A minute with Angelina Jolie - femme fatale and busy mom

PARIS: Oscar-winning actor Angelina Jolie has teamed up for the first time with Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp in Florian Donnersmarck’s The Tourist.

The romantic action film which opens worldwide on Friday, sees Depp playing a math teacher who falls in love with Jolie’s character.

Jolie talks to Reuters about upcoming film, her chemistry with co-star Johnny Depp, and her progress in coping with her six kids at busy airports.

Your character tells Johnny Depp ‘Women don’t like questions.’ Do you see this forceful woman in yourself?

I got out of my pajamas to come to work today, so maybe I seem more like her than I really am. You try to bring in to each character something you can relate to, but she’s written in as a traditional femme fatale and in fact has a big heart.

Have you ever been in a movie where you have to carry off as much elegance and wear so many beautiful dresses?

No. It was really fun for a while, but I was really happy when it was all over and I got back in to my slacks, t-shirts and boots.

It must be tough being a tourist for you. Where’s the strangest place you’ve been recognised?

It’s more the opposite. I had a lovely experience, once when I was working with United Nations in Africa, a president of a country met me about refugee issues and said ‘What do you do?’ I said ‘I’m an actor.’ He replied ‘I heard that’s a very difficult job and might not be the smartest job to do.’ It was lovely. He was warning me about doing it.

Is the pre-celebrity lifestyle something you miss?

I’m not somebody to complain about it. I feel lucky to have all the opportunities given to me and I am very grateful, but I do feel it for my children. In Paris you see the Champs Elysees, there are these beautiful Christmas lights and I want to get out of the car and walk around, see the carousel with my kids, but we can’t really. We tried once and we had about 20 people behind us and it would not have been a good experience for the children.

Do you think you’ll stop at six children?

We’re open, but we’re having that real discussion about how to strike the right balance, (especially) as they get older and their needs grow.

How do you do it with your schedules?

We’ll work less and less in the years to come and as they get closer to their teens, mommy will be home driving them around trying to understand what’s happening.

Will that mean lighter roles like in The Tourist?

No. This was a one off for me. I prefer drama. I ended up in action and funnily enough the two action movies I did were after having a baby.

What job would you have done if you were not an actor?

I think I would be some kind of explorer. I love being a United Nation’s ambassador, but I don’t know how good I’d be in politics, but I do love understanding what’s happening in the world. Maybe a journalist, say with the National Geographic.

And the United Nations work?

People often put down charity as a responsibility but the truth is it benefits your own soul and your own knowledge of life. I’ve learnt more from refugees than anybody in my life; I’ve learnt more about being a mother, a stronger person, a survivor, so I can only hope to give something back.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2010.