Angelina Jolie Says She’s ‘Looking Forward’ to Her 50s: ‘I Feel That I’m Gonna Hit My Stride’

Angelina Jolie has had a difficult few years. In 2016, she filed for divorce from Brad Pitt and a dramatic custody battle over their six children ensued, landing them in court as recently as October 2020. The addition of a global pandemic only heightened tensions, but the famed actress, 45, is still finding ways to look forward to the future—and that includes getting excited for her 50th birthday.

Sure, the milestone is still five years away, but if those years go by as quickly as the last five did it’ll be here in no time. And Jolie plans on embracing it as a privilege rather than a burden.

“I do like being older. I feel much more comfortable in my forties than I did when I was younger,” she recently explained to British Vogue. “Maybe because… I don’t know… maybe because my mom didn’t live very long, so there’s something about age that feels like a victory instead of a sadness for me.”

That’s why she’s not a bit afraid of entering her fifth decade. “I’m looking forward to my fifties—I feel that I’m gonna hit my stride,” she added, inferring that she—an Oscar-winning actress, director, and humanitarian—hasn’t already; a mindset that’s partially thanks to her kids, who keep her humble.

“We were on the trampoline the other day, and the children said, ‘No, Mom, don’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself.’ And I thought, “God, isn’t that funny?” There was a day I was an action star, and now the kids are telling me to get off the trampoline because I’ll hurt myself.”

Still, the Maleficent actress isn’t wishing away the next five years by any means. Her forties have been pretty transformative and there’s still work to be done, including her starring role in a new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eternals. There aren’t many film details out yet other than that she plays Thena, “a powerful immortal warrior,” per CinemaBlend, which couldn’t fit her more perfectly. “Running around in a gold bodysuit was not how I imagined my forties,” she told Vogue. “But it’s good crazy, I think.”

She hopes that the remainder of her forties will also ease her into being fully, presently happy again. “The past few years have been pretty hard. I’ve been focusing on healing our family. It’s slowly coming back, like the ice melting and the blood returning to my body,” she explained. “I’m not there yet. But I hope to be. I’m planning on it.”