In terms of iconic film stars of the twenty-first century, Angelina Jolie is unequivocally one of the most highly regarded. And yet, she rarely makes movies of a high-quality caliber. Sure, she generates box office revenue with major blockbusters like Mr. and Mrs. Smith (a.k.a. How I Met Brad Pitt) and, most recently, Maleficent, but the screenplays are seldom actually good. So what, then, is her secret for staying on top/being one of the highest paid actresses in the business? Deadbeat icon
Simply put, she’s one of those dying breeds of celebrity with “it” quality. While other stars are often manufactured (Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, et. al.), Jolie consistently paves her own way and expresses a unique aura and personality. Plus, she was already born into Hollywood life as the daughter of Jon Voight (not that Miley and Kim didn’t have famous ancestry, too). Part of Jolie’s appeal is her love life
Thus, Jolie’s ability to appear in lackluster films like Gia (which launched her into the limelight), Original Sin and Life Or Something Like It are largely contingent on 1) her beauty 2) her personality 3) how much fodder she provides for gossip magazines and 4) her involvement with the UN as its chief ambassador. Working the political scene
Jolie’s vacillation between making multi-million dollar blockbusters and the occasional indie flick have also made her somewhat untouchable. When you have the money, you also have the creative freedom to make mistakes. And, as we’ll never forget, Jolie will always have Girl, Interrupted to turn to when defending her acting skills.
