Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie Voight was born on June 4, 1975, to Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand. At age 11, four years after making her film debut opposite her father in Lookin' to Get Out, Angelina Jolie began studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.

Although her dream as a child was actually to become a funeral director, 16-year-old Angelina Jolie worked as a professional model in London, New York and Los Angeles. Musical groups and singers such as the Rolling Stones, Lemonheads, Meatloaf, and Lenny Kravitz her in their music videos, and even her brother James Haven Voight directed her in his student films for the USC School of Cinema.

Wishing to get even closer to pursuing an acting career, Jolie studied at L.A.'s MET Theatre Company, which also counts Ed Harris and Holly Hunter among its alumni.

Why Is She Famous?

Angelina Jolie has starred in thrillers like The Bone Collector (1999) and Taking Lives (2004), as well as blockbusters such as Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), A Mighty Heart (2007), and Wanted (2008). She's also famous for her well-documented relationships to Billy Bob Thornton and Brad Pitt.