived."
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