Angelina Jolie Remembers Her Mother, Marcheline Bertrand, at the Santa Barbara Film Festival

Angelina Jolie recalled her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, while accepting the Maltin Modern Master Award. This event occurred during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California on February 5.

"Thinking of my mother, she sacrificed her dreams for a creative life, yet embraced mine," stated Jolie, highlighting Bertrand's support despite her own aspirations. Bertrand passed away at 56 in January 2007 after a battle with breast and ovarian cancer.

Jolie shared a personal anecdote, saying her mother used to write letters to her characters. "She wrote to ‘Dear Gia,’ ‘Dear Lisa Rowe,’ 'Dear Lara Croft.’ For 16 years now, I’ve missed those letters," Jolie expressed, referencing videos shared by The Hollywood Reporter on X.

While discussing her recent role as opera singer Maria Callas, Jolie reflected, "I often imagine what she would say. She’d probably tell Maria that she loved her, since Maria had much but lacked a mother’s love." With emotion, Jolie declared, "Without my mother, I would be nothing. She passed away many years ago around this time, and the weather always reminds me of her."

"I know this feeling connects many artists to their work—I’m not alone in this," Jolie continued, fighting back tears. Previously, Jolie honored her mother at the Gotham Awards in December while receiving the Performer Tribute Award for playing Callas.

"I grew up with a mother who kept books in the oven as a solution to our crowded apartment," Jolie recalled. "It was important to her to nurture knowledge while ensuring we were fed."

"I treasure the experiences my mom provided, from theater outings to catching her meeting Tennessee Williams. She introduced me to the Lee Strasberg Institute, where I studied later," Jolie reminisced. She also mentioned her daughter Vivienne, 16, who participated in producing The Outsiders Broadway musical, expressing her joy in seeing her daughter appreciate theater. Jolie is the mother of five—Maddox, Pax, Knox, Zahara, and Shiloh—with ex-husband Brad Pitt.

Earlier, SSP wrote that Leo Woodall commented about a private romance with Meghann Fahy.