Angelina Jolie has opened up about her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, in an interview with Elle France.
In the interview, Jolie, who has six children with Brad Pitt – Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 8 – spoke candidly about missing her mother, who died of ovarian cancer in 2007, and how she wished she could have been involved in the lives of her children.
‘I know how much she would have contributed to their lives and I am sad they will miss out on that,’ she said, according to People. ‘I would give anything for her to be with me at this time. I’ve needed her. I talk to her often in my mind and try to think what she might say and how she might guide me.’
Bertrand, a French actress, was clearly a positive influence and inspiration to Jolie, who expressed that she wishes to impart the important life lessons she was taught onto her own children.
‘It is the greatest gift and responsibility,’ she said about raising her children. ‘It means doing everything that you can to live by your values and try to be an example to your children. I try to lead by example, being conscious of others and being responsible. And to help them have a broader view of the world.’
Jolie, who is famously estranged from her father, actor Jon Voight, aims to guide her children with love and support - the same way her mother raised her.
‘The only way I know to raise them is to really listen. It's perhaps the most important thing any parent can do. They are resilient children but they are children, and as much as they need help to understand the hard truths in life they also need what we all need–protection and love.’
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