Angelina Jolie turns personal pain into performance for ‘Couture’ film

She plays a filmmaker diagnosed with breast cancer during production

Cast member Angelina Jolie poses for pictures on red carpet for the premiere of "Couture" during the Rome Film Festival at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, Italy, Oct 18, 2025. REUTERS/Remo Casilli File Photo

Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie faced one of her deepest fears on screen for the French film "Couture" - being diagnosed with cancer.

Based on personal experiences of writer and director Alice Winocour, Jolie plays fictional American filmmaker Maxine Walker, who, while producing a film to accompany a runway show for Paris Fashion Week, discovers she has breast cancer.

Jolie's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of breast cancer at the age of 56, and Jolie underwent a double mastectomy in 2013 after discovering she was carrying the same genetic mutation as her mother.

"I thought often of my mother and how much I think this film would have been wonderful for her when she was going through this," she told Reuters.

But it wasn't just about her mother; Jolie also got involved to bring Walker’s experience to the world.

"You sit in that chair, and whether it's cancer or anything, whether you're male or female, we've all had that moment. We've all had that moment where we've gotten some news that has shifted our lives," the “Maria” actor said.

Jolie had to go through a scene where operation lines were placed on her chest by an oncologist.

"It felt a strange moment to have Hollywood in my hospital room," Jolie said.

"Here I am, you know, in my gown, getting my needles, doing all the stuff that I do, but now we are sharing it. And so, it felt very vulnerable,” she added.

Alongside Jolie, the cast of “Couture” includes Ada, played by Anyier Anei, who is a model struggling with the fashion industry putting her on a pedestal, and make-up artist Angele, played by Ella Rumpf, who is trying to break out of the fashion scene by becoming a writer.

Jolie hopes that each character’s story will resonate with viewers.

"I think what we found in doing this, and hopefully what the audience will feel, is that we're connected," the 51-year-old said.

"We're connected as human beings, and we all go through something... And it's very necessary to pull us all through being human,” Jolie added.

“Couture” arrives in American movie theatres on Friday.