February 7, 2025: At the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Angelina Jolie shared a deeply emotional and personal memory involving her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, and the Oscars. The 49-year-old actress was there to receive the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award, which was presented to her by filmmaker Ava DuVernay. During her conversation with critic Leonard Maltin, Jolie reflected on her illustrious career spanning several decades.
Jolie began by recounting a significant event from her childhood, the year her father, Jon Voight, won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Coming Home in 1979. At that time, Voight and her mother were separated, and their divorce was finalized a year later. While Voight attended the Oscars ceremony with actress Stacey Pickren, who was rumored to be his new partner, Bertrand stayed at home with her two young children.
“My mom was home with two little kids,” Jolie shared. She explained that her mother had dreamed of being an actor herself and had even been taken to the theater in Chicago by her own mother. Despite this, she was at home, watching her estranged husband win an Oscar with the “other woman” by his side.
Jolie admitted that this poignant moment stayed with her for a long time, noting the emotional toll it must have had on Bertrand. “She was divorced from a very famous man and she was home with her babies, watching him win an Oscar with the other woman,” Jolie said, adding that it left a lasting impact on her family history.
Reflecting on her own Oscar win in 2000, where she took home the Best Supporting Actress award for Girl, Interrupted, Jolie shared how special it felt to call her mother and say, “It’s yours,” handing the moment to Bertrand as a tribute. She called it one of the best moments of her life.
“My mother had to give up her dreams of a creative life, but she embraced that side of mine,” Jolie said, recalling how her mother supported her acting career even though she had to abandon her own aspirations. Jolie remembered how her mother would write letters to her characters, such as “Dear Gia,” “Dear Lisa Rowe,” and “Dear Lara Croft,” and how she now imagines what Bertrand would have written to her current role in Maria, where Jolie plays the legendary opera singer Maria Callas.
The evening culminated with Jolie receiving the Maltin Modern Master Award, which celebrated her immense contribution to film and her ongoing influence on the industry. Jolie’s latest project, Maria, where she portrays Maria Callas, is now streaming on Netflix.