5 times Angelina Jolie proved she’s amazing, from flying planes to educating the world

Angelina Jolie is many things — an award-winning actress, loving mom, sure even a pilot. What she should never be described as is a certain actor’s ex.

Somewhere in her home, Angelina Jolie has an Academy Award, along with a row of other honors ranging from Golden Globes to Screen Actors Guild trophies. She also has a flock of six kids, ranging in age from 16-year-old Maddox to 11-year-old Shiloh Jolie-Pitt to 9-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

But if you look at the current headlines, Jolie repeatedly is getting the spotlight only with regard to her famously hunky, almost-ex-husband, Brad Pitt. (The divorce hasn’t been finalized yet).

Get ready to appreciate Angelina Jolie as more than Brad’s estranged wife by learning about these five times the mom of six lit up the world.

1. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Angelina Jolie flying a plane!

So while we applaud the heroics of moms who manage to get a houseful of kids off to school, clean the house, do the laundry, potty-train the dog, and then head out to chauffeur an SUV of children to their appointments, Angelina somehow was quietly learning to fly a plane.

2. She is taking time to educate the world about climate change.

So yyou’ve probably heard the phrase “climate change” and know you should be worried about it (well, yes, of course). Angelina Jolie has discovered a new way to help others understand what it means with her surprise role in The Queen’s Green Planet.

In the documentary, Jolie is shown using her flying skills to show what’s happening in the Namibian desert. The actress teamed up with the Namibian government to make a difference by planting a nursery designed to replace trees that are dying in the region.

3. Jolie is a humanitarian who is educating the next generation through her kids.

Some moms take the kids to Disneyland and Legoland. Earlier this year, Jolie took Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne to the Louvre. But Angelina made a special trip with just her two oldest daughters, Shiloh and Zahara.

Jolie took her girls to the Zataari refugee camp in Jordan, where they were introduced to Syrian refugees. Shiloh and Zahara also participated in a project known as TIGER (These Inspiring Girls Enjoy Reading).

Jolie talked about the meaning of that visit.

"My daughters Shiloh and Zahara have spent time today speaking and playing with children their own age who have been forced from their homes, whose family members have been killed or have disappeared, who are struggling with trauma and illness, but who at the end of the day are just children, with the same hopes and rights as children in any other nation."

With flying planes, educating the world about climate change, and teaching her kids to follow in her humanitarian footsteps, Jolie somehow has managed to continue inspiring in her entertainment career.

4. The actress takes time to celebrate other women’s successes

Had enough trying to Keep Up With The Kardashians scandals and the Real Housewives feuds? Jolie recently gave us the ultimate example of the lighter side of Hollywood.

The busy mom of six took time to give a speech honoring French director Agnes Varda at the Governors Awards. When Agnes, 89, started to dance to celebrate the honorary Oscar that Jolie had given her,  Jolie joined the director in the “dance of cinema.”

5. She is proud to reign as Disney’s villainess

When it comes to Disney films, Jolie as Maleficent was deliciously evil. Angelina is set to do it again by starring in the Maleficent sequel with Elle Fanning.

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We feel we’re safe in betting that Jolie’s six kids will be proud to escort their magnificent Maleficent mom to the red carpet opening of the film… as well as follow in her inspirational footsteps with all the hard work she’s doing across the globe.