Angelina Jolie didn’t take the easy road into stardom. Even though she appeared in a small role beside her father and popular actor Jon Voight in Lookin’ to Get Out as a child, Jolie’s connection with her famous father faded fast. She spent most of her early life distant from him, dealing with much darker things than auditions and red carpets.
Angelina Jolie’s Troubled Teenage Years
Jolie’s teenage years were a blur of pain, drug use, and extreme choices. At one point, she even went so far as to contact a hitman to end her own life. However, acting became something of a life raft, though she didn’t jump into it with the intention of healing.
The roles soon followed, and she took them. Early projects such as Cyborg 2, Hackers, and Without Evidence didn’t turn many heads, but things began shifting when Angelina Jolie won a Golden Globe for her role in George Wallace in 1997.
The Impact Of Playing Gia Carangi On Angelina Jolie’s Life
Jolie’s life was turned upside down with the onset of Gia. The HBO film about supermodel Gia Carangi, who died young from AIDS-related complications, was offered to Jolie. The story was intense as Carangi had battled heavy drug use, including heroin, cocaine, and things Jolie herself wasn’t far removed from.
The Eternals actress hesitated as she felt the role would pull her back into a space she’d been trying to leave. But something about it fit too closely, and the producers saw that. Jolie’s role in Gia was a major turning point in her career and it brought her face to face with herself.
According to Far Out Magazine, the actress revealed, “I identified with her a lot. She’s the closest character to me that I’ve ever played. But in an odd way, playing Gia has made it possible for me not to ever become her.” She added, “She had so much inside that no one knew, that quiet, private, intense and brilliant side…Everyone just thought she was wild and pretty.”
Angelina Jolie as Gia (1998) pic.twitter.com/Ac3jIWnPTu
— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) February 8, 2025
Angelina Jolie’s Journey From Troubled Past To Hollywood Superstar
The performance landed Jolie another Golden Globe and strong praise from critics. It also gave people a glimpse of what she could do. She could look striking on screen and at the same time, embody deep, real stories with sharp honesty. After Gia, she kept climbing, and her next major stop was Girl, Interrupted, which earned her an Academy Award. Then came Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which launched her into global fame.
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