Angelina Jolie and her daughter Vivienne are Hollywood royals. But their latest project is making headlines beyond the realm of celebrities. The two have taken to the stage at the iconic New York theater, where they are working on a production of their lives. Jolie stars in “The Last Duel.” While Vivienne is no doubt too young for a role in the racy period piece, she is not without her own theatrical glory. In fact, she makes her Broadway debut in a production at the St. James Theatre.
On September 20th, CR Fashion Book published an exclusive, endearing interview with Angelina Jolie. In it, the timeless star and philanthropist opened up about the most recent addition to her collection of body art, a matching tattoo she now shares with her daughter, Vivienne. The story behind their shared ink is one that centers around their mutual love of Broadway, specifically the show “The Outsiders.” Not only did Angelina produce the show, but it also seems to mark a significant moment in the deepening of her relationship with her youngest daughter.
Angelina shared a memory that has stuck with me from my childhood: “I got ‘Stay Gold’ with my daughter Viv during our time with The Outsiders. It means so much to us, separately and together.” Angelina was clearly not just marking a memory sweet enough to melt any parent’s heart but hinting at a much deeper significance tied to a phrase made famous by the story “The Outsiders,” which generations of students (like me) have read in English class.
“Stay Gold,” tattooed on their bodies, pays homage to a list of seminal literary works that wouldn’t even fit on a Brooklyn heat-wave summer reading list. “Stay Gold.” Meaning what? It means this: What is powerful and simple—the Disneyfication of theater—is what has fueled Vivienne’s obsession with story telling. It is also what allows her and her mom to occupy a space on the list of most revered actress-mother combos in Hollywood.
Angelina had an extravagant tattoo debut during the April opening of “The Outsiders.” Theater fans and ink lovers alike took notice. The actress and humanitarian spent much of the media time surrounding the production talking about her daughter, Vivienne, who “absolutely loves” theater. In an introspective moment during the press push, she seemed to reflect on her daughter’s young age and paternal pressure when she said, “It’s one thing to love [theater art], but to have the insight to know what you love and to have that kind of response to it at that age is really something.” Who knew Vivienne was such an astute theater critic?
Their efforts are now focused on something much greater than the tattoos and premieres of yesteryear. The Maleficent star lovingly acknowledges that her part in the project was catalyzed by the dazzling performance turned in by her daughter at the production’s La Jolla opening. Vivienne had fallen head over heels for the show and had watched it five times. Mother understood.
Angelina recounted how it was Vivienne who introduced her to the wonderful world of “The Nutcracker.” Vivienne was the impetus. And now we watch as Mother Melanie works on the project with her daughters.
In addition, Angelina disclosed another personal tattoo secret. With her iconic wrist ink, she shares a “bond” tattoo with “some of [her] children.” That is to say, while the kids may not have the identical tattoo Angelina has, the tattoos they do have are of the same species—bird tattoos. Thus, all of the birds represent a certain familial relationship, and Angelina has one of the aforementioned tattoos in close proximity to her heart and visible to any paparazzi that might be lurking around.
Angelina Jolie and her daughter have taken different paths into the world of “The Outsiders” and the theater. But their professional and personal journeys spotlight the way the arts can forge connections and build legacies in sometimes unexpected ways. They suggest that the bonds of family can also give rise to partnerships in the kinds of genuine passions and creative acts that help tell the story of a family—each performance, each tattoo (and there are some distinguishing ones between mother and daughter) a kind of chapter in the history of family.
When another season of The Outsiders opens, the audience will not merely witness a performance. They will step into a love-laden saga shared between one of the most iconic figures in the Hollywood pantheon and her charming daughter. It is a saga that encompasses a magnificent adventure, one that sees us—them, us, the audience—treading softly across the threshold between a memorably intimate present and an exquisitely significant past. A gem of a Gold (not just for the eyes to behold) goes to the duo of Angelina Jolie and her daughter Maddox. Stay Gold, Jolie-Maddox family!
