Angelina Jolie

From the tabloid frenzy that frequently surrounds her personal life to her high-profile commitment to humanitarian causes, her acting career can occasionally seem to be the least interesting thing about Angelina Jolie. But while her roles have been spotty at times, she remains a capital M Movie Star, never too far removed from fronting a global blockbuster or awards-buzzy prestige picture.

The daughter of Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, Jolie achieved rapid fame in the early 90s, effortlessly commanding attention even when appearing in less than memorable roles. Hackers, Pushing Tin and a TV biopic of tragic supermodel Gia Carangi were among the highlights of these early years.

True megastardom arrived at the turn of the century, when she landed both her career-defining role as Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movie franchise, and her first Oscar nomination and win for Girl Interrupted. Playing a long-term inmate at a mental institution for troubled girls was a perfect fit for Jolie’s edgy persona, and despite the presence of fellow 90s icon Winona Ryder in the lead, she’s by far the most memorable aspect of the movie.

Jolie spent much of the 00s headlining a string of action movies, some very successful (Salt, Wanted, Mr & Mrs Smith) and some less so (Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow, Alexander). Her next major run at an Oscar was probably playing journalist Mariane Pearl in the 2007 drama A Mighty Heart, but that film failed to find much of an audience. She was more successful in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling in 2009, netting her second, and to date last Oscar nomination as the mother of a kidnapped child.

By the 2010s she was working less frequently in front of the camera as charity work and directing took mre of her attention. Her few prestige roles included some notorious misfires including The Tourist with Johnny Depp in 2009 and By The Sea with then-husband Brad Pitt in 2014. On the other hand, the Maleficent movies overcame mixed reviews to achieve major box office success, and she lent her voice to several editions of the equally lucrative Kung Fu Panda franchise.

In 2024 Jolie hooked up with Chilean director Pablo Larraín to star as opera legend Maria Callas in a role that was heavily tipped to net her a third Oscar nomination. However, while the film received a lone Cinematography nomination, Jolie sadly missed out.