Meet Angelina Jolie's lookalike brother James Haven - everything you need to know
Big brother
Did you know Angelina Jolie has an older brother? The Hollywood star's 46-year-old older sibling James Haven tried his hand at acting in many films and TV shows - although he didn't achieve the same level of fame as his sister - before turning from acting to directing. In recent years, his role has become that of cool uncle, since he spent most of his time taking care of his six nephews and nieces. Read on for some interesting facts about the star's brother.
Early years with their mom
James Haven Voight Bertrand is the son of the actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand, who died in 2007 from ovarian cancer. When their parents separated, he and younger sister Angelina lived with their mother. They developed a close bond with her, whilst becoming distant from their father.
Name change
When Angelina and James kicked off their professional careers, they decided to drop the surname Voight and started using their mother's surname before they were well-known in the industry. In 2002, Angelina opted to legally shed her father's last name and took on the surname by which we all know her now. Jolie, which means "pretty" was actually her middle name. James followed suit, adopting his middle name as his last name.
A dedicated uncle
Angelina's brother has been a hands-on uncle to her six children over the years. He was reportedly in charge of the team of nannies and staff that caters to the needs of Pax, Shiloh, Zahara, Vivienne, Knox and Maddox for an extended time after Angelina split with Brad Pitt in 2016. James took a step back in 2017 to focus on himself.
Professional career
James has appeared in many films and TV shows. The highlights of his career include Original Sin, starring with his sister and Antonio Banderas, and Stay Alive. He was executive producer for the documentary Trudell, and wrote and directed the short film Court of Conscience, which features his dad Jon Voight. He also directed an episode of the series The Game.
Making peace with pop
In 2009, James found Christianity and sought out his father, Jon Voight, and asked if the pair could put aside their differences. He asked his sister to do the same and, though it took her a while, one year later Angelina agreed to talk with her father.
Angelina's Oscars speech
The spotlight fell on James in 2000 when he attended the Oscar Awards ceremony with Angelina, who won Best Supporting Actress for Girl Interrupted. The star began her acceptance speech by saying: "I'm so in love with my brother right now," and pictures of them sharing a kiss on the lips raised eyebrows.
Angelina later spoke of the media storm around their display of affection, telling People three years later: "We're the best of friends. And it wasn't some odd open-mouthed kiss. It was disappointing that something so beautiful and pure could be turned into a circus."
Brother-in-law
Angelina married Billy Bob Thornton, with whom her brother had a good relationship - the pair appeared in Monsters Ball together in 2001. Many years later, James was present at the intimate ceremony in France during which Angelina married Brad Pitt, and was featured in the behind-the-scenes wedding photos that were published in HOLA! USA's sister publication HELLO! in 2014.
Strong bond
James has spoken of the close bond he has with his younger sister. “I go to Angie for advice and won’t do anything without her because we were so close as children,” he told the Daily Mail in 2017. Over the years he's been a firm fixture at some of the premieres of some of Hollywood hits, such as Salt and Maleficent.
