How Angelina Jolie’s Mother Watched Her Father Win An Oscar With Another Woman By His Side

For Angelina Jolie, winning an Oscar in 2000 wasn’t just about her — it was about her mother, Marcheline Bertrand.

During the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 5, the Maria star, 49, reflected on the bittersweet memory of her Best Supporting Actress win for Girl, Interrupted. While speaking with critic Leonard Maltin, she hesitated before sharing a deeply personal story.

Angelina recalled watching the 1979 Academy Awards as a child, when her father, Jon Voight, won Best Actor for Coming Home. But instead of celebrating, her mother was home with two young kids, watching it all unfold on TV.

“My mom was home with two little kids. My mom’s dream was to be an actor. I believe my mother’s mother’s dream was to be an actor, which is probably why she took her to the theater in Chicago all the time,” the actress began, adding, “She was in her twenties, because she had me when she was very young. She was divorced to a very famous man and she was home with her babies in an apartment watching him win an Oscar with the other woman.”

That woman was actress Stacey Pickren, Jon’s date to the event.

So when Angelina won her own Oscar years later, she immediately thought of her mother. “To have that moment, to get off that stage and call her and say, ‘It’s yours’—and I gave it to her — one of the best moments of my life.”

Marcheline, who passed away in 2007, remained a strong presence in Jolie’s life. The actress shared that her mother would write letters to her film characters, addressing them as Dear Gia,” “Dear Lisa Rowe,” or “Dear Lara Croft.” 

“I try to imagine sometimes now what she would write,” Angelina said, holding back tears.