Angelina Jolie is opening up about motherhood and the different paths her six children are taking as they enter adulthood.
In a new interview with L’OFFICIEL, the Oscar-winning actress and filmmaker discussed how she approaches parenting Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne. Rather than directing their futures, Jolie said she wants to give them room to become independent individuals.
The interview, published September 9, 2026, comes at an important moment for Jolie. Her youngest children, twins Knox and Vivienne, turned 18 in July, making all six of her children adults.
Angelina Jolie Says Her Children Need Space to Find Their Own Paths
For Jolie, supporting her children does not mean deciding what they should become.
She explained that her children are very different from one another, something she considers a source of pride. Her approach is to offer support while avoiding the temptation to control their choices.
That perspective has become especially relevant as her children explore different interests and careers.
Jolie shares her six children with actor Brad Pitt. Their divorce was finalised in 2024 after a lengthy separation and legal process.
Maddox and Pax Have Explored Work Behind the Camera
Two of Jolie’s sons have developed interests in filmmaking, but neither has simply followed the path of becoming an actor.
Maddox has worked behind the scenes on several film projects. He served as an assistant director on Jolie’s Couture, continuing a connection to film production that has developed over several years. PEOPLE also reported that he dropped “Pitt” from his professional name in the credits for the movie.
Pax has also explored filmmaking and photography. He has worked on projects connected to his mother’s films, including Without Blood.
Jolie believes that anyone interested in filmmaking should understand the work involved across an entire production. She said her sons have gained experience by working with different departments rather than simply observing from the sidelines.
At the same time, their interests extend beyond Hollywood. Jolie said Maddox is focusing on becoming a pilot, while Pax has developed an interest in photography and still appears interested in film.
Their Film Work Has Included Major Jolie Projects
Maddox and Pax have previously worked on Without Blood, Jolie’s drama starring Salma Hayek Pinault and Demián Bichir.
Their contributions were not simply family appearances. PEOPLE reported that the brothers worked in behind-the-scenes production roles, earning praise for their professionalism from Hayek Pinault and members of the crew.
The experience reflects Jolie’s belief that her children should learn through real work if they are interested in the film industry.
Zahara Jolie’s College Experience Became Important to the Family
Zahara has followed a different path.
She attended Spelman College, the historically Black women’s college in Atlanta. Jolie previously spoke about how meaningful the school became to both Zahara and their family.
Zahara graduated as part of Spelman’s Class of 2026. The college held its 2026 commencement ceremony on May 17.
During her time at Spelman, Zahara also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Jolie said the experience helped her better understand the importance of the community her daughter had joined.
For Jolie, Zahara’s college journey was not simply about academics. It also gave her daughter an opportunity to develop her own identity and connections away from Hollywood.
Shiloh Has Taken Her Own Direction
Shiloh, Jolie and Pitt’s first biological daughter, has also developed interests outside her parents’ careers.
She has appeared publicly with her family at various film premieres and events, but she has largely maintained her own path.
In 2024, after turning 18, Shiloh legally changed her name from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie.
Her decision was one of several developments involving the family’s public use of the Jolie surname.
Knox and Vivienne Have Also Explored Creative Work
The youngest members of the family, twins Knox and Vivienne, have also had some connections to their mother’s creative world.
Both had small voice roles in Kung Fu Panda 3 when they were children. However, Jolie has previously explained that her children were not necessarily interested in becoming actors.
Vivienne later developed an interest in theatre and worked with her mother on the Broadway production of The Outsiders. Jolie has described her daughter as particularly serious about understanding the production process.
Now that both twins are 18, they have officially entered adulthood alongside their four older siblings.
Angelina Jolie Is Entering a New Chapter as a Mother
Jolie’s comments come as her family reaches a major transition.
For years, she has been raising six children while maintaining an international career as an actor, director and humanitarian. Now, with all of her children as adults, her role is naturally changing.
Still, Jolie made clear that she remains closely connected to her children.
Her comments about supporting their individual goals reflect a broader approach to motherhood: being present without trying to live their lives for them.
That philosophy also appears in how she has worked with some of her children professionally. Maddox and Pax have gained hands-on experience in film, while Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne have pursued interests of their own.
What Angelina Jolie’s Approach to Parenting Reveals
The most notable part of Jolie’s latest comments is not the careers her children are choosing. It is the importance she places on allowing them to make those choices themselves.
Her six children have grown up under intense public attention. Yet Jolie says she wants to recognise that each of them has a life and potential separate from hers.
That means offering guidance when needed while also knowing when to step back.
For Jolie, motherhood appears to be less about creating a particular future for her children and more about helping them become confident enough to create their own.
What comes next for the Jolie family?
With all six children now adults, Jolie is also entering a different stage of her own life. In her L’OFFICIEL interview, she discussed wanting to spend more time outside the United States and described the next period of her life as the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
Her family, meanwhile, continues to move in different directions.
From filmmaking and photography to aviation, education, theatre and other personal interests, the Jolie children are building identities beyond simply being the children of two famous actors.
For Angelina Jolie, that independence appears to be exactly what she hopes to encourage.