Angelina Jolie has a complicated history with the Oscars.
On Wednesday, the actor received the Maltin Modern Master Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and was interviewed by critic Leonard Maltin about her career.
During their conversation, Maltin asked Jolie about her experience being nominated for and winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2000.
“I’m trying to think about how much I’m going to share right now,” Jolie said.
She went on to recall a childhood memory: watching the 1979 Academy Awards with her mother and siblings. At the time, her parents, Jon Voight and the late Marcheline Bertrand, were separated (their divorce was finalized in 1980).
Bertrand’s “dream was to be an actor,” Jolie began. She described her mom at home with her children, about to be divorced from “a very famous man,” watching as her husband won an Oscar with “the other woman.”
That other woman, according to People, may have been Voight’s date that night, actor Stacey Pickren.
Jolie then recounted to Maltin how her mother was always a pillar of strength, and how she believed her mother’s feelings that night left a lasting impact. When the time came for Jolie to accept her own award, for “Girl, Interrupted,” she ensured that her mother would feel part of the moment, too.
After accepting her 2000 Oscar, Jolie called her mother and gave her the award. “One of the best moments of my life,” she said.