Angelina Jolie: Actress, director, humanitarian—politician?
Jolie, who moved to London with Brad Pitt and her six children earlier this year, is “readying herself for what could be a full-time commitment with the British government,” according to US Weekly.
Part of those preparations have included securing a political mentor in the form of Baroness Arminka Helic, a member of the British House of Lords. According to US Weekly’ s unnamed source, the Baroness is helping Jolie “make decisions about her next political move.”
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Jolie’s connection to Helic stretches back to 2012, when the actress partnered with British foreign secretary—and Helic’s then-boss—William Hague on an anti-sexual violence initiative. Jolie was on hand when Helic was inducted into the House of Lords in 2014, telling the London Times, “She’s been in many ways a mentor to me and she’s an extraordinary woman.” The pair also collaborated on a September 2015 op-ed in the Times, pushing for more support for Syrian refugees. Notably, Helic herself is a former refugee from the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
So, what would a full-time governmental role look like for Jolie—who has previously said that she would consider a career in politics “if [she] thought [she] could make a difference?” The Telegraph has speculated that she may be making a play for her own seat in the House of Lords, noting that members of the body do not need to be citizens, as long as they are “resident in UK for tax purposes and accept the requirement to remain so.”