Angelina Jolie Reveals the ‘New Way’ She’s Being Honest with Her Kids About the ‘Pain’ Parents Usually Hide

The actress shared that her sons Maddox and Pax watched her ‘expressing a lot of pain’ on the set of ‘Maria’.

Angelina Jolie (second to left) with children Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt, Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt, Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt attend “The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind” Special Screening at Crosby Street Hotel on February 25, 2019 in New York City. 

Angelina Jolie is opening up about being unable to hide her pain from her children while working on her new film, Maria.

While speaking with the BBC about her experience working on the biopic alongside her eldest sons Maddox, 23, and Pax, 21, who worked as production assistants on the film, the actress, 49, revealed that the brothers watched their mom expressing pain in “a new way.”.

“They’ve seen me go through a lot of things, but they hadn’t experienced me expressing a lot of the pain that usually a parent hides from a child,” Jolie admitted.

From left: Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Pax Jolie-Pitt in 2017.

She added that expressing her feelings through her character was “a new way” of being honest with her kids about her feelings — “an even greater way.”.

Fortunately, Maddox and Pax, whom Jolie shares with her ex Brad Pitt, were always there to console their mom through her emotional moments.

“They were there to witness some of that,” she explained, “but then we would hug or they would bring me cups of tea.”.

From left: Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Zahara Marley Jolie and Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt attend the “Maria” screening during the 62nd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on September 29, 2024 in New York City.

In August, Jolie spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about out how working on the film brought on some “heavy moments,” leading Maddox and Pax to see their mom cry in a way they hadn’t seen before.

“I’ve been a parent for 23 years. The most beautiful thing about being a parent is that you are not the center of your life. So you are leaving set, focused on something for someone.

That’s your real life. Your real world. And that always is the majority of who you are,” the mom of six explained to the outlet.

She continued, “I have never had a set where my family is not allowed to be there because I’m focusing — I’m not that person. You can climb all over me or visit.”.

“It really meant a lot that my boys were with me on Maria,” she added.

“That was probably one of the more intense things was that — usually when I’m expressing that much pain, it’s not in front of my children,” she admitted. “You really try to hide from your children how much pain and sadness you carry.”.

Jolie then joked, “That’s usually for the shower.”.

In addition to Maddox and Pax, Jolie is mom to Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16.