“I didn’t die young, so I’m very lucky”: 49-Year-Old Angelina Jolie Didn’t Believe She Would Live This Long Because of Her Traumatic Past

SUMMARY

• Angelina Jolie did not think she would live long because her mother and grandmother died of cancer.
• The actress survived her dark past and is now entering a new chapter in her life.
• Jolie talked about being more comfortable in her present age than when she was younger.

Angelina Jolie started acting at age 16, and with the success of her career, fans believed she would have a long-lasting tenure in the industry. Surprisingly, the actress thought she would not live long because of her family’s history. She even believed she wouldn’t make it to her 40s.

Credits: Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider / Paramount Pictures

Evidently, she made it today and is now prepping for her 50s, a fact that she supposed is a blessing and a victory. Not many celebrities with prolific careers make it to this age, so she considers herself lucky.

Angelina Jolie Opens Up About Mental Health Struggle and Why She Thought She Wouldn’t Live Long

Even in the midst of chaos following her divorce issue, actress Angelina Jolie remains positive and hopeful in life. She has her children to take care of and she’s still got a career and legacy to help her bounce back.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal back in 2015, she and her ex-husband Brad Pitt spoke about sensitive subjects in their lives, specifically Jolie’s double mastectomy to help prevent the risk of cancer.

Credits: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in By The Sea / Universal Pictures

Jolie’s family suffered from the same condition and unfortunately, it took their lives while they were still young. Because of this, the Maleficent star also felt she would not live long. At the time, Pitt told the outlet:

You have to understand that this is a woman who never knew she’d make it to 40. This is a woman who had watched her mother, aunt, and grandmother become sick and eventually succumb, all at an early age.

Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie’s mom, passed away at age 57 while Lois Bertrand, her grandmother, died at age 45 — both due to cancer. Apart from this, the Salt star also struggled with mental health.

She told 60 Minutes on CBS before that she survived the dark times of her life, a fact that many artists out there fail to overcome. “I didn’t die young, so I’m very lucky,” she shared with the outlet. The famed philanthropist and former Goodwill Ambassador did not expound on the subject but admitted to doing a lot of dangerous things in the past.

In the end, she managed to reach her 40s as gracefully as possible. She remained a great role model to young women by setting an example of what a strong and independent woman should be. Her compassion for the unfortunate ones was also admired by the public.

Angelina Jolie on the Perks of Getting Older

Credits: Angelina Jolie in Wanted / Universal Pictures

Now that she’s entering a new chapter in her 50s, Jolie feels more confident in herself than she has ever been. She shared via Vogue how her mindset has evolved through the years, especially because of what happened in her family.

“I feel much more comfortable in my forties than I did when I was younger,” she reflected, and later added that it could be because her mother did not live long and this is why she sees getting old as a victory and not something to be sad about.

Written by Ariane Cruz

Articles Published: 2584

Ariane Cruz, Senior Writer. She has been contributing articles for FandomWire since 2021, mostly covering stories about the latest movies and series. With a degree in Communication Arts, she has an in-depth knowledge of print and broadcast journalism. Her other works can also be seen on Screen Rant and CBR.