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The Remarkable Legacy of Angelina Jolie’s Beloved Mother, Marcheline Bertrand

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Angelina Jolie and her mother Marcheline Bertrand at the premiere of her new film "Original Sin"on July 31, 2001 in West Hollywood, CA.

Angelina Jolie and her mother Marcheline Bertrand at the film premiere ‘Original Sin’ in July 2001 in West Hollywood, California. PHOTO: 

LUCY NICHOLSON/AFP/GETTY

Angelina Jolie’s late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, was her closest friend and greatest supporter.

Born in 1950 and raised in Chicago, Bertrand’s family moved to Los Angeles during her teenage years. While pursuing an acting career, a 20-year-old Bertrand met actor Jon Voight, and they began dating. In 1971, they married and welcomed two children—Jolie and her brother James Haven.

Five years after their wedding, Bertrand and Voight separated, finalizing their divorce in 1978. She became a single mother to Jolie and Haven, maintaining a close relationship with them throughout her life.

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1999 and later with breast cancer, Bertrand died on January 27, 2007, at the age of 56 in Los Angeles.

The following year, Jolie spoke to Vanity Fair about how her mother’s death affected her and her views on motherhood. (Jolie has six children of her own with ex-husband Brad Pitt.)

“When my mother passed, I realized that someone who lives life with such dedication to their family is the most noble,” she said. “In her passing, she reminded me of what matters. And what’s most fulfilling—putting yourself aside for the little people you’re raising.”

Here’s everything to know about Angelina Jolie’s late mother, Marcheline Bertrand.

Bertrand was born and raised in Illinois.

Marcheline Bertrand at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, California. JIM SMEAL/RON GALELLA COLLECTION/GETTY

Born on May 9, 1950, Bertrand was “raised Catholic on the South Side of Chicago,” as noted in Jolie’s 2020 op-ed for The New York Times. She had two siblings, Debbie and Raleigh.

Jolie revealed that Bertrand’s father, a WWII veteran, operated a bowling alley. “Before my grandparents moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s, they ran a bowling alley. Their parents before them ran a bar,” Jolie wrote.

In a 2010 Parade interview, Jolie mentioned Bertrand’s bowling prowess, saying, “She could bowl like nobody’s Business.”

As a teenager, Bertrand’s family moved to L.A., where she attended Beverly Hills High School. Jolie described her as a Sunset Strip regular, a hippie, and a Rolling Stones fan.

She began studying acting with The Actors Studio director Lee Strasberg and married Jon Voight in 1971.

Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand sighting on March 8, 1971 in New York City.

Marcheline Bertrand and Jon Voight share an embrace in New York City in March 1971.

TOM WARGACKI/WIREIMAGE

While pursuing acting in Los Angeles, Bertrand met Voight, who had recently earned his first Oscars nomination for Best Actor for Midnight Cowboy in 1970. At the time, Bertrand was 20 years old, and Voight was 12 years her senior. Bertrand and Voight began dating and officially tied the knot on Dec. 12, 1971.

She welcomed two children

John Voight, Angelina Jolie, and James Haven at the 1988 Academy Awards.
Jon Voight with daughter Angelina Jolie and son James Haven at the 1988 Academy Awards.BOB RIHA, JR./GETTY

Following their wedding, the couple became pregnant in 1972 but unfortunately suffered a miscarriage. Voight later reflected on this experience, noting its profound impact.

“My wife and I lost a child during pregnancy. It was a great, great loss. It was a great trauma for my wife,” Voight told Page Six in 2021. “She was very disturbed by that. There has been a sadness for the rest of my life, so it’s a serious thing.”

The following year, Bertrand gave birth to their son, James Haven, on May 11, 1973. Jolie joined the family on June 4, 1975.

Bertrand later became a single mother.

Angelina Jolie and her brother James Haven at the Worldwide Orphans Foundation to Honor Christine Ebersole on October 24, 2005 in New York City.

Angelina Jolie and her brother James Haven at an event in October 2005 in New York City.

PAUL HAWTHORNE/GETTY

A year after Jolie’s birth, Bertrand and Voight separated, divorcing in 1978. In her New York Times op-ed, Jolie reflected on how Voight’s alleged infidelity deeply affected her mother.

“When my father had an affair, it changed her life. It set her dream of family life ablaze. But she still loved being a mother,” Jolie wrote.

Post-divorce, Bertrand devoted herself to raising her children primarily on her own in Palisades, New York, and L.A. Despite facing financial challenges, there was an abundance of love. Haven recalled to the Daily Mail in 2007 how comforting it was to come home to the smells of cooking and Bertrand’s dedication to their education.

In her final moments, Bertrand told Jolie that her greatest achievement was motherhood.

Before becoming a mother, Bertrand had a brief acting career, appearing in NBC’s *Ironside* and films like *Lookin’ To Get Out* and *The Man Who Loved Women*. Jolie noted that her mother’s acting dreams faded as she raised her children but found a video of her acting that showcased her talent. Bertrand confided that her aspirations were initially her mother’s and later hoped they would be Jolie’s, reflecting on how many women’s dreams evolve over generations.

