When you see a photo of Angelina Jolie, you’re looking at a face that is basically a 50/50 genetic split of two very different Hollywood legacies. On one side, you have the Oscar-winning grit of a 1970s leading man. On the other, the soft, ethereal beauty of a woman who chose motherhood over the limelight.
Angelina Jolie parents, Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, are often talked about like they’re just footnotes in her massive career, but that’s a mistake. Honestly, you can’t really understand why she is the way she is—the humanitarian work, the complicated relationship with fame, even the way she parents her own six kids—without looking at the messiness of her upbringing.
It wasn’t just a "Hollywood family." It was a family that broke apart early and left a huge mark on the woman she became.
The Love Story That Didn't Last
Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand got married in 1971. At the time, Voight was riding high on the success of Midnight Cowboy. He was the "it" guy. Marcheline was a stunning young actress and model, just 21, with dreams of her own. They had two kids, James Haven and then Angelina in 1975.
But it wasn't some fairy tale.
By the time Angelina was only six months old, the marriage was basically done. They separated in 1976 and the divorce was finalized by 1980. The reason? Voight later admitted to infidelity.
That affair didn't just end a marriage; it set the tone for Jolie's entire childhood. Imagine being a kid and watching your mom—who gave up her own acting ambitions to raise you—deal with the public heartbreak of a famous husband wandering.
Jolie has been pretty vocal about this. She once wrote in a New York Times op-ed that her mother’s dreams of being an actor "faded" when she found herself raising two kids alone at 26.
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Marcheline Bertrand: The Quiet Influence
If Jon Voight provided the DNA for the "movie star" look, Marcheline Bertrand provided the soul for the humanitarian. People often forget that Marcheline was a massive activist in her own right.
She didn't just stay at home. She co-founded the All Tribes Foundation to help Native American communities. She also started Give Love Give Life to raise awareness for women's cancers. This wasn't just hobby work; it was a lifestyle.
Angelina has said many times that her mother was her best friend.
"She was a very natural woman who never spoiled herself, never wore makeup, and wore modest jewelry," Jolie told Marie Claire.
When Marcheline passed away in 2007 at the age of 56 after a long battle with ovarian and breast cancer, it absolutely gutted Angelina. It’s the reason she eventually went through those preventative surgeries years later. She didn’t want her kids to lose their mom the same way she did.
The Decades-Long Feud with Jon Voight
The relationship with her father, Jon Voight, is... well, it's a lot. For years, it was basically non-existent.
Sure, they tried to make it work. They even starred in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider together in 2001. But then, things got weird. In 2002, Voight went on Access Hollywood and claimed his daughter had "serious mental problems."
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Yeah. Not great.
Angelina responded by legally dropping "Voight" from her name. She didn't want to be "Jon’s daughter" anymore. She wanted to be her own person. For nearly five years, they didn't speak a word to each other.
It took the death of Marcheline in 2007 to finally break the ice. They started to reconcile slowly. It wasn't about being "daddy and daughter" again—it was more about being friends and letting him be a grandfather to her kids.
As of 2026, the relationship remains a bit of a tightrope walk. Voight has been very public about his conservative political views, which often clash directly with Jolie’s liberal, U.N.-centered worldview. He’s even criticized her public stances on global conflicts recently. Yet, he still says he "loves his daughter deeply."
It’s a reminder that even for the world's most famous people, family is often the one thing they can't quite "fix" or control.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think Angelina's "rebellion" in the 90s was just about being a wild child. Kinda, but not really.
If you look at the timeline of Angelina Jolie parents, you see a girl who felt she had to protect her mother and distance herself from a father who was largely absent or publicly critical.
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- Fact: She didn't use her father's name to get roles; she intentionally worked to distance herself from his shadow.
- Fact: Her interest in acting came from watching movies with her mother, not from her father's Oscar wins.
- Reality: The "wild" years were partly a reaction to the pressures of a fractured family life.
Why This Still Matters Today
Angelina is now a mother of six. She is roughly the same age her mother was when she was fighting cancer.
The influence of Marcheline is everywhere in Angelina’s life now—the way she prioritizes her kids, her refusal to stay in the "Hollywood bubble," and her deep-seated need to be useful to the world.
She’s basically living out the legacy her mother didn’t get to finish.
If you're looking to understand the complexities of Hollywood families or even your own, there are some pretty clear takeaways from the Jolie-Voight-Bertrand saga:
- Legacy isn't just about money or fame. It’s about the values passed down. Marcheline’s quiet humanitarianism won out over Jon’s Hollywood prestige in terms of influence.
- Reconciliation is a choice, not a requirement. Angelina shows that you can forgive someone and let them into your life as a "friend" or "grandpa" without needing to pretend the past didn't happen.
- Health history is a roadmap. Understanding her mother’s medical journey literally changed the course of Angelina’s life and helped her make proactive choices for her own longevity.
If you’re interested in the specifics of the charitable work Marcheline started, you can still find information on the All Tribes Foundation or look into Johanna’s Law, which Marcheline helped push for before she died. It’s a way to see the tangible impact she had beyond just being the mother of a superstar.
Next Steps for You:
To get a better sense of the timeline, you might want to read Angelina’s 2020 op-ed in the New York Times about her mother. It’s called "A Mother’s Gift," and it’s probably the most honest thing she’s ever written. Also, if you’re curious about Jon Voight’s side of things, his 1970s filmography (like Coming Home) gives you a glimpse into the talent that made him such a looming figure in her early life.