Angelina Jolie: I’m boring, I spend time studying foreign policy

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie says she is boring in real life, adding that her children are her creativity because she loves to watch each of them take on a unique personality.

“Oh god, I’m really boring. I spend a lot of time studying foreign policy,” Jolie said while talking about how she is artsy outside of the acting world, during a special virtual press event held before the release of her upcoming movie “The One And Only Ivan”.

“But I think my creativity is my kids. Because being with them and making up stories before bed or just being silly with them, (I am) really (doing) nothing. Just watching each of them become uniquely who they are and being around them and going into each of their (space), whether it be their rooms and talking to them or developing or helping them develop. It’s not as much me but my mom was like that, and loved seeing other people’s creativity,” she added.

Jolie is mother to six children — sons Maddox, Pax, and Knox, and daughters Zahara, Shiloh, and Vivienne. It was one of her kids who introduced her to the world of Katherine Applegate’s bestselling book “The One And Only Ivan”, and nudged her to get associated with it.

In “The One And Only Ivan”, Jolie has voiced the character of an aging elephant named Stella, who cares for an abandoned baby elephant named Ruby in a circus show at the Big Top Mall. The actress is also attached to the Disney movie as a producer.

The story follows Ivan, a 400-pound silverback gorilla, who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. Ivan has few memories of the jungle where he was born, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him, and Ivan begins to question his life and his roots.

The book was inspired by the true story of a gorilla named Ivan who was kept in a concrete cage for over 20 years but learned to express himself through watercolour painting.

“One of my children read the book and said that they loved it. We talked about why it was special and why it meant so much to them. So, I started to pursue where it is being made, what’s happening and started to get involved. I looked at the early drafts and it was very interesting,” said the Oscar winning star.

“One of the things (screenplay writer) Mike (White) did that I think was very special is, I had seen it start to go down a road where it really started to become a light fun, kids, and a simpler story. It was easy for somebody to come in and just try to pick a few threads and make it quite simple and add some action here and to really make it what it is intended to be. And Disney and Mike, and everybody involved really understand that,” she added.

The actress continued: “It is not a light film. It deals with heavy issues but it is charming and fun and full of life. But it’s deceptive in kind of what the packaging (is). So, I thought it was very important and wanted to get involved. I like the messages in it.”

Jolie feels the younger generation cares about the natural habitat, and will connect with the story.

“All of us older people will appreciate it for many reasons. But I know this young generation is really very aware of what is happening in the world, to our natural habitats, to these animals, losing ground, what’s happening with the gorillas and the elephants. And they are angry. They want to really be clear about what kind of treatment is appropriate, what kind of captivity is appropriate, being against poaching. So, I think this represents them. I think that’s strong for them today to see that their actions can make change,” she said.

Directed by Thea Sharrock, “The One And Only Ivan” will release on Disney+ Hotstar Premium in India on August 21.

The live action-animation film also features the voices of Sam Rockwell, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Brooklynn Prince, and Chaka Khan, besides actors Bryan Cranston, Ramon Rodríguez, Ariana Greenblatt, Indira Varma and Eleanor Matsuura.