Angelina Jolie’s Surprising Career Plan If Acting Had Failed—You Won’t Believe It!

Angelina Jolie’s iconic career in Hollywood has seen her rise from a talented actress to a celebrated humanitarian, but her life could have taken a dramatically different turn had she not pursued acting. A fascinating glimpse into her alternative career paths reveals a deep well of interests, some of which, like her early fascination with mortuary science, were deeply personal and unexpected. This exploration of her pre-acting ambitions provides insight into the wide-ranging facets of her character beyond the silver screen.

A Fascination with Mortuary Science

One of the most intriguing alternative careers that Angelina Jolie might have pursued is in the field of mortuary science. At just 14 years old, she took a home course in embalming, sparked by the emotional turmoil she experienced following her grandfather’s death. Dissatisfied with the traditional funeral process, Jolie voiced her desire to revolutionize how families handle death and the mourning process. In a 2011 60 Minutes interview, she explained, “It sounds like this very strange, eccentric, dark thing to do but in fact, I lost my grandfather and was very upset with his funeral. How somebody passes and how family deals with this passing and what death is should be addressed in a different way.”

This early interest in death and the afterlife was more than a fleeting curiosity. It was a deep-seated fascination that would have shaped her professional choices had her acting career not taken off. Her comfort with topics like death—also reflected in her teenage years through her interests in knife collecting and self-harm—aligns with this path, which contrasts starkly with her public persona as a glamorous actress. Nonetheless, it’s a testament to her complex character and the unexpected directions her life could have taken.

Humanitarian Work: A Path Enabled by Fame

While Jolie’s humanitarian work has become a hallmark of her public life, particularly as a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), it was a later development in her career. Her exposure to the refugee crisis began in 2001, after filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in Cambodia. The experience opened her eyes to the plight of displaced people, leading to her becoming a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR, a role that she later expanded into field missions and the founding of various charitable organizations. Jolie’s humanitarian efforts earned her the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2013, further cementing her legacy outside of acting.

However, it is worth noting that her humanitarian career was propelled by the resources and visibility she gained through her acting fame. In a 2005 CNN interview, Jolie stated, “My role as goodwill ambassador has made my work as a film star relatively dull,” indicating that her humanitarian work took center stage once she had the platform to make a real difference. Without her acting career, it’s unclear whether she would have been able to make the same impact, suggesting that while this passion is undoubtedly genuine, it may not have been her primary focus if acting had not been her entry point into global recognition.

Other Potential Careers: Fashion and Directing

In recent years, Jolie has diversified her interests even further, particularly with the launch of Atelier Jolie, a fashion brand focused on sustainability. While this is a recent venture and not reflective of her pre-acting interests, it does highlight her entrepreneurial side and desire to contribute to causes she believes in. Fashion, especially sustainable fashion, has become an avenue for Jolie to merge her creativity with her values, much like her work in film and humanitarianism.

Additionally, Jolie’s work as a director and producer, including films like Unbroken (2014), shows that her passion for storytelling extends beyond acting. While this career path remains within the entertainment industry, it suggests that, even if she hadn’t pursued acting, Jolie’s creativity and leadership could have led her to a fulfilling career behind the camera.

Her love for travel and her immersion in various cultures—evident from her adoptions of children from Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam—could also suggest a career in travel writing or cultural journalism. Although there’s no direct evidence of her pursuing this before acting, her extensive experiences with different cultures might have influenced her career choices had she not found success as an actress.

Conclusion: A Multi-Faceted Life

Angelina Jolie’s life, both on and off the screen, is far from one-dimensional. While she has become one of Hollywood’s most iconic actresses, her interests in fields as diverse as mortuary science, humanitarian work, fashion, and film production reveal a person with a wide range of passions and talents. Had her career as an actress not flourished, it’s likely that Jolie would have found fulfillment in one of these alternate paths, bringing the same intensity and dedication she applies to her current roles.

Ultimately, whether it’s through her work in film, her advocacy for refugees, or her recent foray into sustainable fashion, Jolie’s diverse pursuits show that even the brightest stars have multifaceted careers—and her life is proof that there are always other roads to success and fulfillment, no matter where you start.