Bertrand later shifted focus to producing.

Angelina Jolie and her mother Marcheline Bertrand in Los Angeles, California.

Angelina Jolie and her mother Marcheline Bertrand in Los Angeles, California.

RON GALELLA, LTD./RON GALELLA COLLECTION/GETTY

After stepping away from acting, Bertrand founded her own production company, Woods Road Production, according to NBC News. Although details of her producing work are limited, she helped fund the 2005 documentary *Trudell*, about her then-partner, Native American poet and activist John Trudell, as noted by PBS. Jolie also funded and executive-produced the award-winning film.

Bertrand was also a dedicated humanitarian.

Angelina Jolie and her mother Marcheline Bertrand at the premiere of her new film "Original Sin"on July 31, 2001 in West Hollywood, CA.

Angelina Jolie and her mother Marcheline Bertrand at the film premiere ‘Original Sin’ in July 2001 in West Hollywood, California.

ZUMA/ALAMY

Throughout her life, Bertrand was deeply committed to helping those in need. In 2001, she co-founded the All Tribes Foundation with Jolie and John Trudell to support Indigenous communities culturally and economically. Over the years, the foundation granted more than $800,000.

Bertrand also established the Give Love, Give Life organization to raise awareness about gynecological cancers through music. In 2004, she organized a benefit concert at the Roxy in Los Angeles and later campaigned for the Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act, known as Johanna’s Law. This legislation aimed to fund research on gynecological cancers and promote awareness.

Shortly after Bertrand’s death, a second Give Love, Give Life benefit concert took place, featuring performances by Trudell, Willie Nelson, and Jackson Browne.

Jolie later revealed that her mother’s dedication to philanthropy inspired her own charitable work. During the 2013 Governors Awards, where Jolie received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, she paid tribute to Bertrand.

“She was very clear that nothing would mean anything if I didn’t live a life of use to others,” Jolie said. “I will do as my mother asked, and I will do the best I can with this life to be of use. And to stand here today means that I did as she asked. And if she were alive, she’d be very proud.”

Bertrand passed away on January 27, 2007, at the age of 56, after battling ovarian and breast cancer. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 49 and later with breast cancer, Bertrand underwent chemotherapy, as Jolie recounted in a 2019 personal essay for TIME magazine.

Following Bertrand’s death, Jolie took proactive measures regarding her health. Discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, which increased her risk of breast cancer, Jolie opted for a preventative double mastectomy in 2013. She discussed her decision in a New York Times op-ed, expressing her relief that the surgery significantly lowered her risk of developing breast cancer and allowed her to reassure her children.

In 2015, after early signs of possible cancer in her ovaries, Jolie chose to have them removed as well. She detailed the process in another New York Times op-ed, noting that the same surgeon who treated her mother performed the surgery.

Reflecting on her own surgeries, Jolie wished that her mother had had the same options, which might have extended her life with her family. “I thought that I had gained information that I wish my mother would have known. I wish she had the option. I wish she had the surgery, in fact, and it might have given her more years with my family,” Jolie shared on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour in 2016.

Bertrand was also honored at Jolie’s wedding to Brad Pitt.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the Cinema for Peace Gala ceremony at the Konzerthaus Am Gendarmenmarkt during day five of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in 2012.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in 2012.

PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN/GETTY

Although Bertrand couldn’t attend Jolie’s wedding to Brad Pitt in 2014, Jolie honored her mother during the ceremony. In addition to wearing a flower ring from her mother’s collection, Jolie shared that Pitt had a tribute to Bertrand engraved on a special stone used in the wedding.

“Brad had a dedication to Marcheline engraved inside the chapel where we stood,” Jolie told PEOPLE.

Jolie was also inspired by her mother while writing *By the Sea*.

Eight years after her mother’s passing, Jolie and Pitt collaborated on *By the Sea*, a drama film that Jolie wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. Jolie revealed to Vogue that the grief she experienced after losing her mother deeply iNFLuenced her portrayal of the character Vanessa.

“My mother was an Earth Mother and the nicest person in the world,” Jolie said in 2015, adding that Vanessa’s character in the film was quite different. “But the specific grief came from the woman I was closest to, seeing her art slip away, her body fail her.”

Jolie also feels a strong connection to her mother through her own children.

Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Knox Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, and Zahara Jolie-Pitt attend the Los Angeles Premiere of Marvel Studios' "Eternals" on October 18, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Left to right: Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Knox Jolie-Pitt attend the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Eternals’ in October 2021.

AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC

In 2014, Jolie shared with French *Marie Claire* that Bertrand remained a constant presence in her life through her children. She explained that she felt a connection to her mother when she looked at her kids.

“I feel in contact with my mother when I look at my children,” Jolie said. “I can feel her iNFLuence over me then. I see that my way of raising them resembles the way she raised my brother and me. … Therefore, yes, my mother is there, present in this iNFLuence, all the time.”

Although Bertrand did not get to meet all of Jolie’s children, Jolie expressed that her mother would have thrived as a grandmother.

“I know how much she would have contributed to their lives and I am sad they will miss out on that,” Jolie told *Elle France* in 2017. “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.”

 

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