Who needs a director when you have six very opinionated - and honest - children? Angelina Jolie has revealed how her brood of six children became a regular fixture on set while she recorded her new animated movie Kung Fu Panda 2. Describing them as like a 'focus group' she said they became 'part agents, part managers'. And they certainly didn't hold back when it came to expressing their opinions.
Jolie told USA Today: 'They'll sit in a room and say, "That's just not funny,"' admitting the scrutiny from her children keeps her 'competitive'. The 35-year-old actress, who voices kung fu master Tigress, has six children with partner Brad Pitt - Maddox, aged nine, Pax, aged seven, Zahara, aged six, four-year-old Shiloh and two-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. The elder three are adopted. But despite their brutal honesty - and thinking co-star Jack Black was 'cooler than mommy' - Angelina says bringing them along to recording sessions was very rewarding. 'We've got kids of all ages so we joked that we had our own focus group.'
And while she was prepared for them to get impatient watching her speak into a microphone, it actually worked out quite well. 'When they're there and they hear you making kung fu sounds and jumping around, you can see them giggling through the glass it makes you go that much further.' However, Jolie did admit she had concerns regarding the adoption issues raised in the flick, especially when they visited the Dreamworks studios to see a rough cut of the movie. 'I wondered how they'd respond to the themes of the film,' admitting that herself and Pitt were 'sensitive to see if there was going to be a big discussion that night about adoption and orphanages'.
But in the end there were no questions. As Jolie explains: 'That's because we talk about those issues at my house all the time, very openly. 'We've had those discussions so often, they're such happy, wonderful discussions.' Kung Fu Panda, the original, was 'one of the kids' favourite movies,' Jolie said. And reinforcing how they inspired her during recording, she explained: 'If you look at your own children, you want to do something you know will be better than the first one.'
However, the Oscar-winning actress conceded that she did have hang-ups about the sound of her voice. While she would usually have her brooding good looks and presence to light up the screen, animation is clearly different. Jolie told the publication she hates the sound of her own voice. 'You know, when you hear your own voice, you can find it quite boring and uninteresting. 'Suddenly, you get very shy that your voice is not enough, because I'm not musical and I don't know my voice.' Kung Fu Panda 2, which is released on May 26, marks the third animated film between Jolie and Black. Before the original, in which they both featured, they also paired in the 2004 flick Shark Tale.
Jolie told USA Today: 'They'll sit in a room and say, "That's just not funny,"' admitting the scrutiny from her children keeps her 'competitive'. The 35-year-old actress, who voices kung fu master Tigress, has six children with partner Brad Pitt - Maddox, aged nine, Pax, aged seven, Zahara, aged six, four-year-old Shiloh and two-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. The elder three are adopted. But despite their brutal honesty - and thinking co-star Jack Black was 'cooler than mommy' - Angelina says bringing them along to recording sessions was very rewarding. 'We've got kids of all ages so we joked that we had our own focus group.'
And while she was prepared for them to get impatient watching her speak into a microphone, it actually worked out quite well. 'When they're there and they hear you making kung fu sounds and jumping around, you can see them giggling through the glass it makes you go that much further.' However, Jolie did admit she had concerns regarding the adoption issues raised in the flick, especially when they visited the Dreamworks studios to see a rough cut of the movie. 'I wondered how they'd respond to the themes of the film,' admitting that herself and Pitt were 'sensitive to see if there was going to be a big discussion that night about adoption and orphanages'.
But in the end there were no questions. As Jolie explains: 'That's because we talk about those issues at my house all the time, very openly. 'We've had those discussions so often, they're such happy, wonderful discussions.' Kung Fu Panda, the original, was 'one of the kids' favourite movies,' Jolie said. And reinforcing how they inspired her during recording, she explained: 'If you look at your own children, you want to do something you know will be better than the first one.'
However, the Oscar-winning actress conceded that she did have hang-ups about the sound of her voice. While she would usually have her brooding good looks and presence to light up the screen, animation is clearly different. Jolie told the publication she hates the sound of her own voice. 'You know, when you hear your own voice, you can find it quite boring and uninteresting. 'Suddenly, you get very shy that your voice is not enough, because I'm not musical and I don't know my voice.' Kung Fu Panda 2, which is released on May 26, marks the third animated film between Jolie and Black. Before the original, in which they both featured, they also paired in the 2004 flick Shark Tale.
