It has to be said that yes, Angelina Jolie is every bit as beautiful in the flesh as you’d expect.
Even dressed in a simple grey top and simple grey trousers, she’s effortlessly cool and every inch the movie star.
She’s also surprisingly open. Admittedly a question about those eating disorder rumours gets a knockback – "I think that’s an odd question for the time being" – she’s remarkably candid about motherhood and life with one of the sexiest men on the planet.
The theme of motherhood is particularly relevant as Angelina is here to discuss her role in Changeling, Clint Eastwood’s latest directorial effort. In the film, Angelina plays Christine Collins, a single mother whose son goes missing in Los Angeles in 1928. A few months later, the LAPD return her son to her… but she’s adamant that it isn’t her child. However, instead of acknowledging the error, the LAPD – the highly corrupt LAPD, as it happens – attempt to discredit Christine. It’s a traumatic watch for anyone, let alone perhaps the world’s most famous mother.
"It was very hard," admits Angelina. "When I first read the script, I couldn’t put it down but then I said no immediately. I didn’t want to do this project because it was too upsetting. But then I couldn’t stop talking about her.
"I found myself sitting with people wanting them to know about this extraordinary woman and what people did to her in this time and our history. So I felt very inspired in the end and really wanted other people to know about her and really felt that it was an extra piece of justice for her, that we could really tell her story.
"But as a mom it was horrible. After doing a day at work, I would just run home and I just wanted to be silly. I was so emotional that I felt myself wanting to be very goofy and silly and so happy that I knew where my kids were and they were ok."
It has then been a generally harrowing year for Angelina. As well as filming perhaps the most emotional film of her career, on a personal note she also lost her mother and had twins. It must have been tough going.
"You know I’m very, very lucky," explains the philosophical actress. "My mom was far too young, she was 58, but she lived long enough to meet most of my children and so you can only think of that, and focus on how grateful you are.
"But I’ve been so blessed to have healthy children and a great partner who’s...we’re having such a wonderful time raising our children together and there’s a lot of love in our home, so I remind myself of that anytime I think of what I lost."
On a more positive note, at least Christmas is coming. Mind you, that can’t be easy with six children. Do you get any sleep on Christmas Eve?
"We do," laughs Angelina, "we’re usually exhausted by that point! But we love it, it’s that fun of sitting up in the middle of the night and wrapping the presents and doing stockings and that’s totally the best thing about being a mom and dad, you get to share those nights together where it’s the big preparation for the big day."
There has been some speculation that you’re cutting back on filming commitments. Is that actually the case, or is that a case of the tabloids striking again?
"I’m going to work for a few months and then I don’t know when I’m going to work again. I’m not going to be making some retirement announcement but… I have a big family and I have a lot of responsibility at home and I have the good fortune to not have to work all the time and so, I just feel privileged that I get to be at home a lot and I feel a responsibility to be there as much as I can, so maybe once a year, maybe once every two years and then eventually I’ll stop."
Finally then, can we expect the family to expand further in the coming years. The eyes glint and the facial expression goes dead pan.
"I’m sure you can…"
Changeling is on general release from 26th November.
