Angelina Jolie makes rare parenting comment as children drop Brad Pitt's surname
Angelina Jolie says her six kids are 'definitely individuals' as some of their children stopped using Brad Pitt's surname.
They were once known as 'Brangelina', having built a family of six children; Maddox, 25, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, Pax, 22, and 18-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
Pitt adopted Maddox and Zahara, whom Jolie had previously adopted, and later adopted Pax. The couple also had three biological children: Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne.
Shiloh legally changed her surname to Jolie in 2024, while Zahara and Vivienne have used Jolie publicly without confirmed legal changes.
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"As a parent, you try to do many things," Jolie told L'Officiel, ‘but you also try to not get in the way of this human being who has a life separate from yours and so much potential in their own mind. You want to make sure that you support them’.
Maddox, born in Cambodia, was adopted by Jolie before Pitt later adopted him.
He has worked on several of his mother’s films, including as an executive producer on First They Killed My Father and an assistant director on Couture.
After studying biochemistry at Yonsei University in South Korea, he has also focused on becoming a pilot.
Pax was born in Vietnam in 2003 and adopted in 2007. His creative work includes voice acting in Kung Fu Panda 3, set photography, decorating Atelier Jolie, cinematography, and employment in assistant-director departments.
Jolie says both older sons learned filmmaking by working as crew members and understanding different departments rather than immediately seeking prominent roles.
"I think if you have any interest in working on film, you need to be a part of the crew and do the hard work and know all the different departments," Jolie explained.
"They've worked on a few films that way, and they're both doing other things, too: Maddox is focusing on being a pilot, and Pax has his photography, but I think he does have an interest in film."
Jolie's new film Without Blood features her sons Pax and Maddox in supporting roles.
"We work well together. When a film crew is at its best, it feels like a big family, so it felt natural," Jolie added to PEOPLE.
The film, based on a novel by Alessandro Barrico, explores themes of war, trauma, memory, and healing, with Jolie praising the performances of her co-stars, Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir.
Topics: Celebrity, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt
Anish Vij