With radiant complexity and fearless presence, Angelina Jolie (1975–) has embraced her identity on screen and off. Born in Los Angeles to actor Jon Voight, she began acting at age five and earned an Academy Award for her performance in Girl, Interrupted (1999).

“When I read a script and I'm scared to play the role, I know it's the right one,” she once shared. “I feel extremely blessed... I enjoyed all the steps that got me here.”

Jolie trained rigorously to play video game heroine Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2001), performing stunts, learning martial arts, and transforming physically and emotionally. “She doesn’t hate,” Jolie said of the role. “She just likes to have fun. She’s open to everything.”

She has long expressed herself through body art. One of her tattoos reads: “A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages.” About her ink, she said, “My tattoos say something sacred to me—romantic, even. You could say it’s corny, but I love that.”

Beyond acting, Jolie found deeper purpose as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and later as Special Envoy. She’s traveled extensively, advocating for human rights, particularly for refugees and victims of war. In 2014, Queen Elizabeth II named her an honorary Dame for her work to end sexual violence in conflict zones.

Mother to six children with fellow actor Brad Pitt, she once said, “Like every mother, my birthday wish is for my children to stay healthy—and for my family to remain whole.”