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Angelina Jolie<\/strong> stepped into the spotlight 30 years ago, and a spin through her resume shows that she\u2019s worked non-stop ever since. That is, until 2021, when she joined the Marvel universe<\/a> with a role in the ensemble cast of Chlo\u00e9 Zhao<\/strong><\/a>-directed superhero film<\/a> Eternals<\/em>. The collaboration between the Oscar winners (Zhao for Nomadland<\/em><\/a> in 2021, Jolie for Girl, Interrupted<\/em> in 2000) wasn\u2019t a success<\/a>, but that\u2019s not the reason for her lengthy (for her) break from the business. Instead, she tells The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a> that her family\u2019s needs superseded Hollywood\u2019s.<\/p>\n She returned to the screen at the Venice Film Festival this week, hitting the red carpet in support of Maria<\/em><\/a>, director Pablo Larra\u00edn<\/strong>\u2019s portrait of iconic opera singer Maria Callas. Jolie is prepared for the public to blur the line between the role and the actor. \u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019s a lot that will be read into it of our overlaps as women,\u201d she says. \u201cThere was a pressure behind the working that wasn\u2019t just the joy of the work.\u201d<\/p>\n For those of us who toil in obscurity, it\u2019s likely odd to hear someone like Angelina Jolie make that common person\u2019s claim. According to the actor, however, \u201cI was an artist early to just help my mom pay bills,\u201d a decision that meant \u201cI\u2019ve had times where I felt very, very far away from being comfortable in the business.\u201d<\/p>\n That practical start to her career is, perhaps, why it was so easy to step away for a bit. when asked why she has \u201cwaited so long since you last acted or directed?\u201d The mother of six responded simply, saying, \u201cI needed to be home more with my kids.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard not to wonder, at that point, if a factor here is her lengthy divorce battle with Brad Pitt<\/strong>, whom she accused of assault<\/a> during a now-notorious family plane<\/a> trip in 2016. (Pitt has denied<\/a> her claims.) Now headed into its eighth year<\/a>, Jolie was tight-lipped when asked about the status of the proceedings. In fact, she wouldn\u2019t even entertain the question: when interviewer Rebecca Keegan<\/strong> asked, \u201cMay I ask what the status of your divorce is?\u201d Jolie evenly responded, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a restrained response from someone who admits she doesn\u2019t always feel restraint. \u201cFor better or for worse, I\u2019m a very deeply feeling person and kind of a raw nerve,\u201d she says, traits that have sometimes gotten her in trouble. \u201cWhen we make decisions when we are in fear or being pressured, we take a very different path. And it can be very destructive,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n And now Jolie feels ready to get back into the game, as her kids are now \u201ca bit older, getting more independent. I\u2019m less needed and so able to go away for different periods of time.\u201d Her eldest, son Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt<\/strong>, is 23; her youngest, twins Vivienne Marcheline Jolie<\/strong> and Knox L\u00e9on Jolie-Pitt<\/strong> are 16.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a new season in our lives,\u201d Jolie says of the brood, some of whom have made the necessary legal moves to change their last names<\/a> to remove mention of their father. \u201cI\u2019m very excited for them to be coming into their own more and more every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n